📷 Image Credits: The Times of India
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been acquitted in a case related to their alleged unlawful marriage in 2018. The court’s decision to overturn their convictions and seven-year sentences seemed to pave the way for Khan’s release from prison, where he had been held for nearly a year. However, authorities arrested Khan again shortly after the ruling on connection to past riots, while his wife is also facing renewed arrests in a lingering corruption case.
The legal troubles for Khan began in 2022 when he was ousted from power through a vote of no-confidence in the parliament. Since then, he has been embroiled in over 150 legal cases, including allegations of inciting violence and corruption. The latest acquittal in the marriage case marks a significant development in Khan’s legal saga.
Despite facing multiple legal challenges, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party continues to stand by him and plans to seek bail for him in higher courts. The recent ruling by Pakistan’s Supreme Court, which designated 20 seats to Khan’s party in parliament, was seen as a political win for him, although it does not immediately threaten the current government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Khan’s detention has drawn international scrutiny, with a United Nations human rights working group calling for his immediate release, stating that his detention was in violation of international laws. The process and outcomes of Khan’s legal battles have been closely watched as they have unfolded amidst a backdrop of political maneuvering and power struggles in Pakistan.
