No verdict on appeals against conviction of Imran Khan, his wife in illegal marriage case as judge recuses himself

Islamabad: A Pakistan court Wednesday did not announce its verdict on the appeals against the conviction of jailed former premier Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the illegal marriage case after the judge recused himself.
Khan, 71, and Bibi, 49, were sentenced to seven years in prison each February 3 by a trial court for contracting the marriage during iddat, a mandatory period for a woman in Islam to wait before a second marriage after the death of her husband or divorce.
The case was filed by Bushra’s ex-husband Khawar Maneka against the couple in November 2023, alleging that they married without Bushra observing the mandatory waiting period of iddat. He asked the court to declare the marriage null and void.
The former first couple had challenged the verdict in Islamabad District and Sessions Court where Judge Shahrukh Arjumand heard the appeals and reserved the verdict May 23 had reserved its verdict on the conclusion of the hearing.
Judge Arjumand instead of announcing the verdict said the case should be transferred due to objection by the complainant who had asked the judge to recuse himself.
After the judge retired to his chamber, Maneka was seen walking out of the court when he was allegedly attacked by Khan’s lawyer. He fell while people at the scene pulled back the attackers.
The fate of the reserved verdict was not known after the ugly scene on the court premises.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party also confirmed that the judge recused from the case after the complainant exhibited a trust deficit.
The couple had married in 2018, the year Khan went on to win elections and become prime minister. Bushra was ostensibly his spiritual guide but the two developed affection for each other during their meetings. She got a divorce from her husband of 28 years with whom she had five children.
She is the third wife of Khan, a former cricketing hero, who during his heydays of sporting career had a playboy reputation.
PTI