ISLAMABAD: A local court, on Tuesday, indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the “illegal Nikkah” case.
Civil judge Qudratullah, while hearing the case at Adiala Jail, framed a charge against Khan and his wife in the Nikkah case and summoned prosecution witnesses to record their statement during the next hearing to be held on January 18.
Jail authorities produced Khan before the court when the judge read the charge against Khan and his wife. Khan denied the allegations. Khan further said that “February 8 is coming closer and I know the prosecution is in a hurry.”
“Courts hear four, four cases in a day against me,” Khan further said, adding that he [the complainant] “remembered this case after six years” following the “updating of his software”.
Khan’s counsel Usman Gull as well as counsel for the complainant Rizwan Abbas appeared before the court.
The court expressed annoyance over the departure of Bushra Bibi from the court without permission. Did anyone not tell Bushra Bibi that court permission is necessary before leaving the courtroom, the judge said.
The judge said that during the previous hearing, he issued directives for the issuance of an arrest warrant for Bushra Bibi but the court did not issue it respecting the lawyers.
Defence counsel Usman Gull told the court that his client left the courtroom after her health condition deteriorated. She went to the hospital, he further said.
The judge inquired in which hospital Bushra Bibi went for treatment. The defence counsel replied that he did not know about the hospital to which his client went for treatment. He further said that he has submitted medical reports of Bushra Bibi.
The defence counsel Rizwan Abbas told the court that there is no mention of medical treatment in the reports submitted before the court. There is nothing in the report due to which the accused not appear before the court, he said.
Gull said that Bushra Bibi’s condition deteriorated in the courtroom. Anyone’s health can deteriorate anytime, he said.
The judge ordered to check entry and exit time of Bushra Bibi from jail. The judge said that Bushra Bibi entered the jail following the directions of the court then how she went outside the jail without the directions of the court, the judge said, adding that if she needed first aid, a hospital is also available in jail.
Jail authorities submitted a report regarding Bushra Bibi’s entry and exit time. According to the report, she entered the jail at 11:13 am and left the jail at 1:42 pm. Bushra Bibi did not consider it necessary to get permission from the court, Rizwan Abbas the complainant’s counsel said.
Gull the defence counsel said that the accused have challenged this case in Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the pleas are fixed for hearing on January 17.
In the interest of justice, the court needs to wait till the decision of the IHC, he said.
Abbasi said that the IHC neither stopped this court from hearing nor issued any directions for any stay order. The court had fixed January 16 for indictment of the accused, he said.
Gull said that a joint charge cannot be framed in the absence of one accused. The court framed charge against the accused and summoned witnesses for recording of statements on January 18.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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