Appeal in Unlawful Marriage Case

Islamabad    -  Appeal in unlawful marriage case will be decided within 30 days as per orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), said Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka on Tuesday. Judge Majoka said he had forwarded the general adjournment application submitted by Khawar Maneka’s lawyer Zahid Asif Chaudhry to IHC on Monday and on Tuesday he remarked that IHC had declined the application and told him to continue the trial and conclude it by July 13th since it was a direction case.

Barrister Salman Safdar presented his arguments after the nod from Judge Majoka. The trial was put on halt on Monday after Adv Zahid Asif Chaudhry’s general adjournment application approved by Sessions Judge (West) Azam Khan was submitted by his associates. Barrister Salman Safdar submitted in court that Usman Riaz Gill and Khadija Siddiqui will also assist him in the case. He told the court that all the cases against former prime minister Imran Khan and former first lady Buhsra Bibi were part of political victimization. When they couldn’t find any financial corruption against Imran Khan they made up cases like unlawful marriage and cipher cases. He also submitted in court that prosecution against Imran Khan was the most expensive prosecution in history of Pakistan which was a burden to taxpayer of the country.

Barrister Salman further argued that each case had unique and peculiar circumstances but unlawful marriage case was most vulgar and below the belt case among all the cases. Society had condemned and disapproved this case at all levels, the trial was conducted at night and today they were in appeal during the day.

Marriage of Khawar Maneka and Bushra Bibi lasted for 28 years but their Nikahnama wasn’t produced in the court. All the allegations in the application of Khawar Maneka were not provided with dates and time and there’s not even any evidnece of commitment of fraud in the application, he further argued. He said there’s not even an evidence of complainant trying to do settlement with Bushra Bibi. Barrister Salman Safdar will continue his arguments today (Wednesday) at District Courts. It is not clear yet whether Zahid Asif Chaudhry will join the proceedings or not.