Daily Times

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand’s request to transfer the iddat case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. The case is now assigned to Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka.

Judge Arjumand had written to the IHC registrar expressing concerns about announcing the verdict due to reservations raised by Bushra’s ex-husband and petitioner Khawar Maneka. Maneka had openly expressed his lack of confidence in Judge Arjumand, leading to repeated disruptions during the hearings.

During a May 29 hearing, Maneka stated, “I don’t want you deciding this case,” to which the judge inquired about the specific reasons for the no-confidence, noting that the court had previously dismissed Maneka’s motion for the case to be transferred.

Tensions escalated that day when Maneka was assaulted by a PTI lawyer within the court premises. This incident occurred after Judge Arjumand retreated to his chambers without announcing the verdict, leading to PTI lawyers causing a commotion in the courtroom.

Maneka had challenged the validity of Khan and Bushra’s marriage, alleging it occurred during Bushra’s iddat period, making it fraudulent. In February, a trial court sentenced the couple to seven years in prison and fined them Rs500,000 each, based on evidence suggesting their relationship predated their 2018 nikah.

PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan remarked on the case’s developments, emphasizing that judicial matters should not be politicized and should be resolved on merit.