ISLAMABAD: A local court, on Monday, summoned arguments on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s appeals against the recent verdict in the “Iddat” case during the next hearing to be held on March 20.

District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, while hearing the case, approved the request of the complainant [Khawar Maneka, former husband of Bushra Bibi] seeking to grant him time for appointing his counsel.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till March 20 and sought arguments from both parties.

A local court on February 3 awarded Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi seven years’ imprisonment each for allegedly solemnizing Nikkah during Bushra Bibi’s Iddat period. The court in its verdict said the complainant [KhawarManeka, former husband of Bushra Bibi] has been able to prove that the respondents [Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi] have gone through an unlawful marriage ceremony on January 1, 2018, with dishonest and fraudulent intention and as such has established the charge against the respondents for an offence within the meaning 496 Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The complainant, Maneka appeared before the court without counsel. PTI lawyers Usman Gull, Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, Sheraz Ranjha as well as prosecutor Hassan Raza appeared before the court. At the start of the hearing, the compliance report regarding the delivery of notices to the prosecutor and Maneka was submitted before the court.

At the start of the hearing, Maneka requested the court that due to a shortage of time, he failed to engage a lawyer. He pleaded to the court to grant him time for appointing his counsel. The court granted time to Maneka and directed him to submit a power of attorney to his counsel till 12:30 pm before the court. The court took a short break.

PTI counsel requested the court to suspend the sentence of Bushra Bibi till a decision over the appeal and order her release.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024