The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday overturned the conviction of ex-PM Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi for violating the country’s marriage laws in 2018, according to Khan’s lawyer, Naeem Panthuja, who celebrated on social media.
Khan and his wife were sentenced to seven years for violating the law by marrying before the passage of the prescribed three-month “iddah” period after Khan’s wife’s previous divorce. The couple made previous attempts to appeal the conviction, but these were rejected.
At trial in February, the prosecution asserted Khan and his wife violated Islamic law, which says that a woman must wait three months before re-marrying. This is known as the “iddah” period and is a requirement under Pakistan’s Islamic family law. The former First Spouse was previously married, and her ex-husband Khawar Maneka claimed they divorced in November 2017, less than three months before Bibi married Khan in January 2018. She has, however, said they divorced in August 2017.
Both Khan and Bibi denied they violated the law, calling the charges “baseless” and “politically motivated,” ahead of the February 8 parliamentary elections in Pakistan, from which Khan had already been disqualified owing to legal convictions.
The unlawful marriage case was not the only recent legal battle fought by the former Prime Minister. Khan is reportedly implicated in more than 150 legal proceedings, facing accusations that span instigating violence during the nationwide unrest following his arrest in May 2023 to further charges of corruption.
In August 2023, Khan was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison in the Toshakhana corruption case, which alleged Khan sold state gifts. Additionally, Khan was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in January in the “cypher” case, in which Khan accused the US of trying to oust him based on a secret diplomatic cable. Subsequently, he shared details, violating secrecy laws, which led to his conviction.
International NGOs and other groups have expressed concern about the use of “lawfare” against Khan and other political opposition in the country. In July, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention recommended Khan’s release. The recommendation was dismissed by the Pakistani government.
