Pakistan's former Prime Minister and Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been sentenced to 7 years in prison for illegal marriage. A fine has also been imposed.
They were
punished for violating the marriage law. Earlier, both were sentenced to 14
years imprisonment in the Toshakhana case.
A
Pakistani court gave this verdict on Saturday (February 3), just five days
before the national elections. According to the verdict, Imran Khan's marriage
with Bushra Bibi in 2018 violated the law.
This is
the third verdict against Imran Khan by the court this week. The 71-year-old
PTI leader is now in jail. As a result, he cannot participate in the upcoming
elections.
He and his
trusted aide, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were sentenced to
10 years in prison in a case of publishing secret state documents ahead of the
elections.
Judge Abul
Hasnat Zulkarnain of the special court formed under the Privacy Act announced
the verdict in the presence of two leaders in Adiala prison on January 30.
The next
day on January 31, Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 14
years in prison on charges of selling state gifts (Toshakhana case). Islamabad
Accountability Court (Accountability Court) judge Muhammad Bashir gave this
verdict.
After
three days, the judgment of the marriage case was given. In the verdict, Imran
and his wife Bushra were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Rs 5
lakh.
Imran Khan
married Bushra Bibi in January 2018. This is his third marriage. Imran Khan and
Bushra Bibi got married in a very secretive family ceremony just seven months
before the big election victory and becoming the Prime Minister.
After
that, this couple has been living together for the last six years. After so
long, Khawar Farid Maneka, former husband of Bushra Bibi, filed a case against
Imran Khan and Bushra before the election. He alleges that Bushra Bibi did not
observe the Iddat and committed 'adultery' by marrying without observing the ‘Iddat’.
According
to Islamic Sharia law, a wife must remain in one house for a specified period
of time after divorce or her husband's death, or she cannot move elsewhere or
marry elsewhere; That period is called 'Iddat'.
However,
both of them have denied this allegation. However, the case continued and
hearings began last month. On January 16, the judge framed the charges in this
case in the presence of Imran Khan, who was imprisoned under special
arrangements in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. But Bushra Bibi was not present due
to health reasons.
