Islamabad (Web Desk): An Islamabad appellate court in Islamabad is due to announce verdict on pleas filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and former premier Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, seeking suspension of their sentence in an illegal marriage case.
Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka will announce the verdict at 3 pm.
The court had reserved the verdict after the conclusion of arguments by both the parties.
On June 22, while resuming the hearing for pleas seeking suspension of sentences, additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Afzal Majoka asked Zahid Asif, the counsel for Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Fareed Maneka, to conclude his arguments on the applications by June 25 as the court would then take up the main appeals against their convictions.
On February 3, the couple were convicted by a senior civil judge for contracting marriage during Bushra Bibi’s Iddat period. They were sentenced to seven years in jail with a fine of Rs500,000 each.
They challenged the conviction before district and sessions judge Shahrukh Arjumand, who recused himself at a time when the hearing had been concluded and the court was supposed to announce the verdict.
Subsequently, the case was transferred to Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Afzal Majoka. However, the counsel for Bushra Bibi had filed a petition before the IHC seeking her release on bail and suspension of her sentence.
Separately, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had ordered the sessions court to decide in 10 days on the petitions filed by PTI founder and his wife.