Imran Khan 'refutes reports, says Bushra Bibi will never join politics'

 RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has refuted a report appeared in local media claiming former first lady Bushra Bibi formally joined politics, said party lawyer Faisal Chaudhry on Friday.

The clarification came after media reports claimed that the former first lady issued instructions to the PTI leadership across the country yesterday and summoned a meeting of the PTI leadership this evening.

“Bushra Bibi did not take central leadership of the party into confidence in this regard,” the sources said.

Talking to journalists after meeting the party's founder in Adiala Jail today, Advocate Faisal Chaudhry said: “Bushra Bibi conveyed PTI founder’s message to the party leaders.”

“She is neither joining politics nor will she in future,” the advocate clarified while quoting Khan.

Referring to the “restrictions” on meetings between Khan and the party leadership, his counsel said: “When such a situation is created [by the government], message will be sent through someone.”

Responding to another question, the PTI counsel said that the chairman of the anti-graft watchdog and the investigation officer should tender resignations after the statement issued by the NAB. He said that the PTI founder was being tried in a “fake case”.

The speculations regarding Bushra Bibi's entry into active politics triggered after she was released from prison last month on bail in new Toshakhana case related to illegal sale of expensive state gifts.

A day earlier, the NAB pleaded with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to set aside the conviction of the PTI founder and his wife in the first Toshakhana reference and remand the matter back to the accountability court for a retrial.

The advocate said that they would not accept the “remand back” of the reference filed against the former prime minister.

He further said that there was no democracy in the country.