Verdict on Imran-Bushra nikah case today

ISLAMABAD: Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah Friday reserved the judgment against the PTI founder chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the ‘illegal’ marriage case.

The decision will be pronounced on Saturday (today) at 1 o’clock.

Imran’s counsel Salman Akram Raja and Bushra Bibi’s lawyer Usman Riaz Gul have completed the cross-examination of witnesses.

The hearing continued for about 14 hours. The complainant’s lawyer Raja Rizwan Abbasi, and public prosecutor Samiullah Jasra appeared in the court in the case against the couple.

The cross-examination of four prosecution witnesses has also been completed.

Lawyer Salman Akram Raja cross-examined the witnesses on behalf of the PTI founder, while Usman Riaz Gul cross-examined the witnesses on behalf of Bushra Bibi.

Among the witnesses were Khawar Manika, Aun Chaudhry, Nikah Khawan Mufti Saeed and an employee Latif.

According to the court order, Imran and Bushra submitted their statements. The court asked each of them 13 questions.

Salman Akram Raja wrote the answers on behalf of both the accused.

After the statements of 342, the counsel for the complainant, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, made their closing arguments.

Salman Akram Raja furnished the evidence seeking permission to produce a witness.

The witness is a member of Bushra Bibi’s household. Salman Akram Raja said he will not reveal the name of the witness and sought permission for his production. However, the court rejected the request to produce witnesses in the testimony.

The plea for acquittal under Section 249-A and jurisdictional pleas under Section 179 filed by the advocates were also rejected.

Khawar Manika’s video was also played during the hearing. The video of Nikah Khwan Mufti Saeed’s interview on private TV was played five times.

Bushra Bibi declared the divorce certificate of November 14, 2017 fabricated in her statement.

“Khawar Manika gave me verbal triple talaq in April 2017,” Bushra said.

“From April to August 2017, I spent my period of Iddat and moved to my mother’s house in Lahore in August 2017. On January 1, 2018, a simple marriage took place with the PTI founder,” the statement said.