‘Illegal marriage’ case: Imran, Bushra got married 48 days after divorce, court told

ISLAMABAD: A local court was told on Saturday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder chairman and Bushra Bibi got married after 48 days of divorce of the latter.

District and Sessions Judge Shah Rukh Arjamand heard the appeal against the sentence of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the illegal marriage case in which defence lawyers Usman Gill and Salman Akram Raja, prosecutor Rana Hassan Abbas appeared in the court, while Khawar Manika’s lawyer Rizwan Abbasi did not appear.

On the absence of Khawar Manika’s lawyer in the court, defence lawyer Salman Akram Raja regretted that Rizwan Abbasi was sitting in the adjacent empty courtroom and not coming for the hearing. Assistant lawyers have also run away while Rizwan Abbasi is saying that he would not come and he is humiliating the court, he said.

The court directed Rizwan Abbasi to appear in the court following the complaint of Salman Akram Raja.

Salman argued that the dates of divorce and the end of Iddat were important. According to Khawar Manika, he divorced Bushra Bibi three times on November 14, 2017. He cannot refuse that the divorce took place on November 14, 2017. As of January 1, 2018, 48 days had passed since the divorce. He said Surah Al-Baqarah contains verses related to Iddat.

Imran’s lawyer told the court that Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan got married 48 days after the divorce. Imran gave a statement in the trial court that he arranged a prayer ceremony for the marriage in February. There can be tens of ceremonies after Nikah.

The defence lawyer added that Khawar Manika remained silent for six years and filed a case complaint with one sentence. In Islam it is recommended to take care of privacy of a woman. “Marriage should take place at least 48 days after divorce.”

He further said in his arguments in March 2018, Khawar made a statement on television that Bushra Bibi was a veiled woman and the PTI founder was also a very pious person. The court adjourned further hearing of case till Tuesday.