Islamabad, 13 July— Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been acquitted in the Iddat case, which accused them of engaging in an "un-Islamic marriage." The verdict was delivered by Judge Afzal Majoka of the Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) court in Islamabad on Saturday.

Imran Khan's legal team confirmed the acquittal to PTI, stating that the court ordered the immediate release of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, provided there are no other outstanding arrest warrants against them.

The case, filed by Bushra Bibi's ex-husband Khawar Farid Maneka, alleged that Bushra Bibi married Imran Khan within three months of her divorce, which would violate Islamic law if she was still within her Iddat period. The Iddat period is a mandatory waiting period for a divorced or widowed woman before she can remarry, lasting three months for divorced women and four months and ten days for widows.

Previously, on February 3, a temporary court judge at Adyal District Jail in Rawalpindi ruled that their marriage was not in accordance with Islamic law, sentencing the couple to seven years in prison. This was one of three rulings against Imran Khan in the same week, following sentences in the Toshakhana and Saifar cases, which resulted in additional prison terms.

Imran Khan's political and personal life has faced significant upheaval in recent years. In 2022, he was removed from his position as Prime Minister following a vote of no confidence in the country's parliament.

The acquittal marks a significant turn in the legal battles faced by the former Prime Minister and his wife, potentially easing some of the legal pressures on them.