Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the 71-year-old founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his wife Bushra Bibi have been indicted in a case related to the solemnization of their marriage against Islamic laws. The legal proceedings took place in a Pakistani court, with Khan and Bushra facing charges in a case filed by Bushra’s former husband, Khawar Maneka, last month.
The indictment was carried out by Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah in a court set up within the high-security Adiala Jail. Imran Khan was present during the proceedings, while Bushra Bibi did not attend, causing annoyance to the judge, as previous indictments were postponed due to her absence.
This development follows a plea by Bushra Bibi seeking the dismissal of her ex-husband’s case, with the Islamabad High Court reserving its verdict on the matter just a day before the indictment. In her petition, Bushra argued against the admissibility of Maneka’s petition, contending that a trial court lacks jurisdiction to hear it. She also urged the court to declare the order of the additional sessions judge East on January 11 as “null and void.”
Khawar Maneka had filed a petition challenging the marriage of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi last month. The controversy escalated further when Maneka, in an interview with a private news channel, claimed that Khan and Bibi had married during iddat, a waiting period that Muslim women observe due to the death of their husband or dissolution of the marriage.
In Monday’s hearing, Bushra’s lawyer emphasized that Maneka, in his petition, accused his wife of being a fornicator. The lawyer questioned the timing of raising this issue six years after the marriage ended and stressed that the ex-husband’s complaint was filed under malice with false allegations.
The high courts have previously declared marriages during iddat as irregular but not annulled, as noted in Bushra’s plea. The legal proceedings are expected to continue as the Islamabad High Court reviews the case and decides on the dismissal plea.
Imran Khan, who was removed from power in April 2022, has faced various legal challenges since then. He is currently incarcerated in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The indictment in the marriage case adds another layer to the legal complexities surrounding the former prime minister, raising questions about the legal implications and outcomes of the ongoing proceedings.
