‘No deal involved in Bushra Bibi’s release from prison’

ISLAMABAD: The recent release of Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI founder and chairman Imran Khan, is not the result of any deal, an informed source said, clarifying that the only decision was not to keep her behind bars if the court granted her bail.

The source told The News on Saturday that Bushra Bibi was granted bail on merit, and authorities had decided not to re-arrest her in any other case.

When asked about speculation that the former first lady’s release was due to some deal, the source responded with a categorical “no”.

The source said that if a deal had been involved, she would not have relocated to Peshawar.

The wife of former prime minister Imran Khan was released last Thursday, a day after the Islamabad High Court had granted her bail in a case related to the illegal sale of state gifts. Her release from Adiala jail, Rawalpindi, ended about nine months of imprisonment.

Bushra Bibi’s release is seen as the biggest legal relief for Khan and his family since his imprisonment in August last year. Khan has consistently maintained that his wife was unfairly arrested and implicated in various cases to pressurise him.

Khan has even argued in court, during various trials, that his wife was innocent and unrelated to any accusations levelled against him.

Since her release, Bushra Bibi has become the focus of attention. Will she lead PTI’s political agenda, pursue agitational and anti-establishment strategies or remain silent?

Interestingly, a day after Bushra Bibi’s release, PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, were also freed from the Jhelum District Jail after being granted bail by a court. They were previously arrested for allegedly leading a protest in Islamabad’s D-Chowk earlier this month.

These developments have been met with suspicion by some in politics and the media. However, even Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah denied the allegations of a deal for the bail granted to Bushra Bibi, Uzma and Aleema Khan.

In a media briefing on Saturday, Sanaullah said, “Talk of a deal in the bail granted to Bushra Bibi and Khan sisters is unfounded.”

He emphasized that if a deal had been made, it would have involved his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN).