Daily Times

A district and session court in Islamabad on Monday declared that the illegal marriage case involving former premier Imran Khan and former first lady Bushra Bibi is admissible for hearing.

The petitioner, Bushra’s former husband Khawar Maneka, appeared before the court today. Maneka’s counsel said that his client was informed of adultery. Civil Judge Qudratullah said that Maneka’s statement is present and it does not mention any such act.

The judge added that two witnesses are required along with the complainant in such cases and further asked if there is any medical evidence for the same.

The counsel replied that two witnesses are present if Maneka is included and hence, there is no need for a medical report. The judge however said that Maneka could not be the complainant and a witness in the case.

He then prayed to the court to issue notices to Imran and Bushra in the case. After Maneka’s lawyer concluded his arguments, the judge declared the case admissible for hearing and issued notices to the respondents.

The court, issuing notices under Section 496-B, summoned both Imran and Bushra on December 14.

Maneka, who in a recent TV interview blamed the PTI chief for ruining his married life, had also submitted a statement to Islamabad East Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah under Section 200 (examination of the complainant) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

In the statement, he repeated the claims he had made in the interview as well as in his complaint against the couple. He stated that Imran and Bushra were married on Jan 1, 2018, and attached a copy of the alleged nikkah documents with his complaint.

Maneka described their nikkah as “neither legal nor Islamic as it was solemnised without observing [the] iddat period and both of them established illicit relations with each other”.