A Pakistani court has cleared former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his spouse, Bushra Khan, popularly known as Bushra Bibi, of all charges pertaining to their illicit marriage. Days before Pakistan’s February election, they were first given a seven-year prison sentence. In 2018, it was decided that their marriage was against Islamic law. Both Imran Khan’s and Bushra Bibi’s petitions have been allowed by an Islamabad court, despite an earlier appeals court maintaining their conviction. But Khan is still being held after his bail was revoked this week because to accusations that he incited riots in May 2023… Despite the fact that Imran Khan was already in detention, the judge denied him bail on Tuesday in light of ongoing investigations into his alleged role in recent riots. Al Jazeera was told by Zulfi Bukhari that “there are no more grounds to detain Khan at this time.” “With the acquittal in the unlawful marriage case today, she should be released immediately, not tomorrow,” Bukhari said in reference to his wife.
An expert panel from the UN deemed Imran Khan’s arrest arbitrary earlier this month, saying there was no legal justification for it and that it seemed to be intended to keep him out of politics. They pushed for his quick release following almost a year behind bars.
Following the latest general election, Khan’s allies won the most seats, but a group of other parties with military support kept them from establishing a government. The Supreme Court struck down the coalition government on Friday by ruling that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was entitled to reserved seats in national and provincial assemblies, handing the party a major legal win.
Tensions with the powerful military establishment led to a no-confidence motion that ousted Imran Khan as prime minister in 2022. He held the position from 2018 to 2022. When Khan was in opposition, he publicly questioned senior generals and even claimed they were planning an attempt on his life. But his comeback to politics was tainted by a slew of legal disputes that were allegedly sparked by military concerns.
In the face of these obstacles, PTI candidates were forced to compete as independents in the elections scheduled for February 8, which were repeatedly postponed due to political unrest. Khan being restricted to Adiala Jail near Islamabad after his arrest and subsequent conviction on corruption charges in August 2023, which he fights, prevented him from running for office himself.
PTI supporters won the most seats in spite of Khan’s absence. However, a large coalition of parties thought to be more receptive to military influence blocked their attempt to seize power.