Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been acquitted of charges related to their marriage, a court in Islamabad ruled on Saturday.
The couple was accused of violating Islamic law by not observing the required interval between Bushra Bibi's divorce from her previous husband and her marriage to Imran Khan. In February, a court sentenced them to seven years in prison for the offence.
However, the judge overturned the conviction on Saturday, accepting the couple's appeals and ordering their immediate release from jail if they are not required in any other case.
“If they are not wanted in any other case, then PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi should be released [from jail] immediately,” the judge said after accepting their appeals.
Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced that there are no more cases pending against him to keep him in jail following the acquittal.
The acquittal comes a day after the PTI won additional seats in parliament, increasing pressure on the country's fragile government.
Imran Khan, 71, has been in jail since August and has been named in several other cases, including charges of violence against the state and accepting bribes. His wife, Bushra Bibi, 49, also faces additional charges.
The former cricketer-turned-politician has denied all allegations against him, claiming they are politically motivated.
With this acquittal, all four jail sentences handed down to Imran Khan ahead of the February national election have now been overturned or suspended.
