On Saturday (13th July), an Islamabad district and sessions court acquitted Pakistan’s Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Iddat case. The court also ordered his “immediate” release if the PTI founder was not wanted in any other case.
After Imran Khan had a fallout with the Pakistani army, he faced multiple convictions in the Toshaka, Cipher, and Iddat cases. But he had recently received relief in both the other cases. Afterwards, the Iddat case was the last legal hurdle keeping him in jail. However, the Pakistani army could still keep him inside jail as a Pakistani anti-terrorism court had recently equated him with ‘terrorist’ in the May 9th violence case.
On Saturday (13th July), Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Afzal Majoka announced the judgment a little after 3 pm after he had initially reserved the verdict.
After accepting the appeals of the PTI founder and his wife, the judge said, “If they are not wanted in any other case, then PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi should be released [from jail] immediately.”
The judge added that the orders for the release of PTI founder and his spouse have been issued, Dawn reported.
He has been acquitted by various courts in several other cases that were filed against him since the infamous 9th May incident that took place last year. It was the day when Khan’s arrest triggered riots across the country. This later prompted the Pakistani army to launch a brutal crackdown against him and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Earlier, his sentence in the Toshakhana case was suspended and he was acquitted in the cipher case. After this, the Iddat case was the last “existing” legal hurdle that kept him behind bars.
In May, the Islamabad High Court also approved Imran’s bail application in the 190 million pound corruption case, Dawn reported. The court had stated that the investigation into the matter was complete and the PTI founder’s “continued incarceration” would not serve any purpose.
However, on Tuesday (9th July), a Lahore anti-terrorism court dismissed his pre-arrest bail petitions in three cases related to the May 9th riots.
On Thursday (11th July), an anti-terrorism court also observed that the actions of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan were similar to those of a “terrorist” in a case linked to the May 9 violence.
The court ruled that he had delegated the task of attacking military installations, government properties, and police officials to party leaders to exert pressure for his release.
In connection with the May 9th violence case, the 71-year-old PTI founder and hundreds of his party colleagues are being tried under multiple cases, including one under the Official Secrets Act. It is alleged that on that day his violent supporters damaged key military installations across Pakistan.
Iddat case
Meanwhile, in February this year, a court in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi pronounced seven-year imprisonment for both Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the ‘un-Islamic’ marriage case – Iddat case. The court also imposed a fine of half a million Rupees each on the duo.
The case was filed by the first husband of Bushra Bibi, Khawar Fareed Maneka. According to his allegations, Bushra violated the Islamic practice of observing the mandatory pause, or Iddat, between two marriages. He also alleged that his ex-wife Bushra and Khan were having an adulterous relationship before their marriage.
