Maneka insists Imran’s marriage took place during Iddat

ISLAMABAD: During the hearing in the court of District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjamand, arguments continued on behalf of Khawar Maneka’s lawyer on Imran and Bushra’s appeals against the sentence in the Nikah case.

The court inquired whether the complainant or any lawyer had appeared on his behalf. the judge raised the query after warning to announce the verdict if Maneka’s lawyer remained absent from the hearing and adjourned the hearing.

When the court resumed the hearing, a junior lawyer appeared on behalf of Manika’s lawyer Raja Rizwan Abbasi and told the court that the latter was busy in the Supreme Court. He also requested the court to adjourn the hearing till 11:30 at which Judge Shahrukh Arjamand reiterated his warning that if the lawyer did not turn up at the hearing, he would announce the verdict.

At the same time PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub, former Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Khalid Khurshid, Senator Faisal Javed, Senator Azam Swati, lawyers Niazullah Niazi, Naeem Haider Panjotha and others also reached the District Courts. Later, when the hearing started, founder PTI’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja, Bushra Bibi’s lawyer Usman Riaz Gul, Khalid Yusuf Chaudhary, and prosecutor Adnan Ali appeared in the court and sought a short adjournment.

When the court resumed hearing, Khawar Manika’s lawyer Rizwan Abbasi said he would discuss section 496 in CrPC as some things were argued in contradiction to the facts. He said according to the main witnesses, the marriage took place during the ‘Iddat period’ and further argued that the appellant’s lawyers cannot deny the evidence.

He contended that Bushra’s marriage has proven to be fraud and both Khawar Maneka and his children were deprived of their right to cause any reconciliation. Explaining the length of the menstruation period which can range from 21-350 days, he said that under Islamic law the period of Iddat is 90 days and this marriage took place during the Iddat period on January 1, 2018.

Abbasi once again sought to postpone the hearing till April 25 which was strongly contested by Salman Akram Raja, terming the request to a delaying tactic. After a long wrangling between Salman Akram Raja and Rizwan Abbasi, the court adjourned the hearing till April 24.