ISLAMABAD:The District and Sessions Court on Thursday accepted the appeals of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) founder and his wife Bushra Bibi against conviction in the case pertaining to their ‘Nikah’ during ‘Iddat’ for hearing.
District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjamand, who heard the appeals filed through petitioners’ counsel Salman Akram Raja Advocate, also served notices to the respondents seeking their reply.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the case was filed in the civil court under Section 496 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). How a case could be lodged in Islamabad when the marriage had taken place in Lahore on January 1, 2018, he questioned.
Salman Akram Raja said that they had filed the application against the maintainability of the case but it had not been taken up till date. The trial court should have not heard the complaint of Khawar Maneka keeping in view its jurisdiction.
He said that the PTI founder was deprived of the right of defence in the case. His client wanted to present so
me members of his family in his defence but he was not allowed.
Salman Akram Raja adopted the stance that a ‘Nikah’ was valid after a period of 39 days of ‘Iddat’. The ‘Nikah’ of the PTI founder took place after 70 days of the divorce of Bushra Bibi.
Moreover, Khawar Maneka filed the complaint after six years of his divorce, he added.
The court adjourned the case till March 11.