ISLAMABAD: The trial court judge awarded a seven-year sentence to PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on Saturday. The trial court judge Qudratullah announced the verdict today in Adiala Jail in the presence of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and Khawar Maneka and their lawyers.
The Trial court judge also imposed a fine of Rs 500,000 on each, Imran Khan and Bushra. Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah announced the decision, a day after the hearing of the case inside the jail premises. Earlier, he reserved the decision after hearing arguments and recording statements of the witnesses.
The judge issued the decision in the case filed by Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband Khawar Maneka against what he referred to as an un-Islamic and illegal nikah of Bushra with the former prime minister.
The cross-examination of the statements given by the four witnesses in the case has been completed. The statements of Khan and Bushra under section 342 have also been recorded.
Bushra Bibi, who has been shifted to the Banigala following its status declared as a sub-jail, was brought to Adiala for the final hearing. The verdict was announced in the presence of the PTI founder, Bushra Bibi, and their lawyers.
The complainant’s counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi, Khan’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja, and Bushra Bibi’s lawyer Usman Gul also gave their final arguments a day earlier.
Khawar Maneka had termed Bushra and Khan’s nikkah “fraudulent” contending that the marriage was solemnized during her iddat — following her divorce from him.
“That above said nikah and the marriage ceremony was neither legal nor Islamic as it was solemnized without observing the iddat period,” read the petition.
He also accused the former prime minister of ruining his entire life with the petition stating that the PTI top leader “stigmatized the complainant and his family just to achieve his unethical and immoral objects through intrusion in the complainant’s peaceful marital life”.
“In light of the above, it is humbly prayed that respondents No.1 [Imran Khan] and 2 [Bushra Bibi] be summoned and punished strictly under the law in the interest of justice,” Maneka prayed to the court.
