A Pakistani court on Saturday acquitted former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the illegal marriage case. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leader, who has been jailed since August last year, was behind bars for only this case after the acquittal in cipher case and suspension of the Toshakhana corruption case.
However, it is unclear whether he would be released from jail. While acquitting him, the judge had said that if the couple were not wanted in any other case, then they should be released from prison immediately.
Soon after the acquittal in the case, the anti-terrorism court in Lahore approved the request to arrest Khan in three cases related to the May 9 riots following his arrest in the alleged corruption case.
PTI had termed the recent arrest as a “gimmick”.
Based on a complaint filed by Bushra Bibi's former husband, Khawar Fareed Maneka, an Islamabad court convicted the couple on February 3. Khawar alleged that they contracted marriage during the Bibi’s waiting ‘Iddat’ period. In Islam, a woman cannot remarry before completing four months after the divorce or death of her husband.
However, the couple had challenged the sentence in a district and session court.
Khan was behind bars after he was sentenced in the Toshakhana corruption case in August last year.
Khan and Bibi got married in 2018, the year Khan went on to win elections and become prime minister.
Bibi is the third wife of Khan.
Welcoming the verdict, PTI chief Gohar Khan said it was a victory for the independent judiciary. All these cases were fake and he will also get justice in all other cases, he said. He also sought the immediate release of the leader as it was the only case keeping the former PM in jail.