“This is the fight for Pakistan’s freedom,” said Bushra Bibi, ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, in a rare video message on November 22, ahead of the planned ‘do or die’ sit-in by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters in Islamabad. The 49-year-old was appealing to PTI supporters to gather in large numbers in the capital to join the protest demanding Mr. Khan’s release from jail.
Life in Islamabad ground to a halt on November 25-26 as thousands of PTI supporters led by Bushra marched into the city, defying a ban order. Making an unexpected appearance on top of a truck along with Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, in Islamabad, Bushra told the protesters, “You will have to promise that till the time Imran Khan comes here, you will not leave”. However, as clashes between protesters and security forces turned violent, Bushra and Mr. Gandapur retreated from the capital’s ‘Red Zone’ — an area housing Pakistan’s government buildings.
Hailing from a landowning family in Punjab, little was known about Bushra Riaz Wattoo prior to her marriage to Mr. Khan in 2018. A follower of Sufi saint Fariduddin Masud Ganjshakar (Baba Farid), Bushra was introduced to Mr. Khan by her sister Maryam Riaz Wattoo in 2014 during a PTI’s ‘sit-in’ protest in Islamabad. Married to Khawar Maneka, a customs official, at that time, Bushra and Mr. Khan connected over their joint interest in Sufism. Soon enough, Mr. Khan began frequently visiting her, seeking ‘spiritual guidance’ at her husband’s house in Pakpattan — the birthplace of Baba Farid. On November 14, 2017, Mr. Maneka and Bushra divorced and in February 2018, the cricketer-turned-politician married her in a secret ceremony.
The contrast between Mr. Khan’s two ex-wives and his current spouse is stark. British journalist Jemima Goldsmith and Pakistani journalist Reham Khan are both public figures, who have made several statements about their ex-husband, praise or otherwise. In comparison, Bushra has remained shrouded from the public eye, literally, as she is generally spotted wearing a black or white abaya covering her face. She has five children (three daughters and two sons) from her previous marriage and her eldest, Mehru Maneka, is a PTI member.
Growing influence
Bushra’s influence over Mr. Khan grew as he won the general elections and became Prime Minister in 2018, six months after their wedding. While several Sufi devotees call her a ‘spiritual leader’, Mr. Khan’s political rivals have accused her of practising sorcery.
Bushra was also accused of hoodwinking Mr. Khan, according to Tribune, by presenting information previously passed to her by ex-ISI chief Gen. Faiz Hameed as ‘divine intervention’, thus reinforcing Mr. Khan’s belief in her powers. Her ex-husband Mr. Maneka moved an Islamabad court in November 2023, alleging that the marriage of Bushra and Mr. Khan was ‘un-Islamic’ as they had not completed the ‘iddah period’ (time gap required for a woman to remarry after divorce as per Muslim family law). While the court voided their marriage and convicted the two, they were later acquitted in July this year.
Bushra has constantly remained at Mr. Khan’s side, including earlier this year, when she was arrested in connection with the Toshakhana case. The PTI founder, who has been in jail since August 2023, and his wife have been accused of failing to disclose state gifts received from foreign guests. After nine months of incarceration, Bushra was granted bail and released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail in October.
Since her release, Bushra and Aleema Khan, the former PM’s sister, have become the PTI’s rallying point as most of the party’s top leadership is in jail. From attacking Saudi Arabia to demanding immediate release of Mr. Khan and other PTI leaders, Bushra’s presence, in spite of her lack of experience, has filled a leadership vacuum in the party. November’s rally brought Bushra under the political spotlight, though the protests were called off in the face of state crackdown.
Published – December 01, 2024 01:47 am IST
