ISLAMABAD: Former personal secretary of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Advisor to Prime Minister on Sports and Tourism Awn Chaudhry, on Thursday, recorded his statement in a case against the PTI chief, and his wife Bushra Bibi for allegedly solemnizing nikkah during Bushra Bibi’s iddat period.

Awn Chaudhry recorded his statement before the Senior Civil Judge Nasruminallah Baloch after the court approved his request to allow him to record his statement as a witness in the case.

A citizen, Muhammad Hanif, filed a petition before the court, in which, he sought action against PTI chief Khan for allegedly marrying Bushra Bibi during her iddat. Chaudhry and advocate Rizwan Abbasi, counsel for the petitioner appeared before the court.

Chaudhry, while recording his statement before the court, said that he was the personal and political secretary of the PTI chief. I was one of the close associates of Khan, he said. I looked after all personal and political affairs of Khan, he further said, adding that Khan divorced Reham Khan in 2015. “Khan divorced Reham Khan at a time when Bushra Bibi told the former premier to immediately give divorce to Reham Khan”, he said.

The former advisor to the prime minister while testifying before the court further said that at the time of the divorce, Reham Khan was not present in the country due to which Khan divorced her through an email. After the divorce, Khan remained under mental stress and used to tell him to take him to Bushra Bibi, he said, adding that the series of meetings between Khan and Bushra Bibi continued for a few months.

He further said that on December 31, 2017, Khan told him that he is going to solemnize Nikkah with Bushra Bibi. Khan asked him to make arrangements for Nikkah on January 1, 2018, he said, adding that on this, he was surprised and told Khan that Bushra Bibi is already married. At this, Khan told him that Bushra Bibi has been divorced.

Chaudhry said that the next day, he along with Mufti Muhammad Saeed and witness Zulfi Bukhari left for Lahore, and on January 1, 2018, Khan and Bushra Bibi’s Nikkah was solemnized.

“Mufti Saeed asked about the divorce certificate in front of him but both Khan and Bushra Bibi told him that the divorce certificate will be provided to him later”, he said.

He said that after solemnizing Nikkah, he came to know that the period of iddat was not completed. Bushra Bibi got divorced in November 2017, therefore, her iddat period was not completed, he said, adding that this was in the knowledge of both Khan and Bushra Bibi, and the same matter was also reported in the media.

Chaudhry further said that later Khan told him that the iddat period will complete on February 18, 2018, and asked him to make arrangements on the same date for solemnising Nikkah again.

“The period of iddat was to be completed on February 14 or 18,2018”, he said, adding that so the second Nikkah of Khan and Bushra Bibi was solemnized at Khan’s Bani Gala residence and the first Nikkah at Lahore.

Bushra Bibi had told Khan that if we remain husband and wife then he will become prime minister, he said, adding that the first Nikkah of Khan and Bushra Bibi was solemnised on the basis of this prediction.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till May 10 after recording the statement of Awn Chaudhry.

The court earlier announced its reserved judgment and allowed Chaudhry to record his statement.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023