Daily Times

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s spouse, Bushra Bibi, approached a Pakistani court on Tuesday, seeking an early hearing of appeals challenging the seven-year sentence both for her and her husband after a district and sessions court judge recused himself on May 29 after reserving judgment in the matter.

Khan and his wife were sentenced and fined in February by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage broke the law. Bushra was accused of not completing the waiting period mandated by Islam, called “Iddat,” after divorcing her previous husband and marrying Khan. The Khans signed their marriage contract, or “Nikkah,” in January 2018 in a secret ceremony seven months before the former cricket superstar became prime minister for the first time. There was controversy over whether they had wed before the Iddat period was complete.

After initial denials of the marriage, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) confirmed it weeks later. The Khans both deny wrongdoing.

In an application filed by her lawyer, Bibi called for an early hearing of the matter and the fixation of the suspension of sentence.

“That applicant is serving sentence in Central Prison Rawalpindi vide Judgment dated 03.02.2024 passed by learned Judicial Magistrate East, Islamabad,” said the application. “The aforementioned judgment, issued by the Learned Judicial Magistrate Islamabad East, was assailed by applicant before the Sessions Judge Islamabad East, accompanied by an application for the suspension of sentence, on 11.03.2024. The proceedings included comprehensive hearings involving the parties and the complainant.”

“That following exhaustive deliberations, the Appellate Court, presided over by the Sessions Judge East Islamabad, reserved its judgment and designated 29.05.2024 for the pronouncement thereof,” it added. “It may kindly be given the urgency of the matter and the potential miscarriage of justice, respectfully prayed this Hon’ble Court to expedite the hearing of appeal and application for suspension of sentence.”

The application said the hearing of the case should be fixed within the ongoing week. Khan has faced prison trials and convictions in a number of cases filed against him since his ouster from power in a no-trust vote in April 2022. He has described all charges against him as politically motivated and denied any wrongdoing. Khan got a major relief from the Islamabad High Court on Monday that overturned his sentence in a case wherein he was charged with divulging state secrets.