RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD - A court on Tuesday indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Iddat case.
Khan, a former prime minister who was removed from power in April 2022, and his wife, however, have denied all charges in the case registered by Bushra’s former husband, Khawar Maneka.
Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah conducted the hearing at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. The court formally commenced the trial in the case and summoned the witnesses at the next hearing. The judge read out the charges in the court set up at the jail, with the PTI founder Imran Khan in presence.
The former prime minister had married Bushra in February 2018 in Lahore. The ceremony was attended by only close relatives, including the bride’s mother and friends. The PTI founder’s sisters, however, were not in attendance.
Mufti Saeed had performed the Nikah in the presence of former PTI leader Awn Chaudhary and Zulfi Bukhari who appeared as witnesses. During the hearing yesterday, the court expressed displeasure about the former first lady’s absence and questioned how she could leave without the court’s permission. To this, her lawyer Usman Gill said that his client had left for the hospital owing to her ill health.
Meanwhile, the prosecution objected to Bushra’s medical report saying that it fails to mention any particular treatment — that the accused has gone through. “You are repeatedly seeking exemption [from appearing before the court] by submitting medical reports,” the court said while addressing Bushra’s counsel, adding that exemption is sought by one who is not present in court. Additionally, the PTI chief was also called on to the rostrum upon which the former premier expressed a lack of understanding of the legal terms, saying that he would sign the charge sheet after his lawyer briefed him on it.
However, he did sign the charge sheet following consultations with his lawyers.
IMRAN MOVES IHC AGAINST JAIL TRIAL IN TOSHAKHANA, AL-QADIR TRUST CASES
In another development, Imran Khan moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his jail trial in the Toshakhana and Al-Qadir Trust cases. He filed two petitions against jail trial notification in Toshkhana and Al-Qadir cases through his counsel Sardar Latif Khosa Advocate.
The petitioner stated that the notifications of jail trials in the cases, issued on November 14 and 28 respectively, were unlawful and malicious. He prayed to the court that the jail trial notifications be nullified and urged the court to issue a stay order to halt the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the PTI prayed to the Supreme Court to fix Imran Khan’s appeal regarding his disqualification in Toshakhana reference for early hearing. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa was hearing a case where advocate Latif Khosa requested the CJP to fix another petition for hearing, filed on behalf of Imran Khan against his disqualification in the Toshakhana case. The Chief Justice told him that the court can look into what possible relief can be given to the PTI founder in connection with the request for an early hearing after the application is filed in court.
Justice Faez Khosa him; “You accuse us outside the court, do not trust the judiciary, and on the other, you ask for relief.” Justice Faez then asked him to file an application for fixing the hearing soon, and it would be decided as per the law. A day earlier, , Latif Khosa in a level-playing field case had said: “We came to seek a level playing field in the elections, but due to the decision of the court’s January 13 decision, the party has practically disintegrated.” He further said that the party no longer expects justice from the judiciary.