PTI chief, wife seek to dismiss case challenging their marriage

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek Insaf chief Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have filed a plea in the District and Sessions Court in Islamabad seeking to dismiss a case, challenging their marriage during the probation period (Iddat).  

According to Geo News, lawyer Sheer Azal Marwat has filed the plea on behalf of the PTI chief and his wife with the contention that the allegations his clients did not fall under Section 496, and their marriage was completely legitimate according to the Islamic law.

The petition said that the complaint (case) was an attempt to defame his clients and if the allegations were true, they still do not constitute a crime under section 496. 

What is section 496?

Section 496-B. Fornication:- (1) A man and a woman not married to each other are said to commit fornication if they willfully have sexual intercourse with one another.

“Whoever commits fornication shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand rupees”.

A session court on July 18 declared the illegal nikkah case against the former PM and Bushra Bibi to be maintainable.

The petitioner, Muhammad Haneef, in his pleas has taken the stance that Bushra Bibi was divorced by her ex-husband in November 2017 and she married the PTI chief on January 1, 2018, despite the fact that her Iddat period had not ended.