Following a frenzied courtroom hearing of the Iddat case, involving former premier Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers deemed today’s events leading to the delay in the announcement of the case’s reserved verdict as a “pre-planned” strategy.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, accompanied by other party leaders including Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz and Member National Assembly (MNA) Ali Muhammad Khan, addressed the media outside the courtroom after today’s hearing.

Gohar said the court had initially scheduled to announce the verdict at 9 AM, but the timing was rescheduled to 10:30 AM due to the absence of the prosecutor.

Referring to remarks made by complainant Khawar Fareed Man­eka, former husband of Bushra Bibi, during today’s hearing, the lawmakers alleged that Maneka used abusive language against PTI founder Imran.

Furthermore, he claimed that the session judge, Justice Shahrukh Arjumand, had been “instructed” not to preside over the case.

Gohar added that Justice Arjumand had informed the court of his intention to report the matter to the higher court.

Following today’s events, the judge wrote to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requesting the appeals to be transferred to another court.

Shibli Faraz also accused Maneka of verbally attacking ex-PM Imran and claimed that the case was intentionally delayed, asserting that it was “politically motivated”. “We are seeking justice from the courts,” added Faraz.

Read Court rejects Maneka’s plea for transfer of iddat case to another judge

Echoing Faraz’s sentiments, Ali Muhammad Khan asserted that PTI supremo Imran was disrespected today in front of the court.

Referring to the sudden public holiday announced yesterday to commemorate Youm-e-Takbeer, Khan noted that the cypher case was supposed to be heard yesterday but was postponed due to the unprecedented holiday.

He claimed that like other cases involving Imran Khan, the Iddat case was also “baseless”.

“I want to ask [Khawar Maneka] why he chose to pursue the case after five years,” Khan added.

Earlier today, in a dramatic turn of events, the sessions judge hearing the Iddat case requested its transfer to another court without announcing the reserved judgment, which many believed would overturn the conviction of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.

Judge Arjumand left the courtroom after the complainant expressed no confidence in him. The complainant emotionally argued his case, requesting 10 minutes to speak.

An appellate court reserved its decision on the appeals filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against their conviction in the case concerning their marriage during the iddat period on May 23, announcing that the court will unveil the verdict on May 29 (today).

Jail sentence in Iddat case

On February 3, a court sentenced former premier Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to seven years imprisonment in an “un-Islamic” marriage case, meaning it found that they had tied the knot while the former first lady was going through her period of Iddat.

Senior civil judge Qudratullah, while announcing a reserved verdict, also imposed a Rs500,000 fine each on the PTI founding chairman and his wife.

The order read that Imran and Bushra were found guilty under Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) Section 496 (marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage).

The written order also read that the two would be imprisoned for a further four months if they failed to pay the fines.

The case, which was filed by Bushra’s first husband, Khawar Maneka, alleged that Bushra had violated the Islamic practice of observing the mandatory pause, or Iddat, before marrying Imran.

Iddat is a mandatory waiting period that a Muslim woman must observe on account of the death of her husband or the dissolution of the marriage.

Maneka filed the complaint under sections 34 (common intention), 496, and 496-B (fornication) of the PPC.