Khawar Maneka files case against Imran, Bushra Bibi for ‘fraudulent marriage’

Khawar Maneka, the ex-husband of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s wife Bu­­s­h­ra Bibi, on Saturday filed a case against the former prime minister and first lady over the allegation of fraudulent marriage and fornication.

The development comes a day after a petitioner in a similar case withdrew his plea, citing technical reasons. Earlier this week, Maneka had held Imran responsible for ruining his married life before eventually marrying Bushra Bibi himself.

The allegations were met with strong criticism from PTI leaders who questioned the moral necessity of Maneka’s interview, while their PML-N adversaries used the same to sling mud at the former premier.

Maneka submitted a private complaint today against the husband and wife in the court of Islamabad East Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah under Sections 34 (common intention), 496 (marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage) and 496B (fornication) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

During the hearing, he also submitted a statement under section 200 (examination of complainant) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

In the statement, Maneka, who was recently given bail in a graft case, reiterated his claims voiced in his interview and the plea he filed.

Subsequently, the court issued notices to the three witnesses mentioned in the case — namely Istekham-i-Pakistan Party member Awn Chaudhry, Mufti Muhammad Saeed who officiated the nikah and Maneka’s house employee Latif — and directed them to appear before the court on November 28 (Tuesday).

Maneka’s private complaint

The complaint urged the court that Imran and Bushra be “summoned and punished strictly in accordance with law in the interest of justice”.

It said Imran was introduced to his family through Bushra’s sister “during the Islamabad dharna”, likely referring to the PTI’s 2014 sit-in.

Maneka that the PTI chief often visited his house for hours in his absence “under the guise of spiritual healings”, which was “not only undesirable but unethical”.

He further said that Imran used to call Bushra at late hours, with the latter also given separate contact numbers and mobile phones for communication.

Maneka said he “half-heartedly” divorced Bushra on Nov 14, 2017, and had reconciliation in mind before February 2018 but “premature nikah during iddah” between Bushra and Imran “frustrated his plans”.

The plea claimed that Farah Khan asked him to change the date of divorce on the papers but Maneka refused to do so. Regardless, Imran and Bushra got married to each other on January 1, 2018, the petition said, with a copy of the purported nikah papers also attached.

Maneka termed their nikah and marriage ceremony “neither legal nor Islamic as it was solemnised without observing iddah period and both of them established illicit relations with each other”.

The ex-husband further said that Imran and Bushra contracted nikah again in February 2018 after the reports of the earlier nikah surfaced.

The complaint said the “heinous offence of fornication has been committed by respondents no.1 (Imran) and 2 (Bushra) and drama of marriage was staged on Jan 1, 2018, knowingly that iddah period” of Bushra was not complete.

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