Islamabad (Web Desk): An appellate court in Islamabad on Thursday rejected the pleas filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former premier Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, seeking suspension of their sentence in Iddat case.
Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka announced the verdict which was reserved after the conclusion of arguments by both the parties.
In the 10-page order, the court mentioned that there was no reason to suspend the sentence.
"...[there is] no ground for suspension of [the] sentence is available to both the petitioners. Accordingly, both the petitions under section 426 Cr.PC are dismissed," it said.
The court ruled that under the law even a woman offender cannot claim bail.
Following today’s verdict announcement, PTI's secretary general and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Omar Ayub said the party would challenge the order in the IHC.
Speaking to the media, he stated that no dialogue would be held with the government until all PTI leaders and workers had been released.
The PTI termed the development “absolutely ridiculous”.
In a post on its official X account, the PTI said the case was “unprecedentedly despicable in both our country’s as well as Islamic history”, and had been “globally condemned and brought immense embarrassment to Pakistan”.
“Every single individual responsible for fabricating and carrying this case will go down in the dirtiest, darkest alleys of history,” it asserted.
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.