A district and sessions court reserved judgment on Thursday regarding appeals filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi against their conviction in the Iddat case. The verdict is expected to be announced on May 29.
Lead counsel for the complainant, Khawar Fareed Maneka, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, was absent from the court during the appeal hearing on Thursday. Defense counsel Usman Gill and the prosecutor concluded their arguments before District and Sessions Judge Sharukh Arjumand.
The court directed Abbasi’s associate to inform him that he could either conclude his arguments in person or via video link. However, as Abbasi failed to appear, the court reserved its decision.
Religio-political leaders allied with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) labeled the case as fabricated and politically motivated. They emphasized that the testimony of the woman involved in the Iddat matter should be considered credible and sufficient, and any decision should reflect this.
Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, and Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza asserted that after consulting religious scholars from various schools of thought, they concluded that the Iddat case was a politically motivated conspiracy lacking religious, legal, or moral basis.
They urged all religious scholars, irrespective of political affiliation, to oppose such conspiracies and speak out against them publicly.
In the meantime, the hearing of appeals by Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi against their conviction in the cipher case could not be completed. The FIA’s special prosecutor requested more time to conclude his arguments, citing the need for an additional hour. Defense counsel Barrister Salman Safdar indicated that he would require 45 minutes for rebuttal once the prosecution concludes its arguments.
