The District and Session Court Islamabad on Tuesday adjourned former premier Imran Khan and former first lady Bushra Bibi's pleas against sentences in illegal marriage case till July 3. Additional Session Judge, Muhammad Afzal Majoka conducted hearing on pleas of Imran khan and Bushra Bibi. Khan's counsels Zahid Bashir Dar and Murtaza Turi appeared before the court. Senior counsel Salman Akram Raja also represented the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf founder. In the beginning of the proceedings, the court was requested to wait for some time for PTI's lawyer, Salman Safdar and Khawar Maneka's lawyer Zahid Asif.

Salman Akram Raja requested the court to adjourn the hearing till July 3 citing that he had to appear before the apex court in reserved seats case of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) to which Judge Majoka asked Raja to prepare his arguments by the next hearing. Raja pleaded before the court that malicious intention is a common factor between fraud and ill intention to which the judge remarked that if there was time to reconcile then this case falls in jurisdiction of civil litigation not criminal. "This isn't suffice to say that one would have reconciled if this or that had happened, had he (Khawar Maneka) moved court next day for reconciliation, then it should have been taken differently but he remained silent for six years instead", Raja responded. Later, after brief arguments, the court adjourned the hearing till July 3.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan