This is Imran Khan's fourth conviction since 2022 (File)
The seven-year sentence to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the 'un-Islamic nikah' case will be challenged in the high court, his party said on Saturday and claimed that the voters will take "revenge" for the injustice meted out to him on February 8.
Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah sentenced Mr Khan, 71, and his Bushra Biwi, 49, and also slapped fines of Rs 5,00,000 each on the couple at the Adiala Jail premises at Rawalpindi.
This is Mr Khan's fourth conviction since 2022 and adds to the troubles of the beleaguered founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party ahead of the February 8 polls.
Ahead of the general elections next week, Mr Khan's party has been robbed of the iconic election symbol of the cricket bat, his and his party colleagues' nomination papers have been rejected and at least one of his party leaders has been killed in the poll-related violence.
On Saturday, following his conviction in what has come to be known as the Iddat case, Mr Khan told court reporters that the case against him was created to "humiliate and disgrace" both him and his spouse, Bushra Bibi.
Mr Khan said he has neither accepted nor would accept in future any deals with the powers that be, saying that he would "choose death over making a deal with anyone."
In a brief chat with court reporters, he said, "Our party's top leadership was targeted right after the announcement of the election schedule. Now, election candidates are not even being allowed to run their campaigns."
Soon after the judgment, PTI top leader Gohar Khan said that Judge Qudratullah had not issued the written judgment, which, "once issued would be challenged in the high court." "This is another effort to keep the party out of elections," he said.
A post on the party's official handle showed Gohar Khan speaking to the media where he said, "Imran Khan's message to the nation: If I have to stay here for a thousand years, I will stay, I will not make a deal under any circumstances - The nation should come out on February 8 and pay its dues. No exit from stations."
The official X handle of PTI also posted an elaborate reaction almost immediately after the verdict was announced. "The people will take revenge for every injustice done to the brave leader of the nation and every injustice done to him on February 8," the X post said quoting the spokesperson of the PTI.
The post on the PTI X handle described the verdict as a "shameful court decision in the null, absurd, false and baseless case" and called it "contrary to Shariah orders." It also accused Judge Qudratullah and claimed the state's interference in matters such as marriage and divorce as "proof of vagrancy." The party also claimed that "after frivolous cases like cipher and the Toshakhana, through the judgment of the marriage case in Iddat, he (the judge) tried to advance a nefarious agenda of political revenge." The party also unleashed a social media campaign with a hashtag in Urdu akin to #People_will_make_the_decision_now and appealed to people to vote on February 8.
However, there was just a very small, cryptic message on Mr Khan's own official X handle. Going by the previous examples, it is believed that his family posts messages on his behalf.
Attached with a 2:45-minute video eulogising Mr Khan's humanitarian works and how he refused to bow before anybody but Allah, the post read, as translated, "What could be a greater injustice than that the one who gave his entire life's energy for his country was imprisoned for the crime of his righteousness. All of you have to take this on February 8, 2024."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)