IHC upholds Iddat case decision deadline

ISLAMABAD:

The IHC upheld on Tuesday its previous instruction to the additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) to decide the appeal of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against their conviction in the Iddat Nikkah case.

IHC Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb dismissed the review petition filed by Bibi’s first husband Khawar Maneka, who was the original complainant in the case and upheld the order that the case must be decided by July 12.

On February 3, Imran and Bibi were sentenced in the Iddat Nikkah case. Twenty days later, the appeal against the verdict was filed in the sessions court. Judge Shahrukh Arjumand heard the appeal but on May 29, he requested the IHC to send the case to another judge.

The IHC, on June 3, accepted the request and transferred the case to ADSJ Muhammad Afzal Majoka. On June 14, the IHC ordered the ADSJ Majoka to decide the appeal of Imran and Bibi in one month.

Judge Majuka heard the appeal on Tuesday. During the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar, the lawyer for the appellants, argued that marriage during the Iddat period was not included in the crimes. Even if, he added, husband and wife went to the police station, they were told to solve their own domestic dispute.

He further said that both husband and wife were accused in this case, while the complainant comes after 2,000 days to claim that his right was violated.

While providing various judicial decisions to the court, he asked why a medical expert was not consulted in such a significant case. He told the court that he would argue for one more hour on Wednesday (today).