Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has condemned the “ridiculous” decision of the District and Sessions Court to reject the trial plea filed by party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
Speaking outside the court in Islamabad, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan said the party would challenge the verdict in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Lamenting the politicization and weaponization of personal issues between spouses, the opposition leader of the National Assembly said, “We will immediately challenge this judgment in the high court.”
Party Reaction After Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced the verdict on Tuesday, the hearing on the centre’s petition to quash the case will be held on July 2.
The PTI founder and Bushra were sentenced to seven years in prison in February this year after Bushra’s husband, Khawar Maneka, filed a court case against the couple, alleging that the marriage was a sham.
The couple was charged on January 16, 2024 in the iddat case. After a 14-hour trial in Adiala jail, the trial court reserved its verdict on February 2 and sentenced Khan and Bushra to seven years in prison on February 3.
In a 10-page order today, the court said there was no reason to stay the sentence.
“… There is no merit to either of the petitioners seeking stay [of the sentence]. Accordingly, both petitions under Section 426 Cr.PC are dismissed.”
Continuing the press conference, Ayub put himself as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said that he has openly communicated with the Prime Minister on the floor of the assembly and that the talks will not take place without Khan, Bushra, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Sanam Javed. and other party leaders. all those currently incarcerated were released and their charges dropped.
“God willing, in the future our movement will accelerate and we will protest everywhere,” he said.
Meanwhile, the party, reacting to the decision of the district court and the assembly, said: “It is certainly ridiculous […] the disgraceful case, unprecedented in our country and in the history of Islam, has been condemned around the world and has brought great shame to Pakistan.”
“Whoever is responsible for creating and carrying out this work will go down the dirtiest, darkest path in history,” the party said in a statement published on its official X account.
Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adaila jail, is likely to be released if the verdict is successful. PTI founder Toshakhana was acquitted in the encryption and encryption case, and his bond of 190 million pounds has also been confirmed.
The former prime minister was granted bail on May 9, which was registered in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad. On the other hand, the Federal Bureau of Investigation questioned X twice in prison about an anti-government post he had shared on Twitter. However, there is no new case against the PTI founder.
