Bushra’s aide says Imran told wife to reach D-Chowk

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: Mashal Yousafzai, a spokesperson for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, asserted on Friday that the former first lady was not ready to leave D-Chowk as Imran she had directed her to reach there.

Mashal said Bushra stayed put despite “shots were fired at her vehicle and a chemical-like substance was thrown on the windscreen” during the party’s “do-and-die” protest in Islamabad.

Speaking on Geo News programme “Naya Pakistan” hosted by Shahzad Iqbal, Mashal narrated the tense situation at the protest venue following a police crackdown and Bushra’s firm stance not to leave the PTI protesters.

She claimed: “Shots were fired straight at Bushra’s vehicle and a chemical-like substance was thrown on the windscreen of the bulletproof vehicle, which blurred everything,” and people with her advised her to change the vehicle. They assured Bushra that she would be taken back to the sit-in venue, Mashal added.

Bushra’s spokesperson added that she was not certain what exactly happened after Bushra changed her vehicle as she got separated from the former first lady due to a stampede.

Expressing surprise at how PTI chief Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and KP CM’s aide Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif managed to meet Khan at Adiala Jail, she claimed that Bushra received an “indirect message” regarding Khan’s purported message to stage a sit-in at Sangjani.

Yousafzai claimed that Bushra wanted to confirm about Sangjani directly from Khan, which was not impossible as a landline phone facility is available at the Adiala Jail.

To a question, she confirmed that no one held a meeting with Bushra after her return from the protest, and she (Mashal) met her after two days. Bushra Bibi has neither attended any meeting nor met with anyone, Mashal added.

Prior to this statement, Mashal said that the party founder would be the one to carry out accountability for the demonstration that failed to achieve its objective of securing his release.

“She [Bushra] reached the D-Chowk as per Khan’s directions [whereas] party leadership wasn’t there [...] whatever happened Khan sahib will hold [people] accountable,” said Mashal Yousafzai in a post on X.

In an interview to a media outlet on Friday, former federal minister Senator Faisal Vawda has declared Bushra Bibi a threat to the life of Imran Khan.

Vawda said he was much worried about the life of Imran, as his life was in danger. “If Imran Khan is to be saved, Bushra must be got rid of. As long as she is with him, Imran will have neither politics nor freedom. These people want to do politics on the body of PTI founder,” he alleged.

Earlier, in a statement following the recent fiasco of PTI protest in Islamabad, Vawda had claimed that the PTI was going to be banned and that soon it would become ‘PTI Pakistan’ of people sincere to it.

Meanwhile, Rubina Khan, the elder sister of Imran Khan, has said that Bushra Bibi’s role in politics is not new. Rubina Khan said that running the system through Usman Buzdar and Farah Gogi in Punjab is in front of everyone as Mashaal Yousafzai is being called the new Farah Gogi of Bushra Bibi.

She said that even while in jail, Bushra has allegedly been doing politics through Mashaal Yousafzai and has been involved in making decision, appointments, announcements and speeches with Ali Amin Gandapur during the march.

Rubina Khan said that Imran’s sisters have never been in politics, nor they intend to do so. She said the sisters have absolutely no desire to earn money through government positions, adding this is the difference between new and old Pakistan. Imran always said that new Pakistan cannot be made from the dirt of old Pakistan, Rubina maintained.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has categorically denied reports of differences with Bushra Bibi.

Talking to the media here, he said, “There are no disagreements between Bushra Bibi and me. These are mere rumours being spread to distract attention from real issues.”

The chief minister said that the primary focus of his government and the PTI remained on the release of PTI founder Imran Khan. “Our sole purpose is to secure the release of Imran Khan. Baseless cases have been registered against us to create hurdles in our mission,” he added.

Gandapur announced plans to address the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in the coming days, stating, “In my speech, I will discuss everything that has happened and outline the course of action for the future.”

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan Friday said that his party had never exaggerated about the causalities during the protest, claiming 12 PTI workers died during the crackdown on protesters in Islamabad.

Talking to reporters, he emphasized that PTI was a peaceful democratic party, adding staging a protest was a democratic right of every citizen under the Constitution.

He said the PTI has not claimed more causalities, adding his party has never labelled any other political party as miscreant or ‘qatil (killer) league’. He resolved that their party would continue with its peaceful movement for political and constitutional rights.

Gohar said he would announce the future strategy after consultation with Imran Khan, adding PTI MNAs and leaders are standing with the party and its supremo. However, he declared that the movement would continue.

The party chairman also insisted that Imran Khan has the final authority about the PTI policy. He claimed that fake news were spread on social media and in media houses to create a bad image of the party.

Gohar said the resignation of Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has not been approved yet. He made it clear that Bushra Bibi has no political role and she herself wanted to participate in the protest.

“The purpose of criticising our leadership is to divert attention from the real issues. PTI is different and the role of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is different,” he maintained.

Separately, the PTI spokesman has called for a high-powered judicial commission to investigate the D-Chowk ‘carnage’ and violence during the party’s peaceful protest in order to bring those responsible for the bloodshed to justice. He vehemently condemned the ministers’ persistent ‘dissemination of blatant lies’ and urged the ‘bogus government’ to establish an impartial judicial commission to investigate the ‘Islamabad massacre’ thoroughly.