Political analysts, journalists weigh in on un-Islamic nikah case verdict

ISLAMABAD: Political analysts and experts have weighed in on a district and session court's verdict acquitting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi in the iddat case — also known as un-Islamic nikah case.

Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka on Saturday announced a reserved verdict and accepted the former premier and his wife's pleas challenging their conviction in the case filed by Khawar Maneka, Bushra's ex-husband, against the couple's marriage.

In February, the cricketer-turned-politician and Bushra, who is his third wife, were sentenced to seven years in prison and awarded a fine of Rs500,000 each, after a trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent. 

However, the couple had challenged their conviction and had even moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking varying relief from the court.

'Useless case formed for political victimisation'

Reacting to today's development, journalist and analyst Shahzaib Khanzada, while speaking to Geo News, said that the verdict was a "necessary decision" which holds immense importance for women.

He shed light on the sensitivity of the matters related to divorce and re-marriage, especially in the case of women in Pakistani society, who face challenges after separation from their spouses.

“Whether it was expected or not, it was a definitely a necessary decision because the previous decision [conviction] was a very bad one, it was bad for women.

"An ex-husband wakes up after six to seven years, realises that his former wife had remarried during her iddat period and decides to file a court case against her and her current husband, who subsequently end up getting life sentences," Khanzada said. 

He insisted that despite some wrongful statements by the PTI founder on various occassions, the "evidences and scenarios presented in this case did not justify making it a criminal case with such strict sentences".

The journalist emphasised that Maneka had made some "extremely obscene remarks about his former wife" and the decision announced today was "correct".

"This was a useless case which was clearly built for political victimisation", he added. 

'Maneka may go in appeal' 

Meanwhile, senior journalist and anchorperson Hamid Mir was of the view that Maneka enjoyed the support (of powerful circles) as the trial court's judge was changed upon his hue and cry, that too even after the former judge had reserved a verdict in the case. 

He said had the verdict come against the couple then this would have opened the door for more such cases.

Mir said, as per his information, Imran and Bushra were thinking about filing a defamation case against Maneka now, while he, on the other hand still had the right to go in appeal against the order.

'Imran’s release now depends on other pending cases'

Lawyer Salaar Khan said that though the verdict came as a major relief for Khan, his release still depended on other pending cases against him as, for now, it was not expected after his bail was cancelled in the May 9 case earlier this week. 

"It will also depend on whether or not an arrest is ordered in any other cases, and proceedings in appeal," he wrote in a post on X.

Of all the cases against Imran, the iddat case was, perhaps, the "most absurd and vile", he said.

"A seven-year sentence — determined after a public audit of a woman's menstrual cycles — has now rightfully been rubbished, with orders to release both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi," he maintained.