Former Pakistani Prime Minister Khan and his wife acquitted of ‘illegal marriage’ charges

In Pakistan, the court ruled that former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan, who were sentenced to 7 years in prison for ‘illegal marriage’, are innocent. In Pakistan, the appeals of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan against the 7-year prison sentences they received for ‘illegal marriage’ have been concluded. The court in the capital Islamabad accepted the appeals of both Imran Khan and Bushra Khan. The verdict stated that ‘both defendants have been acquitted of the charges. If there is no other reason for their detention, they should be released immediately.’ Following the decision, Khan’s supporters and legal team celebrated in front of the courthouse. Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Justice Movement (PTI), senior officials including Zulfi Bukhari, stated, ‘Imran Khan does not have any other case that could keep him in prison. This illegal marriage case was the only one keeping him in prison, and with this acquittal, he should be released today.’ Pakistan media reported that the release of former Prime Minister Khan is not expected. Reports mentioned that the Anti-Terrorism Court issued a written order for Khan to be arrested and interrogated in cases related to the protests by his supporters on May 9 last year and the subsequent violence. Zulfi Bukhari said, ‘Now suddenly we hear that Khan needs to be interrogated in cases related to the violence on May 9 and also in a corruption case involving his wife. It’s a joke, but we know that these fake cases will not stand in a court of law. The courts are releasing Imran Khan, but the government is opening fake cases one after another to put him in jail. Why weren’t these cases brought up earlier?’ What happened? In Pakistan, Bushra Khan’s ex-husband, Khawar Maneka, had applied to the court claiming that the marriage between former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Bushra Khan in 2018 was illegal. The court ruled on February 3 that Bushra Khan had married Imran Khan before the 3-month waiting period required after her divorce had passed, deeming the marriage ‘illegal’. The couple was sentenced to 7 years in prison for ‘illegal marriage’. Imran Khan, who held the prime minister’s seat in Pakistan from August 2018 when he lost a vote of confidence in parliament until April 2022, was sent to prison on August 5, 2023, following a detention order issued by the court in a corruption case he was being tried for. He had been sentenced to 3 years in prison for selling gifts worth over 140 million rupees (51 million TL) owned by the state, but his sentence was postponed on August 29, and he was ordered to be released on bail. However, in a different case where he was accused of ‘revealing state secrets’, Khan’s detention was extended upon the prosecution’s request. Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for ‘revealing state secrets’ in a hearing held in January. Islamabad High Court acquitted Khan from the case where he was sentenced for ‘revealing state secrets’ on June 3.