World Cup winning captain Imran Khan's conviction overturned in iddat case

After enduring months of legal troubles, former Pakistan cricket captain and legendary all-rounder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, received significant relief on Saturday. A district and sessions court accepted their pleas to annul their conviction in the iddat case, also known as the un-Islamic nikah case.

Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka delivered the short order earlier in the day. Imran and Bushra were initially sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Rs500,000 each in February this year after a trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent. This followed a complaint by Khawar Maneka, Bushra's ex-husband, who challenged the validity of their marriage.

Following their conviction, the couple appealed and sought various reliefs from the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The latest court verdict stipulates that Khan and his wife should be released immediately if they are not wanted in any other case.

The court also rejected petitions for forming a medical board and consulting religious scholars, and issued release orders for the couple.

This verdict is crucial for Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August last year following a sentence in the Toshakhana case and other convictions leading up to the February 8 elections.

Imran Khan, who played 88 Tests and 175 ODIs for Pakistan, is celebrated for his averages of 37 with the bat and 22 with the ball. He was a leading figure among the quartet of star all-rounders, including Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, and Kapil Dev, who dominated Test cricket in the 1980s.

During his last decade in international cricket, Imran featured in 51 Tests, averaging an impressive 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987 and achieved his greatest career moment by captaining Pakistan to their first World Cup victory in 1992.