Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s parole applications in Iddat case rejected

An Islamabad court today rejected an appeal by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their prison sentences in an illegal marriage case.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Afzal Majoka delivered the verdict after it was deferred earlier this week. Imran Khan has been in custody since last August, while Bushra Bibi was jailed on February 4, 2024. Both had filed appeals and the verdict was deferred by Justice Shah Rukh Arjumand on May 23.

Following a no-confidence motion by Khwar Manika, the Islamabad High Court transferred the case to the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka on the application of Justice Arjumand. The District and Sessions Court followed the High Court’s direction to decide on the suspension of sentence within 10 days and reserved its verdict on the petitions filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi for June 25.

The conviction in the Iddat case sparked widespread criticism in civil society, women’s rights activists and lawyers, who see it as a setback for women’s rights to dignity and privacy.