Islamabad: The Islamabad District and Majlis Court on Friday accepted the appeal filed against the verdict of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Iddat case.
Judge Afzal Majoka, who presided over the court hearing, said the verdict should be announced before June 27.
Senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja, who represented PTI founder Imran Khan in the court case, said there was no evidence to show that there was a fake marriage between Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.
Advocates Usman Gill and Amna Ali represented Bushra Bibi.
During the hearing, Khawar Maneka’s lawyer Zahid Asif Chaudhry asked for an adjournment saying that he will file his affidavit in the next hearing.
The judge told Maneka’s lawyer that the hearing cannot be postponed and arguments on the appeal must be concluded on June 25.
Counsel Arman’s argument, counsel Imran Khan, Salman Akram Raja, upheld the latest authority of the FSC and said precedents do not apply to the creation of the Federal Sharia Court.
Raja also argued that Islamic principles protect women’s privacy and said a woman’s word should be final.
Raja argued that the apex court had not prosecuted Bushra Bibi, but that the prosecution had carried the entire burden of failing to file a statement.
As a result, the trial was rejected because 39 days had passed.
Continuing his argument, Raja said that according to his knowledge, Bushra Bibi and her ex-husband Khawar Maneka had divorced in April 2017, after she had stayed at her mother’s house for four months.
He said that Bushra Bibi was not given an opportunity to present her position in the hearing.
The lawyer further said that all cases are matrimonial cases and no criminal case will be initiated even if Section 7 is violated. He also drew the court’s attention to the fact that the word “Iddat” is not mentioned in Section 7 of the Family Code.
Raja said that the complainant has not given any evidence against Bushra Bibi and Shari’ah does not say anything about the duration of iddat.
The lawyer said that if the central court decides on the appeal, there is no problem if it does not decide to suspend the sentence.
Raja said that the purpose of the law was to help women. “I want to help the sentence stay and appeal. I understand that the court must decide on the appeal in the next 15 days.”
The lawyer then sent a flash drive [USB] of Raja Mufti Saeed’s interview to the court.
Regarding the interview with the cleric, “Mufti Saeed said that the testimony was recorded on February 1 and the trial was decided on February 2.”
Judge Majoka was then surprised that the decision was made in just two days.
After that Khawar Maneka’s interview with Geo News anchor Shahzeb Khanzada was played in court.
Salman Akram Raja, who reviewed the interview, admitted that Maneka and the anchor used the word “ex-husband” in the interview, but Maneka later admitted in court that Bushra Bibi married him [interview].
“Khawar Maneka is a liar, he lied in court,” Raja continued.
Maneka’s counsel, Zahid Asif, said he did not prove his client a liar in the matter.
In an interview, Salman Akran Raja claimed that Maneka had prayed for the PTI founder and had a spiritual connection. “Khawar Maneka remained silent for five years and 11 months without filing a complaint,” he said.
Raja further admitted that all the witnesses who testified in the trial session were manipulated by Aon Chaudhry, who won the ticket from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan party [in the February 8 general election].
Raja Khawar’s lawyer then read the testimony of Maneka’s employee and witness Muhammad Latif in court.
At this point, Justice Afzal Majoka Khawar asked about Maneka’s marriage between Bushra Bibi and PTI founder Imran Khan.
Lawyer Maneka asked and he said he will inform the court.
At the time, Imran Khan’s lawyer said there was no evidence to suggest that there was a fake marriage.
The judge then adjourned the hearing to June 25.
