Who is Bushra Bibi, wife of Imran Khan?

While huge crowds gathered in the Pakistani capital Islamabad To seek his release Imran Khanwas an unexpected figure at the forefront of the protests.

It was always considered Bushra BibiKhan’s third wife, she is an apolitical and somewhat mysterious spiritual figure.

Her marriage to Khan has been the subject of wild gossip for years, but she has largely kept out of the public eye, even when she was jailed alongside her husband last January.

But as tens of thousands of his supporters marched on Islamabad last week, defying government orders and facing riot police, tear gas and rubber bullets, Bibi – fresh out of prison – led the protesters.

Bibi was standing on top of a shipping container, one of many that the police had set up to block their way to Islamabad. Wearing a niqab, she gave a speech to Khan’s supporters encouraging them to continue their march towards Islamabad’s political heartland. She said she wouldn’t leave until… Khan was released.

Bibi’s sudden emergence as a political leader surprised many and is also said to have caused a rift with Khan’s party.

Prison…and public speaking

She was released from prison on bail in October, after a period of Solitary confinementAccording to people close to her, she was acting directly on Khan’s orders.

Khan fears his senior party leadership has been “infiltrated” and is working against him while he sits helplessly behind bars.

He spent it Pakistani Prime Minister The former spent more than 500 days in prison, facing more than 100 charges allegedly fabricated by his political opponents and the powerful military establishment.

“Khan was very frustrated in prison because he felt that his instructions were not reaching the people, but were being blocked or manipulated by the party’s top leadership,” said Mashal Yousafzai, a close associate of Bibi.

“So the Khan told Bibi that she should be his direct messenger.” She had no political experience, so he gave her precise instructions, from A to Z, about everything that needs to be done with party workers and leadership, to ask for his release from prison. Everything is clear,” he added. “Very much so.”

Yousafzai said it was Khan who asked Bibi to convey to his supporters that this week’s protest was a “do-or-die” situation and that people must reach Islamabad and demand his release “by any means”.

Spirituality without political ambitions

“Bibi has no political ambitions of her own. She is a very quiet, spiritual person. She just acts as a bridge between the Khan and the people,” Yousafzai said.

This was a view echoed by Biba’s sister, Mariam Riad Watto.

“The actions of Khan’s close associates are suspicious and appear to be playing both sides to their advantage.” They put a lot of pressure on Bibi not to take the protest into the heart of Islamabad, but she went ahead as Khan suggested. don’t budge until Khan is released,” Watto said.

Khan and Bibi were first introduced by Mariam Watto in 2015. Bibi was known as a faith healer and teaching expert SufismKhan, who was struggling with his second marriage, began to consult her on spiritual matters and eventually relied heavily on her guidance.

It was a decision that reportedly caused much consternation in the corridors of power in Islamabad, resulting in a powerful military commander trying to stop the marriage. Khan later said that he did not see Bibi’s face uncovered until after their wedding.

synchronization Khan’s marriage Bibi with his embrace of Sufism, which was a marked contrast to his old reputation as a womanizer, and led to speculation that Pakistan Amid gossip accusations that she is involved in black magic and witchcraft.
Watteau said Bibi was deeply religious and had been “totally distorted by media propaganda”.

Their marriage also became a source of irritation within the party PTI Pakistan when Khan was prime minister amid allegations that she played a behind-the-scenes role in politics.

Aides close to Khan claimed she influenced key policy decisions, including high-level ministerial appointments, and sat behind a screen at some political meetings listening to what was going on, giving Khan guidance and advice.

Some PTI figures expressed concern over Bibi’s sudden prominence, but Khan himself was said to be pleased.

Speaking to his lawyer Faisal Farid from prison, where Bibi was allegedly walking with a crowd from the city of Peshawar, Khan reportedly smiled. “She’s a smart woman,” he said.

Who is Bushra Bibi?

• Bushra Bibi, the reclusive wife of jailed cricketer Imran Khan, has emerged on the global stage as a key leader of the protests in Pakistan.
• Bibi was born on August 16, 1974 in the city of Pakbatan, to parents from a Kashmiri family whose origin was from Punjab region In Pakistan.
• Bushra comes from the Manka clan, which is a branch of the Wato tribe, one of the most important tribes of Pakistan’s Punjab.
• His original name is Bushra Riad WattoHer husband and followers commonly referred to her as Bushra Bibi or Bushra Begum, titles denoting respect in Urdu.
• Since her marriage to Khan, which was in the public eye for decades, she kept a low profile.
• Little is known about her early life, and this is her second marriage, as her first marriage lasted for about 30 years, to Khawar Farid Manik, a customs official from a politically influential family in Punjab.
• The couple separated in 2018 and have five children.
• Imran Khan previously told a British newspaper that he did not see his wife Bushra’s face until the wedding.
• Khan and Bushra married in 2018, months before he was elected prime minister. This is his third marriage Jemima Khan Goldsmith and television journalist Reham Nayar Khan.