Adjourns hearing on appeal till April 24.
ISLAMABAD - A sessions court of Islamabad on Monday adjourned till April 24 an appeal filed by former prime minister Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi against their conviction in illegal marriage case. The hearing was adjourned till April 24th in an appeal filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi at District Judicial Complex, Islamabad on Monday with court asking Khawar Maneka’s lawyer to conclude his arguments on next hearing date.
Sessions Judge (East) Shahrukh Arjumand conducted hearing of the appeal at District Judicial Complex, Islamabad. Khawar Maneka’s attorney Raja Rizwan Abbasi gave detailed arguments for almost one hour and 45 minutes on upholding the judgment passed by Civil Judge Qudrat Ullah during the jail trial in an unlawful marriage case on February 3rd, 2024.
Advocate Abbasi argued in the court that under Section 496 Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) there were two ingredients; fraudulent and dishonest intentions in the marriage. He further argued that according to the Black Law Dictionary, fraud was the concealment of material facts and misrepresentation of truth, both of which had been done in the marriage. Abbasi also submitted to the court that Nikah on Jan 1st, 2018 was done because of a prophecy by Bushra Bibi that if it was done on the said date Imran Khan would become prime minister. The second Nikah was later done in February 2018 to show that all the religious requirements had been met for the marriage.
He also told the court that Buhsra Bibi and Imran Khan were involved in an illicit relationship before marriage which was also explained in trial court by a servant of Khawar Maneka who was with them for 35 years. Abbasi also told the court that according to medical science, 21 days is the minimum and 35 days are the maximum time for women’s menstrual cycle and it’s less than 21 days, and more than 35 days it’s a disease. According to the former husband of Bushra Bibi 28 years old, she had normal menstrual cycles so according to Islamabad law of 90 days Iddat period her Iddat wasn’t complete because she remarried after 48 days of triple talaq.
After finishing his arguments Abbasi requested the court to adjourn the hearing till 1st week of May and he’ll argue further on the case. Advocate Salman Akram Raja opposed the request of Abbasi and argued that the trial was conducted for 14 hours a day in jail and Abbasi appreciated the speedy justice system then and now he was running away from the call of duty in the appellant court. Raja also questioned the conduct of Rizwan Abbasi who according to him tricked the court twice in the last two hearings for not showing up and appearing in court at 1:00 pm on Monday. After listening to the arguments Judge Shahrukh Arjumand adjourned the hearing till April 24 and asked Abbasi to conclude the arguments in coming hearing.
