ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered an Additional District and Sessions Court (ADSJ) to deliver a verdict in 10 days on pleas by PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi for the suspension of their sentence in Iddat Case.
A single-judge IHC bench, comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb presided over the hearing and also ordered the ADSJ Afzal Majoka to decide on their primary appeals against the convictions within the month.
Advocate Salman Akram Raja appeared on behalf of the PTI founder while Raja Rizwan Abbasi represented Khawar Maneka.
The judge announced the decision after hearing argument put forward by both sides.
The former premier and former first lady were convicted by a senior civil judge on February 3 for contracting marriage during Bushra Bibi’s Iddat period. They were sentenced to seven years in jail with a fine of Rs500,000 each.
They challenged the conviction before district and sessions judge Shahrukh Arjumand, who recused himself at a time when the hearing had been concluded and the court was supposed to announce the verdict.
During the last hearing on May 29, Khawar Maneka’s counsel requested Session Judge Shahrukh Arjumand to transfer the case to another judge as Maneka “don’t want the case verdict from you.”
Later the Session Judge Shahrukh Arjumand wrote a letter to the High Court regarding the ongoing Nikah case of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. In the letter, the judge stated that Khawar Manika expressed no confidence against him in the court during today’s hearing.
Following the decision, Bushra Bibi moved Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the conviction in Nikah in Iddat case and the Islamabad High Court directed the session court judge Afzal Majoka to decide on both pleas in Nikah Iddat case within the specific time.
On June 3, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) transferred PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi Nikah Case to another court. The case was transferred to the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka.
Subsequently, the case was transferred to Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Afzal Majoka. However, the counsel for Bushra Bibi had filed a petition before the IHC seeking her release on bail and suspension of her sentence.
The registrar’s office raised some administrative objections to the petition because the petitioner was seeking the same relief from a sessions court.
While hearing the arguments of her counsel on the petition a day ago, Justice Aurangzeb had removed the administrative objections. He also remarked that the reason for which Judge Arjumand had recused himself was “not justified”.
