Pakistani justice declared this Saturday, February 3, that the marriage of the former Prime Minister with his third wife was illegal under Sharia law, Islamic law. The couple were sentenced to seven years in prison each.
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With our correspondent in Islamabad, Sonia Ghezali
“ The law is flouted », reacts the Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI), the party of Imran Khan which denounces “ hours of rushed court hearings, without cross-examination of witnesses and due process » in the trial of the former Prime Minister whose marriage to Bushra Bibi, his third wife, was declared illegal. The couple is accused of not having waited the three-month period, imposed in Islamic law on any widowed or divorced woman before remarrying. A clause so that there is no possible doubt about the identity of the father in the event of pregnancy.
Imran Khan, who has been convicted twice already this week in other cases, is behind bars. On Wednesday January 31, the couple received a 14-year prison sentence for gifts received by Imran Khan when he was in power. Tuesday January 30, the former head of government was sentenced to a sentence of 10 years in prison for disclosure of classified documents. His lawyer denounces a shameful and illogical affair: “ This is all happening for political purposes “.
The PTI leader’s legal setbacks are undoubtedly a blow to the party’s campaign for the legislative elections which will take place on February 8, 2024. The party has faced numerous difficulties since May 2023, after a violent demonstration by activists. Several PTI members and activists were arrested in the process. The party was excluded from the ballot, and its candidates are participating without label.
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