Imran married Bushra during Iddat to become PM, court told

ISLAMABAD: Two witnesses Mufti Saeed and former PTI leader Aun Chaudhry testified in the illegal marriage case of Imran Khan with Bushra Bibi on Tuesday, saying they considered the Nikah as illegal and against Shariah since it was held during the Iddat period. Both witnesses recorded their statements before Civil Judge, Islamabad Qudrat Ullah here on Tuesday.

Both Mufti Saeed and Aun Chaudhry, who is now the secretary of the Istehkame Pakistan Party (IPP), claimed in their respective statements that the PTI Chairman wanted to marry Bushra during the ‘Iddat period’ in the belief that by doing so he would become the prime minister.

In his statement, former PTI leader Aun Chaudhry told the court that he was Khan’s private secretary and thereby privy to a lot of personal and family matters. Giving details of Imran’s divorce to Reham Khan, Chaudhary said in November 2015 the PTI chairman divorced Reham Khan. “Before divorcing her, he sought Bushra Bibi’s advice,” he said, adding, “It was only after the latter’s consent that he divorced his wife.” “Since she was abroad at that time Imran divorced her through an e-mail.”

Ex-PTI leader told the court that after the break-up, “the PTI chairman lost his heart and used to remain sad and dejected. The former prime minister would often insist on visiting Bushra to find peace.” Aun told the court “that on Imran’s insistence, he would take him to Bushra’s house. It was during one of those visits on December 31, 2017 Imran told me that he wanted to take Bushra to Lahore. He also asked me to make arrangements for his wedding with Bushra,” Aun Chaudhary said, adding, “he was shocked to learn that because at that time Bushra was already married.” But Imran, Aun said, “informed him that Bushra had taken divorce.”

He told the court that on January 1, 2018, “accompanied by PTI leader and Imran’s close friend Zulfi Bukhari, he went to Lahore where Mufti Saeed solemnised the nikah.“ And I was a witness to that marriage,” Chaudhary said. “At the time of nikah, Mufti Saeed asked Bushra whether she was still married, to which the latter replied in the negative, and asked Mufti to go ahead to solemnise the nikah.” Aun Chaudhary said, “It was through media that it was confirmed that Bushra was still in Iddat when the nikah was solemnised but he opted to remain silent.”

Later Imran, the ex-PTI leader claimed, “forbade him and others close to him not to inform anyone about the Nikah as he planned to solemnise the nikah again in February after the completion of Iddat.” Aun went on to say that in the very next month, in February, the PTI chairman’s nikah was once again solemnised with Bushra at Bani Gala, Islamabad. “This followed media reports that the marriage was contracted when the bride was going through Iddat.” Aun told the court that both he and Zulfi Bukhari were witnesses to that nikah also.” He informed the court that the recording of the function was also available.

He further claimed that the reason why Imran wanted to marry Bushra during the Iddat period was because he believed that by doing so he would become the prime minister. “I deliberately had the first nikah during iddat,” Aun quoted Khan as saying. Aun alleged, “the first time they deliberately contracted marriage during ‘Iddat’ which was against the Islamic Shariah and fraudulent.” In his statement, Mufti Saeed said that Bushra Bibi had told him that Khawar Maneka had divorced her. Even Bushra’s friends told him that she was divorced in November 2017, he said, and added, “I was told by Imran that Bushra had told him that if their nikah would be solemnized on January 1, 2018, he (the PTI chairman) would be appointed to a top position.” In my opinion, Mufti Saeed went on to tell the court, “The nikah solemnised on January 1, 2018 was against the Shariah as well as against the law but they both insisted despite knowing that it could not be sanctioned.” The court adjourned the case’s hearing until December 2.