A Pakistan court on Saturday sentenced incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years imprisonment in the ‘un-Islamic nikah’ case, just days before the upcoming general elections on February 8.
This marks the fourth conviction for the 71-year-old Khan since 2022, further complicating the situation for the embattled founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party.
The case, brought by Bibi’s first husband Khawar Maneka, alleges a violation of Islamic practices regarding the mandatory pause or Iddat between two marriages. Maneka additionally accused his ex-wife and Khan of engaging in an adulterous relationship before their marriage, a crime punishable by death through stoning.
Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah pronounced the verdict a day after a 14-hour hearing inside the Adiala Jail premises in Rawalpindi on Friday. The judge imposed fines of Rs 5,00,000 each on the couple. Both Khan and Bushra were present in the courtroom during the announcement of the verdict.
Earlier in the week, Khan received a 10-year sentence in the cipher case and a 14-year sentence in the Toshakhana case. Arrested on August 5 of the previous year following his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Khan has remained in imprisonment, initially at the Attock Jail and later transferred to the Adiala Jail.
After the Iddat case conviction, Khan asserted that the charges against him were fabricated to “humiliate and disgrace” him and his spouse, Bushra Bibi. He highlighted the historical significance of this case, being the first instance related to Iddat, and emphasized that it was the inaugural occasion of someone receiving a 14-year imprisonment sentence in a Toshakhana corruption case.
The cross-examination of the four prosecution witnesses concluded on Friday, with Khan and Bibi, aged 49, submitting a joint statement, answering 13 questions. The defense’s request to produce additional witnesses was rejected, along with pleas for acquittal and jurisdictional matters.
Khan denounced the divorce certificate of November 14, 2017, as fraudulent, asserting that she completed her mandatory iddat period from April to August 2017 after receiving a verbal triple talaq (divorce) from Maneka in April 2017. The marriage with Khan was officiated on January 1, 2018, and Bibi reportedly held significant influence over the former premier during his tenure.
Having faced three convictions since 2022, Khan was ousted from power. The imprisonment began on August 5, following the Toshakhana corruption case verdict by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The recent sentence of 14 years for Khan and his wife in a corruption case involving the retention of expensive state gifts during his time in office was delivered on January 31.
