A new alleged audio tape of Bushra Bibi, telling the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media head, Dr Arsalan Khalid, to run trends labelling anyone who oppose the PTI as traitors emerged in 2022. According to Geo News, Bushra Bibi was overheard informing Dr Khalid that Imran Khan had directed him to use the traitor hashtag on social media. Following the orders, the lady directed Dr. Khalid to urge his staff to raise the problem of the government not purchasing oil from Russia and relate it to how Imran Khan was misled, according to Geo News. But who is Bushra Bibi? Well, you need to read this blog, to know her.
Who Is Bushra Bibi?
Bushra Bibi Khan AKA Bushra Riaz Wattoo is Imran Khan’s third wife and the former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Khan and she married six months before he became Prime Minister. Bushra Bibi was born in central Punjab to a conservative and politically powerful family. She is a member of the Wattoo clan, of which the Manekas are a sub-tribe. She basically belongs to Pakpattan, which is a place 250 kilometres southwest of Lahore. The village is famous for housing the Shrine of Baba Farid, a spiritual devotee of both she and Khan, and where they first met.
Marriage With Imran Khan
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi allegedly first met in 2015. According to Dawn, Khan, who has shown a growing interest in Sufism in recent decades, was a frequent visitor to Baba Farid’s mausoleum in Pakpattan, where he would pay his respects to the famed 12th century Sufi saint. He regularly came to town in the evening, escorted by his special guards, and stayed for a few hours at the Maneka family’s home, his local hosts, before returning to Islamabad. The Manekas were powerful in their community and had a “spiritual bond” with Khan.
Bushra, who was married to Khawar Maneka at the time, was a well-known and revered Sufi scholar, spiritual leader, and faith healer, also known as a pir or murshid, and it was this that brought Khan closer to her. She has been regarded as a pilgrimage leader at Baba Farid’s shrine. During his trips, Khan would frequently counsel her on spiritual topics if he was in a “tough circumstance.”
However, the possibility of marriage did not arise until Khan learned of Bushra’s divorce. In a post-marriage interview, Khan stated that he “did not get a peek” of his wife’s face until they were married; “I proposed to her without seeing her since she had never met me without her face being covered with a complete veil.” He said that prior to it, he had only seen a “old snapshot” of her at her home. He was not disappointed when he eventually saw her and is “now blissfully married.”
When asked how her life changed after marrying Imran, she explained that before her marriage, her life centred on praying to God, but Imran taught her that assisting the weak and poor is just as essential.
The First Lady
Bushra Bibi is said to be the first Pakistani Prime Minister’s wife to wear a Niqab. Bushra Bibi stated that wearing a Niqab is her personal choice in accordance with Islamic beliefs, and she is not aiming to force it on anybody else. Bushra Bibi was cited in the media shortly after Khan entered office as being “”I am certain that Imran Khan would keep his commitments to Pakistan,” he said. Allah has entrusted us with immense duty. Power fluctuates.
Imran Khan’s goal is to eradicate poverty in the country. He wishes to enhance Pakistan’s health and education systems.” Imran has been characterised as a “very simple man” by Bushra Bibi. Concerning the PTI’s motto and promise of “change,” she stated that only Imran can bring about the desired transformation in the country, but it would take time.
