'I'll become PM after nikah with Bushra Bibi', Aun Chaudhry quotes Imran Khan in testimony

• Mufti Saeed says he was assured of requirements of nikah under Shariah.
• Aun says Imran told he "deliberately had nikah in Bushra Bibi's iddat".
• Bushra Bibi's ex-husband challenges her nikah with Khan in local court.

ISLAMABAD: Aun Chaudhry on Tuesday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan told him "I will become the prime minister after nikah with Bushra Bibi".

The revelation came during the proceedings of the case related to the alleged unIslamic marriage of the former prime minister with Bushra Riaz Wattoo — better known as Bushra Bibi — as Aun recorded his testimony as a witness.

Several other intriguing revelations by the witnesses have been made regarding the marriage controversy, which has been long-held since Imran's third marriage.

Bushra Bibi's former husband Khawar Maneka challenged the PTI chief's nikah with his ex-spouse last week.

The petition was filed in a district and sessions court in Islamabad, just a day after a similar petition that alleged Imran and the former first lady's nikah was “solemnised against Sharia", was dismissed.

Maneka, in his plea, termed the PTI chief's 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).

During the hearing in the local court today, Mufti Saeed — who allegedly solemnised the nikah twice, and Aun — who was one of the witnesses of the marriage — recorded their statements in the case.

The cleric, while giving his statement, told the sessions court judge Qudratullah that he had good ties with the PTI chairman and he was a member of the party's core committee at the time of Khan's third marriage.

"Imran Khan contacted on January 1, 2018 and asked me to solemnise his nikah with Bushra Bibi in Lahore," Mufti Saeed told the court.

He said that he went to Lahore's Defence area as per the PTI chief's directive. There were a lot of people including "Bushra Bibi's sisters", he added.

The cleric said that he asked a woman, who had introduced herself as the sister of Bushra Bibi, if all the requirements under Sharia were complete for the nikah. To which, the woman responded in affirmative and said that the nikah could be solemnised, he added.

At this, the judge asked Mufti Saeed why didn't he personally ask the question to Bushra Bibi. To this, the cleric said that such questions are not asked from the woman who is about to get married in this society.

Mufti Saeed then told the court that he solemnised Imran and Bushra Bibi's nikah, after which they shifted to Bani Gala.

He further stated that the former premier contacted him again in February 2018 and he was told that the nikah in January was solemnised during Bushra Bibi's iddat.

At this, the judge asked who had contacted him to ask for solemnising the nikah again. However, the cleric replied that he didn't remember that.

It may be noted that Mufti Saeed has made similar revelations about Khan's nikah with Bushra Bibi, while recording his statements in the previous case.

While recording his statement, Aun told the court that he was one of the witnesses of the nikah and when Mufti Saeed asked Bushra Bibi about her marital status before the nikah, she told him that she had been divorced and all the requirements for the marriage were complete.

Aun said that the news of Imran and Bushra Bibi's nikah soon emerged in the media but when the reports of nikah during her iddat surfaced, he maintained silence.

He said that the PTI chairman told them to stay quiet on the media reports and said that he would have another nikah with Bushra Bibi in February 2018.

Aun said that Bushra Bibi told him that her iddat was completed between February 14 and 18, after which a second nikah of her and Imran was solemnised in February.

"I was present there and a recording of the event is also present. I and Zulfi Bukhari stood witness to the second nikah," he added.

The former aide of the PTI chairman further stated that Imran told him that he would become the premier if he married Bushra Bibi.

"I deliberately had the first nikah during iddat," Aun quoted Khan as saying.

He claimed that the first nikah fraudulent as it was under the effect of a prediction and against Shariah and law.

After the completion of statements, the court adjourned the proceedings till December 2, while summoning the third witness in the case on the next hearing.