- Judgement to be announced on June 27 at 3pm
- Hearing on central appeals against sentence adjourned until July 2
ISLAMABAD: An Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) in Islamabad on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a petitions seeking suspension of the convictions of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in Nikah in Iddat case.
The judgment is scheduled to be announced on June 27 at 3pm, while the hearing on central appeals against the sentence has been adjourned until July 2.
A senior civil judge convicted the couple 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 when the hearing had been concluded and the court was supposed to announce the verdict.
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.
Separately, the Islamabad High Court had ordered the sessions court to decide in 10 days on pleas by PTI founder and his wif.e
On Saturday, while resuming the hearing for pleas seeking suspension of sentences, additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Afzal Majoka asked Zahid Asif — the counsel for Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Fareed Maneka — to conclude his arguments on the applications by June 25 as the court would then take up the main appeals against their convictions.
While hearing the case today, Imran’s lawyer Salman Safdar argued that the case would have been significant if it had been filed on time.
“There is a timeframe for every appeal but here the case was filed six years and 2,000 days later,” Safdar argued, adding that there was no judicial reference for the delay.
He said that since the appellant was a woman, there was a strong justification for the suspension of the sentence.
“The appellant is the mother of five children,” he said.
Safdar also argued that the charges were framed in the absence of Bushra Bibi.
Salman Safdar argued that Bushra Bibi had been facing health issues and that the case had been dragged out unnecessarily, emphasizing that despite being called to court multiple times, no one appeared, leading to delays.
Maneka’s lawyer Zahid Asif argued that the appellant was present in the case when she was indicted, however, she had walked out after that.
Judge Majoka asked Asif why a timely appeal was not filed.
“Was the complainant pressured or threatened [into filing],” Majoka asked.
“Decent people try not to make their family matters public,” Asif replied.
Judge Majoka reserved the verdict after hearing the arguments from both sides.
