Islamabad: In an ugly incident, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer attacked Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband Khawar Maneka in the court premises on Wednesday to hear the case of non-Islamic marriage. In the District and Majlis Court, Islamabad.
Hearing Bushra’s husband and PTI founder Imran Khan’s appeal against his conviction in the iddat case, Judge Shah Rukh Arjumand entered his chamber without pronouncing a verdict.
Following this development, the PTI lawyer threw a bottle into the court room, prompting Maneka’s lawyer to take him away. Later, the PTI lawyer assaulted Maneka inside the court building, after which he fell to the ground.
The court reserved its decision on the appeal which will be announced today, May 23.
In January, Maneka challenged Khan and Bushra Bibi’s marriage, calling it a sham and noting that the marriage was during the iddat period (the time when a woman would be isolated after divorce or the death of her husband).
A jury in February sentenced the couple to seven years in prison and fined the couple $5,000,000.
The court said in a 51-page verdict that both the accused, Khan and Bushra, were involved in a “fake” marriage in 2018.
Hearing day
“Ask Rizwan Abbasi [Maneka’s lawyer] and tell him what you want,” Judge Arujmand said in today’s hearing.
For this, Maneka’s lawyer asked the assistant judge to transfer the case to another court.
“I don’t want you to deal with this,” Maneka said when asked what she wanted.
“What’s the reason?” the judge asked, crying over the words in disbelief.
“Tell me if there is a concrete reason for that […] some judge will finally decide the matter,” Justice Arujmand said, adding that the court had rejected Maneka’s no-confidence motion against him. judge and requested that this case be transferred to another court.
Later, Justice Arujmand informed the registrar of the Islamabad High Court about the situation and said that it was not appropriate to pronounce the verdict as Maneka expressed disbelief in him.
In his letter, the judge complained that Maneka and his lawyer were repeatedly interrupted during the hearing.
Inappropriate, harsh words
Talking to the mediapersons outside the court, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that Maneka had used inappropriate words in the courtroom and said that the judge was pressured to hear the iddat case and even the said case should be heard.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, said that despite Maneka’s provocative language, they restrained themselves.
PTI leader Shibli Faraz pointed out that Maneka had made obscene remarks in court and said delaying tactics were used on political grounds for example.
Calling the judge to ensure justice, Faraz hopes that they will get justice from the court.
