ISLAMABAD: Some religopolitical leaders from different schools of thought, allied with PTI, on Saturday condemned the lodging of an iddat case against Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s spou­­se, calling it a blot on society and Islam, and a dangerous precedent.

Led by ex-minister for religious affairs Pir No­­orul Haq Qadri, the religi­ous leaders denou­n­c­­ed the judiciary for taking up the case, terming it ‘un­­ethical’ and a ‘wrong’ tre­nd. They warned agai­nst setting a precedent that could be misused to harass women who remarry.

Addressing a news conference, Sahibzada Hamid Raza of Sunni Ite­had Council (SIC), Sena­tor Allama Nasir Abbas of Majlis Wahdat-i-Musli­me­­en, and other lea­ders criticised the trial, sa­­­ying it was unrealistic and could lead to dangerous consequences for society.

Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri questioned how a former husband could claim after a gap of five years that his ex-wife did not complete the iddat period before remarrying.

The religious scholars slammed the judiciary for being callous, and for not consulting religious scholars in the case.

Sahibzada Hamid Raza feared that the decision could lead to injustices women, while Allama Nasir Abbas stressed that iddat should not be used for political gains.

The iddat case was filed by Khawar Maneka, Bus­h­­­ra Bibi’s former husband, against ex-PM and Bushra Bibi.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2024