Court fixes June 7 for hearing of Bushra Bibi's appeals in iddat case

ISLAMABAD: Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has approached a district and sessions court, requesting to conduct an early hearing of appeals against her conviction in the iddat case.

The former first lady, who is currently imprisoned at the Adiala jail, has requested the court to schedule the hearing of appeals this week.

The court, approving Bushra's request, has fixed the hearing and sought arguments on the case for June 7.

The plea by Bushra has been filed a day after the Islamabad High Court accepted District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand's request seeking transfer of the iddat case to another court.

The IHC's decision came days after the judge wrote a letter to its registrar, stating it would not be appropriate for him to announce the verdict in the aforementioned case due to reservations raised by Bushra's former husband and petitioner Khawar Maneka.

Following the judge's request, the IHC transferred the case to the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka.

Bushra Bibi's lawyers, Salman Safdar and Khalid Yusuf, appeared in Judge Majuka's court, requesting the suspension of the sentence which has been pending since March 11.

Safdar said that the verdict was handed down on March 29, but Maneka expressed his lack of confidence in the judge — which has delayed the hearing.

He added that Bushra Bibi did not even get the right to defend herself.

"The innocent have been held prisoners. Her health is bad," the lawyer argued and requested the court to suspend the sentence this week.