Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and his third wife, Bushra Bibi, have been sentenced to seven years in jail in an ‘unlawful marriage’ case, just days before the upcoming general elections. This marks Khan’s fourth conviction since 2022, further complicating matters for the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party. The case was filed by Bibi’s first husband, Khawar Maneka, alleging a violation of Islamic practices regarding the mandatory pause or Iddat between marriages. Maneka also accused the couple of adultery before marriage, a crime punishable by death by stoning.
The verdict was delivered by Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah, who imposed fines of Rs 5,00,000 on both Khan and Bibi. The couple was present in the courtroom during the announcement. Khan, already facing previous convictions, stated that the case was an attempt to humiliate him and his spouse. The court rejected the defense’s request for additional witnesses and jurisdictional pleas.
Bibi contested the divorce certificate, claiming it was fabricated, stating that she completed her mandatory iddat period from April to August 2017 after receiving a verbal triple talaq from Maneka. The marriage with Khan took place on January 1, 2018. This follows Khan’s recent sentencing to 14 years in prison in a corruption case related to retaining state gifts during his tenure.