Islamabad:

A local court in Islamabad on Thursday summoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on September 25 in a case related to his alleged ‘un-Islamic’ marriage with Bushra Bibi, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported citing Express News.

Civil Judge Qudratullah in an order issued to the Superintendent Attock Jail directed the latter to ensure that Imran Khan is presented before the court, The Express Tribune reported. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has been imprisoned in jail after being convicted in the Toshakhana case.

He was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on August 5. During the hearing, the judge will examine the arguments of the PTI chairman’s lawyer challenging the court’s jurisdiction in hearing the said case. The judge asked Imran Khan’s counsel to prepare arguments after he sought time from the court.

Imran Khan is facing charges of allegedly getting married to his third wife during the time of her Iddat, the report said. Iddat is an Islamic terminology that is considered to be a specified time period of waiting for a woman before marrying someone else after getting divorced or after her husband’s death.

Earlier in July, the PTI chairman challenged a trial court’s decision to accept a petition seeking criminal proceedings against him and his wife for cohabiting after their first nikah that allegedly took place during her Iddat period, according to The Express Tribune report.

On July 18, a judicial magistrate in Islamabad, Qudratullah issued a nine-page detailed judgement stating that the petition filed against Imran Khan related to his ‘illegal’ marriage was admissible, The Express Tribune reported. The judge also directed Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to appear in his court.

On July 14, Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Azam Khan sent the case to the judicial magistrate. He also dismissed another civil court’s decision declaring the plea challenging the legality of the marriage inadmissible.

In his petition, the former Pakistan PM said that the allegations mentioned in the private complaint do not constitute an offence within the ambit of Section 496 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

It further stated, “Thus continuation of the trial would amount to the abuse of the process of law.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Security officers escort Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan as he appeared in Islamabad High Court, Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 12, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s jail detention related to charges of leaking state secrets was extended for another two weeks, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

The jail custody has been extended until September 26, his lawyer Naeem Panjutha said in a post on X messaging platform, formerly Twitter.

Khan has been in prison since early August, having earlier been convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to three years.

A high court last month suspended his sentence, but a prior order for his remand in custody in the state secrets case prevented his release.