ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan’s counsel Salman Akram Raja in the Iddat case against Khan and his wife on Tuesday told the court that Khawar Maneka made a false statement before the trial court.

Khan’s lawyer Raja, while arguing before additional district and sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka on the main appeals of Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in Iddat case, said that Maneka, the former husband of Bushra Bibi and the complainant in his statement made a false statement before the court.

Earlier, in a statement, he [Maneka] used the word former wife for Bushra Bibi, he said.

Members of Khan’s legal team Zahid Bashir Dar and Murtaza Turi also appeared before the court.

At the start of the hearing, he told the court today (Tuesday), he would present a partial argument and fix the remaining case for tomorrow (Wednesday).

He requested the court to adjourn the hearing till July 3, as he had to appear before the Supreme Court in the reserved seats case of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), to which, Judge Majoka asked Raja to prepare his arguments by the next hearing.

Raja told the court that he has seen the court’s order regarding appeals of seeking the suspension of the sentence but some of his points have not been mentioned in the written orders.

Khan’s counsel said the common thing in ill intention and fraud is intention.

If he [Khawar Maneka] had the right of reconciliation, then it is a civil matter and it has no relation with criminal.

“This is not sufficient to say that one would have reconciled if this or that had happened. Had he (Khawar Maneka) moved court the next day for reconciliation, then it should have been taken differently but he remained silent for six years instead,” he said.

He further said that Mufti Saeed told the trial court that he did not know the witnesses even though Aun Chaundry was standing next to him. “Mufti Saeed also said that a woman’s word is final regarding Iddat, but then gave a false statement in the court,” he said.

He said the Supreme Court has protected women regarding Iddat, saying that the period of 90 days after a divorce should be viewed as a period meant for a chance at reconciliation between a couple.

During the hearing, Maneka’s lawyer Zahid Asif Chaudhry requested the court to adjourn the hearing till July 5 as he has to appear in the high court in another case.

The court approved the request and directed Raja to complete his arguments by tomorrow (Wednesday) and Barrister Salman Safdar to complete his by day after tomorrow (Thursday).

The court also instructed Maneka’s legal team to present their arguments on either July 4 or July 8. The court announced that it intended to conclude the case by July 8.

The court after hearing the arguments adjourned the case till Wednesday (today).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024