Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday disposed of a petition challenging the trial in ‘un-Islamic’ marriage case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and former first lady Bushra Bibi. The court cited the suspects’ indictment as a reason for not interfering in the trial hearing. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the hearing and announced the verdict, stating that the high court cannot intervene in the trial process once the suspects have been indicted. The decision was delivered after the court had reserved its judgement earlier in the day. In the wake of the court’s decision, the previously issued stay order halting the trial in the case has lapsed, allowing the trial court to resume proceedings. The case is scheduled to be heard by Judge Qudratullah at Adiala Jail on Thursday. Notably, both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have already been indicted by the trial court. The process of recording witness statements will recommence tomorrow, with the PTI founder and his wife slated to appear before the court. During the hearing at IHC, PTI lawyer Salman Akram Raja argued that the case was designed to humiliate the petitioners and emphasised the timing of the complaint. He pointed out that the complaint against Khan’s marriage to Bushra Bibi was filed nearly six years after the nikkah ceremony took place in November 2017. Rizwan Abbasi, the counsel for Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband Khawar Maneka, informed the court that witnesses in the trial court testified that Bushra was already married to Khan at the time of her marriage ceremony. Additionally, he disclosed that Maneka had verbally divorced Bushra in April 2017. The case had taken a dramatic turn on December 5 when Muhammad Latif, the housekeeper of Khawar Maneka, claimed that Khan had visited Bushra’s house and maintained an “illicit relationship” with her. Khan vehemently denied the allegations, taking an oath on the Holy Quran that he only saw Bushra’s face on the day of their nikkah. After a series of court proceedings, the trial court indicted both Khan and Bushra on January 16.