Iddat Case
Khawar Maneka’s appeal against the acquittal of his former wife, Bushra Bibi, and her husband, Imran Khan, in the Iddat case, commonly known as the “un-Islamic marriage” case, has been scheduled for hearing in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The hearing will take place on Monday (tomorrow), with newly sworn-in Justice Mohammad Azam Khan presiding over the proceedings.
The case stems from an allegation made by Maneka, who claimed that Khan and Bushra Bibi had married before the end of the mandatory waiting period (iddat) following Bibi’s divorce.
On July 13, 2024, the Islamabad District and Sessions Court acquitted both Khan and Bibi in the case, overturning the initial sentences. The court, under Judge Afzal Majoka, ordered their release after a speedy retrial directed by the Islamabad High Court.
Previously, the couple had been sentenced to seven years in prison by a civil court in Islamabad, and they were also fined Rs 500,000 each. However, both Khan and Bushra Bibi appealed the sentence, and the Sessions Court reserved its verdict on the appeals on May 23.
As part of the appeal process, Judge Shah Rukh Arjumand had initially heard the case, but following Khawar Maneka’s repeated expression of no confidence in him, the IHC transferred the case to Judge Majoka’s court on the request of Judge Arjumand.
In line with the Islamabad High Court’s directive, the District and Sessions Court was ordered to decide on the suspension of the sentences within 10 days.
On June 25, the Sessions Court reserved its verdict regarding the petitions filed by Khan and Bushra Bibi against their sentence.
In the latest development, Maneka has filed a petition seeking to have the acquittal ruling declared “null and void.”
The Islamabad High Court had previously ordered that the hearing of Khan and Bibi’s appeal in the Iddat case be completed within one month, with the deadline set to expire on July 12. This upcoming hearing will be a significant step in resolving the ongoing legal battle.
