Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his third wife were acquitted of charges related to their unlawful marriage by a Pakistan court on Saturday. Despite this, he remains in custody due to fresh arrest orders issued by the authorities.
The court ruling came just a day after his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party secured additional seats in parliament. This victory has increased the pressure on the already shaky ruling coalition, which is struggling to stabilize the nation’s fractured economy.
Short order issued by court says Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi should be immediately released unless they were wanted in other cases.
The court’s written order is expecxted soon.
Several PTI activists and supporters of Imran Khan had gathered outside the court premises to stage rallies, but the atmosphere reportedly changed to celebration as soon as the verdict was announced.
Imran and Bushra Bibi were sentenced in the Iddat Nikkah case a few days before the February 8 general elections in the country. Several civil rights activists and legal experts had condemned the initial conviction handed to the PTI founding leader and his wife.
The couple had filed an appeal against their convictions.
Additional District and Sessions judge Afzal Majoka during a hearing on Friday had remarked that the ideology about jurisprudence matters could not be challenged in the court.
Earlier, during the hearing of the appeal, Judge Majoka also remarked that under the Hanafi jurisprudence when divorce is pronounced three times, there would be no reproach, and hence no requirement for Iddat.
On July 3, Sessions court Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka emphasised that the verdict in the Imran Khan-Bushra Bibi Nikkah Iddat case will be announced by July 12.
An Islamabad court had on June 27 rejected pleas seeking the suspension of sentences handed down to PTI founding chairman Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi in the iddat (mandatory waiting period for Muslim women between two marriages) case.
The founding chairman has faced a barrage of cases especially after May 9, 2023. He has been granted bail in many of thoses cases and with the Toshakhana case sentences suspended and the acquittal in the cipher case, the PTI supremo now remains incarcerated at Adiala jail solely in the Iddat case.