Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have lamented the verdict in “un-Islamic” Nikah case, saying that the case was created to “humiliate and disgrace” them.
In an informal conversation with journalists, Imran Khan said that the case against him was created to “humiliate and disgrace” both him and his spouse, Bushra Bibi. “This marks the first instance in history where a case related to Iddat has been initiated,” he added. Furthermore, the PTI founder reiterated that he has neither accepted nor would accept in future any deals, adding that he would “choose death over making a deal with anyone”.
He pointed out that it was also the first time that someone was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in a Toshakhana case.
The PTI founder added that around 200 cases have been registered against him and in the country’s history, no individual has been booked in so many cases.
“I still say, I have not made a deal and will not make one. I will die rather than cut a deal,” said a defiant Imran.
Soon after the unfavourable ruling, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Saturday announced moving the high court against the trial court’s verdict that sentenced its founder Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi to seven years in the “un-Islamic nikah” case at the Adiala jail. Speaking to the media outside Adiala jail, Imran’s lawyer, Barrister Gohar, said that “shameless, scandalous and unethical allegations” have been made for political motives.
“This is a case that has no basis whatsoever, but in fact, was simply filed on the behest of Aun Chaudhry — a former close aid of Khan and one of the key witnesses in the said case.
“The cleric [who solemnised the nikah] has himself admitted that [Aun] Chaudhry ‘picked him up’,” Gohar said.
In response to a question regarding the legal grounds for the sentence, he revealed that the judge maintained that the defence’s reliance on the Supreme Court verdict regarding the 39-day iddat is a “general precedent” and is not applicable in this case.
He further said that the court relied on the second function, held for family and children to take them into confidence, as the “valid nikah” instead of the actual nikah that was solemnised before that.
“The judge considered the second function as the actual nikah and not the first,” he noted.
“All of this is being done in violation of the constitution for political motives and character assassination of Khan sahib.
