ILLEGITIMATE MARRIAGE CASE
ISLAMABAD - Heated arguments between incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan and Khawar Maneka, ex-husband of Bushra Imran, were witnessed during the case hearing of illegitimate marriage between the PTI founding chairman and his wife Bushra Imran at a court in the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi on Thursday.
The hearing on Nikah before the Iddat period case resumed at the Adyala jail after the stay was vacated by the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday last.
Khawar Maneka had filed an application against Imran Khan and Bushra on 25th November 2023 and claimed that the couple married before the Iddat was over and under section 496 PPC, it’s a fraudulent marriage. There was another charge of fornication which was removed by the court. During the hearing, Imran Khan along with Bushra went to the rostrum and asked Judge Qudrat Ullah that he and his wife Bushra wanted to take oath on Quran that they didn’t have an illicit relationship before marriage. Bushra told the judge that she also wanted to take an oath and he couldn’t give the verdict without listening to her. She also said that the Quran says whoever accuses someone also has to prove the allegations.
“Why is he (Khawar Maneka) hurling allegations of illegitimate relationship after six years,” asked Bushra while pointing finger at her former husband. Khwar Maneka replied, “You stopped me for six years through kids. This was how would you make Riasat-e-Madina,” said Maneka to which Imran Khan intervened and said, “I’m not talking to you.”
Khwar Maneka shouted saying, they have ruined his house. “She told our kids that I’m no more for you. Our youngest daughter Kuloom still cries because of her. Our son Musa has become mentally ill,” Maneka remarked. The judge intervened and stopped Imran Khan and Khawar Maneka from speaking to each other in a rough manner.
Lawers Usman Gill and Salman Safdar kept asking the judge to adjourn the case hearing but it continued for 11 hours. Four short breaks were also taken during the proceedings. Cross-examination on the testimonies of Mufti Saeed and Lateef will be done today while the judgment in the case is also expected to be announced the same day.
During the marathon hearing, Bushra Imran informally talked to media for the first time and said, “Neither we applied nor we made a deal to shift me to Bani Gala residence and declare it as sub-jail.” “I surrendered myself and went to the jail. They were not expecting us to do this, that’s why rumours have been spread about a deal. When they told me they were taking me to the Simli Dam rest house. I wasn’t willing to go there, then they took me to Bani gala house”, she further added. “We are brave people, our Iman is strong, it doesn’t matter where they keep me. If we’ve made a deal, they must cancel it and keep me at Adyala Jail from now on”, she replied to a question about any deal. Earlier in the day, when Imran Khan entered the courtroom, he interacted with media persons saying, “I just found out this morning that they’ve shifted my wife to Bani Gala. I thought she was at Adyala jail and I even sent her an extra blanket last night so that she won’t feel cold in the jail.” Khawar Maneka, Mufti Saeed, Aon Chaudhry, and a servant of Khawar Maneka recorded their testimonies in the court. Usman Gill, the attorney of Bushra, cross-examined Khawar Maneka and Aon Chaudhry. Later, the hearing was adjourned until 9am today.