On February 8, arrested former prime minister Imran Khan called his repeated convictions “frivolous” and urged supporters of the party to “wield their votes as their weapons.”
The ongoing legal battles, such as the Toshakhana, Cypher, and Iddat cases, have Imran frustrated, calling them “frivolous, baseless, and politically motivated.”
Imran emphasized that the purpose of these instances was to demoralize voters and undermine his credibility. He emphasized the gravity of the cypher case and issued a cautionary note on outside meddling in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
The former prime minister stated in a post on X that “no Prime Minister in the future would be able to withstand such blatant foreign interference in Pakistan’s internal matters unless we dealt with the Cypher case decisively.” He claims that a plan was made to cover a political betrayal similar to that of Mir Jaffer of Bengal through the manipulation of the court structure, denying him a chance to cross-examine witnesses.
Imran claimed his financial integrity and said the Toshakhana case had been fabricated since there was insufficient proof of financial wrongdoing against him, even though he was found guilty. The former prime minister criticized the unjust manner in which the trial proceeded, claiming that when the trial made hints about clearing him, his basic right to cross-examination was violated.
“Even during the sham trial, when they sensed that the trial would conclude in absolving me, they deprived me of my fundamental right to cross-examination,” he said.
According to Imran, the case against him for allegedly having an unIslamic marriage to Bushra Bibi, his third wife, is now moving forward. According to a PTI leader, the purpose of this lawsuit is to undermine his idea to establish Pakistan based on the ideas of Riasat-e Madinah.
He wished to be declared guilty as soon as possible and said the trial was unjust. Imran stated, “In the interim, the iddat case has only been accelerated because they wish to fabricate a story that contradicts my desire to create Pakistan according to the principles of Riasat-e Madinah. To find me guilty, they are, therefore, closing up the trial quickly and without any sense of fairness.”
Imran urges Pakistanis to keep going in the face of challenges, stressing the value of voting as a potent instrument to topple those who have been “imposed” on the nation as a whole. He reassured people that God is the ultimate planner and urged them not to let the current political circus depress them.
“Our most powerful and meaningful weapon is that of our vote, and we must wield it to overthrow crooks who have been imposed upon us.”
The verdict in Toshakhana case
On January 31, a judge in the accountability court found Imran and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, guilty of misusing the state’s gift repository and slapped a 14-year prison sentence upon them.
Additionally, the court fined the accused Rs. 787 million each in what is the fastest-ending trial in the history of accountability courts.
Cypher case verdict
On January 30, Imran and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were sentenced to 10 years in prison by the special court constituted under the Official Secrets Act in the well-known cypher case.
Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain presided over the court, which rendered its decision at the hearing carried out in the Adiala jail premises in Rawalpindi.
The judge asked the former prime for the final time where the cypher was before sentencing Imran.
“I stated in my statement that I had no responsibility for the security of the Prime Minister’s House. He said, “I don’t have the cypher.”
The accused persons were asked to record what they said in the Section 342 questionnaire, which was also given to the two PTI leaders by the judge.
The court declared its decision following the recording of Imran and Qureshi’s statements under Section 342.
Hearing on Iddat case
During the ongoing hearing of the ‘un-Islamic’ nikkah case at Adiala jail, Bushra’s former husband, Khawar Maneka, made severe accusations against Imran.
During a heated court continuing, Maneka asserted that the unlawful bond between Bushra and Khan arose from the 2014 sit-in, holding Khan accountable for damaging his residence. The events transpired in front of Judge Qudratullah, who oversaw the proceedings.
During the hearing, Maneka, Khan, and Bushra got into fights because of the high level of tension. Maneka was able to record his statement despite the chaos. Further altercations resulted from Maneka’s cross-examination by Bushra’s attorney, Usman Riaz Gul. Gul purportedly attempted to remove Maneka from the courtroom to assault him physically.
Talking to the judge, Imran Khan invited Maneka to take an oath according to the Holy Quran and stated that he was willing to do the same. Imran khan insisted that he saw Bushra Bibi for the first time on the day of their marriage and refuted the accusations leveled against him.
Maneka vehemently refuted Imran’s claim, accusing him of destroying his house and instilling a dread of God in Imran. It was noted by the court that the right of cross-examination would end after both parties took an oath based on the Holy Quran.
