Another alleged audio leak: Bushra Bibi heard chiding Banigala employee

ISLAMABAD: Another alleged audio leak of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, over the Toshakhana gifts has come to the fore in which she can be heard talking to the former administrator of ex-prime minister’s Banigala residence.

The former first lady can be purportedly heard talking to the ex-administrator, identified as Inam Khan, and an employee of Banigala, Asfer, for taking photos of the Toshakhana gifts coming into the prime minister’s house.

She is heard telling Asfer that they have made a mockery of the house. “The MS is trusting us. He did not make any photos [of the jewellery, then] who are you to make the photos,” she asks Asfer angrily.

This is the former first lady’s second audio related to Toshakhana that has surfaced. In the first one, she could purportedly be heard speaking to the PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari about selling the watches gifted to Khan as “they were of no use to him”.

“From now onwards, you will not enter [my] house and stay where you are with those pictures,” the ex-first lady told the former administrator Banigala.

Talking to Geo News, the former administrator confirmed that it was his audio. “Yes, I was the one who spoke to Bushra Bibi about the Toshakhana gifts.”

Audio leaks of prominent figures — from the government and the opposition — have been surfacing in the last few months and have shaken the country.

Bushra could be allegedly heard chiding Inam and instructing him to not take photos of the “things” coming inside their house and to only snap pictures of the “things” that are being taken out.

Following is transcript of the audio:

Bushra Bibi: Hello!

Inam: Assalamo Alaikum

Bushra Bibi: Waalaikum salam. About the items that came from the Toshakhana, did you ask Asfer to make its photographs?

Inam: No, I didn’t ask

Bushra Bibi: Then why were the photographs made? Photos of things that come inside the house shouldn’t be made. Photos should only be made of the things going outside the house.

Inam: It was just that…

Bushra Bibi: Why are photos being made of things which are coming to me?

Inam: No, I… I didn’t ask to…

Bushra: He said Inam has asked me and I’ve sent those to him.

Inam: No no no… I didn’t…

Bushra: Please hold.

Inam: Sure.

Bushra to Asfer: Did you send the photos to Inam?

Inam: He has sent it, but I never asked

Bushra to Asfer: Did Inam tell you to make photographs?

Bushra: What? What?

Bushra to Asfer: Who asked for the photos to be made? Who? Why? Who… what evidence? Photos of things coming inside the house can’t be made because they were coming to me. Photos should be made of things going outside the house. Who makes photos of things coming inside the house? Proof of what? Why… why do you need to approve anything? Did you ask me? Did you ask me?

Asfer: Sorry jee.

Bushra to Asfer: What do you mean by sorry jee? Did you ask me? You people have made a mockery of this house. The MS is trusting us. He didn’t make any photos, who are you to make the photos?

Bushra Bibi to Inam: And why has he sent you the photos?

Inam: Bibi, I don’t know. I just received the photos that we’ve received these things and we’re sending them inside. I said okay, give it to Bibi, she’ll deal with it.

Bushra: What’s the point of this?

Inam: Bibi, what are we going to do with the photos or…

Bushra: No, what would you do? What would you do? You won’t be coming inside the house from now on? Do you get it?

Inam: Okay.

Bushra: Stay where you are sitting with the photos.

Inam: Okay.

Reacting to the audio leak, PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chauhdry said, “All audios coming out currently are cut-and-paste work”, and they would not have any negative impact on party’s chairman Imran Khan.

“Those who think such audios will harm [credibility of] Imran Khan should step out of the imaginary world,” Fawad said, speaking with journalists in Lahore’s Zaman Park.

The ex-PTI minister claimed that it was a manipulation of different audio clips. “Different audios were recorded and then spliced together. All the audios which are coming out now have been joined through cut and paste,” the former minister said.

The minister said that the government brought forward “ridiculous scandals and discussions”.

On the potential dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, Fawad said that it would help political process move ahead, deeming elections as the way to ensure stability in the country.

“Imran Khan will announce the date for the dissolution of assemblies tomorrow [Saturday]. Dissolution of assemblies will advance the political process. There will be stability in the country,” the former minister added.