Maneka challenges ex-spouse Bushra’s marriage with Imran in court

• Maneka terms PTI chief's nikkah as "fraudulent, un-Islamic". 
• He says marriage performed without completing iddat period.
• Hearing of case set to take place on November 28.

ISLAMABAD: Khawar Maneka, the ex-husband of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, has challenged the former prime minister’s “un-Islamic” marriage with the latter in the district and sessions court.

The development came only a day after petitioner Muhamad Hanif withdrew a similar petition challenging the nikah of the PTI chief “due to technical reasons”.

Maneka, who recently made explosive claims about his former spouse in an exclusive interview with Geo News, Saturday termed the PTI chief nikkah as fraudulent, saying the marriage was solemnised during the iddat period (the time a woman goes into isolation after her husband dies or divorces her).

“That above said nikah and marriage ceremony was neither legal nor Islamic as it was solemnised without observing iddah period…,” read the petition available with Geo.tv.

In the petition, Maneka reiterated the allegations that he made in the interview, accusing PTI chief Imran of ruining his entire life, “stigmatised the complainant and his family just to achieve his unethical and immoral objects through intrusion in complainant's peaceful marital life..”

“In light of above, it is humbly prayed that respondents No.1 [Imran Khan] and 2 [Bushra Bibi] be summoned and punished strictly in accordance with law in the interest of justice,” the petitioner prayed to the court.

Maneka has also recorded his statement before the civil judge and a hearing of the case has fixed been for November 28

Mufti Saeed, Aun Chaudhry, and Muhammad Latif have been nominated as witnesses in the petition.

‘Tell-all interview’

In the tell-all interview earlier this week, Maneka claimed that he holds Imran Khan responsible for breaking up his ‘happy home’.

Maneka was speaking with Shahzeb Khanzada on Monday night on Geo’s Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath.

Starting with the tale of how his ex-wife and the former prime minister met, Maneka said they were introduced by Bushra Bibi’s sister Maryam Wattoo.

Claiming that he and Bushra Bibi [whom he refers to as ‘Pinky’] had a “happy marriage and home” when Imran Khan entered the scene after which his home was “broken”, Maneka said that when Imran’s visits became more regular his mother warned him about Imran’s “reputation” -— and “I also started resisting [his coming over].”

After that, said Maneka, Imran “started meeting [Bushra Bibi] in Islamabad.” Maneka said his then-wife would speak to Imran late at night and this is something that would disturb him. Eventually, he said, his ex-wife ended up getting a separate phone number provided by her friend Farah Gogi at the request of the PTI chief.

Mankea said that at one point he even got his domestic help to ask Imran to leave his house when the former PM was visiting Bushra Bibi in the absence of her then-husband.

When Khanzada asked him why Bushra Bibi had moved to a rented place in Bani Gala, Maneka said that the house in Bani Gala was not rented but his own farmhouse. 

“I had reservations about the fact that when she was living alone in Bani Gala she would visit Imran at his Bani Gala home as well. Every time I complained, I was told that it was a matter of spiritual mentorship.”

Maneka said that till six months before the divorce, it was not even on the horizon. “But I felt a shift in her attitude at a certain point. My ex-wife said to me that she wanted to live in her mother and brother’s home. I said okay because I had a feeling that something had changed and her attitude had changed.”