A district and sessions court in Islamabad adjourned the hearing of a case against the former prime minister and first lady over the allegation of fraudulent marriage and fornication till 11am on Monday after the complainant’s lawyer failed to appear in court.

The case was being heard by senior civil judge Qudratullah.

At the outset of the hearing, the assistant lawyer of Khawar Maneka’s counsel Rizwan Abbasi informed that the court that Abbasi was in the high court and sought break from the court.

Abbasi would appear in court by 11am, the assistant lawyer told the court. To this, the court adjourned the hearing till 11am.

Last month, Maneka filed a private complaint against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the court of Islamabad under sections 34 (common intention), 496 (marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage) and 496B (fornication) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

He had also submitted a statement under Section 200 (examination of complainant) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

According to Maneka, he “half-heartedly” divorced Bushra on Nov 14, 2017 and had reconciliation in mind before February 2018. But he claimed that his plans of reconciliation were “frustrated due to premature nikah of both the respondents during iddah period.”

The development had come after Khawar’s interview with Geo News in which he accused former prime minister Khan of ruining his life, saying that he was having a happy married life before Khan met his ex-wife in Lahore under the garb of “peeri mureedi” (spiritual guidance).

“We were spending a happy married life until Imran Khan ruined it under the garb of peeri mureedi,” Khawar had said.

Khan married Bushra Maneka, a respected Pir [faith healer] in Pakpattan, on February 18, 2018.

According to Khawar, it was an ordeal for the family as when the news broke out people came outside his house in Lahore and started shouting.

More to follow…