Iddat case: Court rejects IK, Bushra’s suspension of sentence plea

Islamabad: A district and sessions court in Islamabad today dismissed the pleas seeking suspension of the sentences for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the iddat case, sparking strong reactions from the party.

Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced the verdict, which had been reserved since Tuesday, stating that there were no grounds to suspend the seven-year prison sentences handed down earlier this year. The court set the hearing on the main plea related to the annulment of their conviction for July 2.

“This verdict is absolutely ridiculous,” remarked PTI officials, who had anticipated Imran Khan’s potential release today. Outside Adiala Jail, where the court proceedings were conducted for security reasons, PTI leaders staged a protest decrying the decision.

In response to the court’s ruling, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan declared, “[We] will challenge the verdict in the high court immediately.”

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The sentencing in February followed a trial court’s finding that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s marriage was fraudulent, prompted by a petition from Khawar Maneka, Bushra’s ex-husband.

PTI workers, including women, gathered outside the district court, chanting slogans in support of their leader. Heavy police presence was deployed to maintain order amidst the protest.

Imran Khan, ousted as prime minister in April 2022 via a no-confidence motion, has been in custody since August last year on various charges, including corruption and terrorism-related offenses. Despite recent legal victories in other cases, including acquittals and bail grants, Khan remains incarcerated due to the iddat case conviction.