In a recent court ruling, an appeal by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to suspend their conviction in a marriage violation case has been rejected. The decision means that Khan and Bibi will continue to remain behind bars.

The court in Islamabad handed the couple a seven-year jail sentence on February 3 of this year, just days before the country's general elections. The conviction stemmed from allegations made by Bibi's former husband, Khawar Maneka, who claimed that she had not observed the required three-month break under Islamic law before marrying Khan. Maneka stated that he had divorced his wife in November 2017, while Khan announced his third marriage with Bibi in February 2018, prior to becoming prime minister.

Khan and Bibi filed multiple appeals to suspend the judgement, but all were dismissed. Another appeal to annul the conviction is expected to be heard on July 2.

Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, a senior leader of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, expressed disappointment with the court's decision, calling it a "sad day for the judiciary." He criticized the case against Khan and his wife, referring to it as "outrageous."

Omar Ayub Khan, another senior PTI leader, condemned the court's ruling and confirmed that an appeal would be filed. The PTI party warned of a potential political crisis if Khan was not released, citing his acquittal or bail in 18 different cases during his 11-month imprisonment.

It is worth noting that both Khan and Bibi have faced other convictions, which have since been overturned. They were previously sentenced to 14 years in a case related to the illegal sale of state gifts, but their conviction was overturned in April by the Islamabad High Court. Khan was also sentenced to 10 years for leaking state secrets, but that verdict was overturned earlier this month.

The court's decision in the marriage violation case has drawn criticism from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party. Rana Sanaullah, a top PMLN leader, alleged that Khan's narrative was focused on creating chaos in the country.

Khan, who served as prime minister from August 2018 to April 2022, has blamed his removal from office on a United States-led conspiracy involving Pakistan's military establishment, a charge denied by both. The Pakistani military has been accused of orchestrating Khan's rise to power.

Since his removal from office, Khan and his PTI party have faced a state crackdown, with heightened measures following his brief arrest in May 2023. The PTI has also faced challenges, such as being barred from using its electoral symbol, the cricket bat, in the February elections, and Khan being declared ineligible to participate due to his imprisonment.

Despite these challenges, PTI-backed candidates emerged as the largest bloc in the polls, winning 93 seats. However, they remained in opposition, opting not to collaborate with their political rivals.