Court Rejects Appeal by Former PM Imran Khan and Wife in Iddat Nikah Case

A court in Islamabad has rejected an appeal by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to suspend a ruling that their 2018 marriage violated Islamic law.

The court’s decision on Thursday means Khan and his wife will stay in jail. They received a seven-year jail sentence on February 3, just five days before the general elections. This sentence followed two other convictions against Khan, which were later overturned.

The case was brought by Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Maneka, who claimed that Bibi did not wait the required three months after their divorce before marrying Khan. Maneka divorced Bibi in November 2017, and Khan announced his marriage to her in February 2018, months before he became Prime Minister.

Khan and Bibi have filed multiple appeals to overturn the conviction. Another appeal to annul the February conviction will be heard on July 2.

Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, a senior leader of Khan’s party, PTI, criticized the court’s decision, calling it a “sad day for the judiciary.” He claimed that this case is the only reason Khan and his wife are in jail.

PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan, condemned the decision and said they would file another appeal. PTI warned that a new political crisis could arise if Khan is not released. They noted that Khan has been in jail for 11 months but has been acquitted or granted bail in 18 other cases.

Rana Sanaullah, a top leader of the ruling PMLN party, accused Khan of trying to create chaos in the country.

Khan and his wife were previously sentenced to 14 years in a case related to the illegal sale of state gifts, but this conviction was overturned in April. Khan was also sentenced to 10 years for leaking state secrets, but this verdict was overturned as well. Despite these reversals, Khan remains in jail because of the unlawful marriage case.

In May, Khan was granted bail in a case involving a land deal with real estate tycoon Malik Riaz. Khan was accused of causing a loss of over $239 million to the national exchequer by signing a deal with Riaz. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has claimed that some judges favor Khan, accusing them of facilitating his alleged corruption.

After Imran Khan was removed as PM through no-confidence vote, Khan and PTI faced a crackdown, which intensified after his brief arrest in May 2023. His supporters protested, and many were arrested, with over 100 tried in military courts. PTI was also barred from using its electoral symbol in the February elections, and Khan was declared ineligible to participate due to his imprisonment.

Despite these challenges, PTI-backed candidates won 93 seats in the elections but chose not to work with their political rivals, remaining in opposition.