ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has approved the request of District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand to transfer the iddat case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. The case will now be overseen by Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka.
The decision follows Judge Arjumand’s letter to the IHC registrar, expressing concerns over his ability to impartially rule on the case due to objections raised by Bushra Bibi’s former husband, Khawar Maneka. Arjumand requested that the appeals against the couple’s convictions be assigned to a different judge, citing repeated disruptions by Maneka and his legal team during hearings.
Maneka had explicitly stated his lack of confidence in Judge Arjumand during a May 29 hearing, saying, “I don’t want you deciding this case.” Despite the judge’s query for a concrete reason and his note that a previous no-confidence motion by Maneka had been dismissed, the transfer was deemed necessary.
During the same hearing, tensions escalated when Maneka was attacked by a PTI lawyer within the court premises, leading to a physical altercation.
Previously, on May 23, the court had reserved its verdict on the appeals filed by Khan and Bushra Bibi against their convictions. Judge Arjumand retreated to his chambers without delivering the verdict, which prompted PTI lawyers to disrupt the proceedings, leading to further confrontation.
Maneka’s legal challenge, initiated in January, accused Khan and Bushra Bibi of fraudulent marriage, claiming it was conducted during Bushra’s iddat period. In February, the trial court sentenced both Khan and Bushra to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs500,000 each, citing evidence of their relationship prior to the “fraudulent” 2018 nikah.
PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan commented on the case, emphasizing that it should be judged on merit and that courts should not be influenced by political considerations.
