The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad has reserved its verdict on a petition seeking suspension of the sentence for PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Iddat Nikah case. The judgment is scheduled to be announced on June 27 at 3pm, while the hearing on central appeals against the sentence has been adjourned until July 2. The decision follows a series of hearings, the most recent of which occurred on June 14, during which Judge Afzal Majoka postponed the hearing to June 21, remarking that he would deliver a decision within ten days if alive. The court proceedings have seen numerous postponements and legal manoeuvres since the initial hearings. On June 13, Judge Majoka noted that the case had faced expressions of no confidence twice before. This followed a June 7 hearing where appeals for early hearing and suspension of sentence were also postponed. The case centers around allegations that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi married during her Iddat period, a waiting period a Muslim woman must observe after the death of her husband or a divorce before she can remarry.

This led to Bushra Bibi's ex-husband Khawar Manika filing a marriage case against the couple in the court of Islamabad Civil Judge Qudrat on November 25, 2023. During the recent hearings, Bushra Bibi's lawyer, Salman Safdar, argued that Bushra Bibi has been facing ongoing health issues and that the case had been dragged out unnecessarily. He emphasized that despite being called to court multiple times, no one appeared, leading to delays. On June 3, the Islamabad High Court accepted a request to transfer the Iddat Nikah case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to another court, highlighting the case's contentious nature. The legal community and public await the court's verdict on June 27, which will determine whether the sentences of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi will be suspended pending further appeals. The case has drawn significant attention, given its implications for the high-profile political figures involved and its potential impact on their legal standing.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan