The petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, alleges that Bushra Bibi was divorced by her former husband in November 2017 and married Imran Khan on January 1, 2018, before her iddat period had ended, which he claims is against Islamic law and Muslim norms.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-July 18th,2023) A district and sessions court in the Federal capital has ruled that a case challenging the legality of the marriage between former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi is admissible.
Civil Judge Qudratullah, who reserved the verdict a day earlier, issued notices to Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his wife, summoning them to appear in court on July 20.
The case had been remanded to a civil judge by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Islamabad Muhammad Azam Khan, who dismissed a previous verdict from a civil court that declared the petition inadmissible.
The petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, alleges that Bushra Bibi was divorced by her former husband in November 2017 and married Imran Khan on January 1, 2018, before her iddat period had ended, which he claims is against Islamic law and Muslim norms.
The complainant presented statements from Mufti Muhammad Saeed, who performed the marriage ceremony between Imran and Bushra, and Awn Chaudhry, a close friend of Imran Khan and one of the witnesses at the wedding.
Mufti Muhammad Saeed, who conducted the couple's Nikah, stated that Imran Khan married Bushra Bibi during her iddat period, despite being aware of the circumstances.
In his statement to the court, Saeed mentioned that he solemnized Imran Khan's Nikah with Bushra Bibi on January 1, 2018, based on the assurance of a woman claiming to be the former first lady's sister.
"Later, the former prime minister contacted me again in February 2018 and requested that I solemnize his Nikah with Bushra Bibi again, as the first time it was against Sharia law," Saeed stated.
He further explained that the first Nikah took place when Bushra Bibi's iddat had not ended.
According to Saeed, Imran Khan informed him that Bushra Bibi had been divorced in November 2017 and that there was a "prediction" that Imran Khan would become the prime minister of Pakistan if he married her.
Mufti Saeed confirmed that the first Nikah was illegal and performed based on this "prediction."
In February 2018, the PTI announced the marriage of Imran Khan and Bushra Riaz Watoo, now known as Bushra Bibi, who is a respected faith healer. The ceremony took place in Lahore.
Imran Khan's sisters did not attend the ceremony, but the bride's mother and friends were present at the intimate event.
Mufti Saeed, who was a member of PTI's core committee at that time, conducted the Nikah, with former PTI leader Awn Chaudhary and Zulfi Bukhari as witnesses.
Prior to his marriage with the spiritual guide, Imran Khan had been married twice.
His first marriage was to Jemima Goldsmith, the daughter of a British billionaire, in 1995, which ended in 2004. He has two children, Suleman and Qasim, from his first wife, and they live with their mother.
His second marriage was to Reham Khan in January 2015, which ended after a shortduration of 10 months.
