Pak court summons Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi over alleged illegal marriage

In a recent development, the district and sessions court in Islamabad has deemed the case against the purported "illegal" marriage of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, as admissible in court.

The court has issued summonses to both Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to appear before the court on July 20.

The petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, has alleged that Bushra Bibi divorced her former husband in November 2017 and subsequently married Imran Khan in January 2018, despite her 'iddat' period still being in progress. In Islamic tradition, 'iddat' is a mandatory waiting period of 130 days after the dissolution of a woman's marriage, during which she must remain unmarried.

Cleric Mufti Muhammad Saeed, who officiated the marriage between Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, provided statements to the court confirming that Khan was aware of Bushra Bibi's ongoing 'iddat' period but proceeded with the marriage regardless. Saeed revealed that Khan claimed Bushra Bibi had been divorced in November 2017 and cited a "prediction" that he would become the Prime Minister of Pakistan if he married her.

In a twist, the court's decision came after Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Islamabad, Muhammad Azam Khan, referred the case to a civil judge and dismissed an earlier verdict that deemed the petition challenging the legality of the marriage as objectionable.

In his statement to a lower court, Mufti Muhammad Saeed disclosed that he had conducted Khan's nikah (Islamic marriage ceremony) with Bushra Bibi based on the assurance of a woman who claimed to be the former first lady's sister.

Subsequently, Imran Khan approached Saeed again in February 2018, requesting a second solemnization of the nikah, as he believed the first one to be against Shariah (Islamic law).