After facing prolonged legal challenges, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi received significant relief when a district and sessions court accepted their petitions to nullify their conviction in the Iddat case, also known as the "un-Islamic nikah" case.
Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka delivered the short order on Saturday, which had been reserved earlier in the day.
In February of this year, the PTI leader and Bushra were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Rs 500,000 i.e., $ 1,799 each by a trial court, which deemed their nikah fraudulent following a complaint filed by Khawar Maneka, Bushra's ex-husband.
Subsequently, the couple appealed their conviction and sought relief from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The court's verdict specified that Khan and his wife should be released immediately unless they are implicated in any other pending cases.
“Both the petitions seeking the formation of a medical board and consultations with the religious scholars are hereby rejected," the verdict mentioned. Additionally, the court has issued orders for the couple's release from custody.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka stated during a hearing on Friday that the court cannot challenge the ideology concerning matters of jurisprudence.
Earlier, during the appeal hearing, Judge Majoka also mentioned that according to Hanafi jurisprudence, when divorce is pronounced three times, there is no reproach, thus obviating the need for Iddat.
Likewise, on July 3, Sessions court Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka emphasized that the verdict in the Imran Khan-Bushra Bibi Nikkah Iddat case would be announced by July 12.
Since May 9, 2023, the founding chairman has been entangled in multiple legal cases. While he has been granted bail in many of these cases, he remains in Adiala jail solely due to the Iddat case, with sentences in the Toshakhana case suspended and acquittal in the cipher case.