By Amjad Ali
Islamabad, Dec 4 (EFE).- Once shrouded in mystery, Bushra Bibi, wife of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, has stepped into the limelight of Pakistan’s political landscape, leading protests for her husband’s release.
“You will have to promise that until Imran Khan is with us, you will not leave,” she told Khan’s ers in a rare public appearance during a high-stakes protest called “do or die.”
The march defied maximum security measures and a government ban, drawing thousands of protesters to the capital.
The 50-year-old led the largest procession from Peshawar, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital and a stronghold of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Draped in a white shawl and veil, Bibi addressed ers, urging them to march to Islamabad’s iconic D-Chowk and stage a sit-in until Khan was freed.
The journey to Islamabad was fraught with challenges. Protesters faced government barricades and a heavy barrage of tear gas. Bibi’s vehicle was closely guarded by demonstrators who saw her as a symbol of resistance amid the absence of other PTI leaders.
On the route, she blew kisses to the crowd, who chanted, “Khan Tere Jan Nisar, Beshumar Beshumar” (Khan, countless people are ready to sacrifice their lives for you).
“My children and brothers, you must stand with me,” she implored in one of her speeches. “But even if you don’t, I will still stand firm.”
Political analysts viewed the moment as his debut in Pakistani politics.
Hours after protesters reached Islamabad, the government cut power and water supplies before allegedly opening fire to disperse the crowd.
According to eyewitness Ilyas Hussain, who was selling burgers at the protest site, chaos ensued as Bibi’s truck was set on fire. Everyone, including her, fled to safety.
PTI claimed over 20 protesters were killed, with hundreds missing, while the government denied fatalities and blamed Bibi for the violence, accusing her of refusing to relocate the protest.
Bibi’s unexpected leadership and resilience have surprised many, given her previous reputation as a hidden spiritual guide.
Khan, who met her in 2015, often sought her counsel during his political career. A PTI insider credited her with transforming Khan from a playboy to a devout Muslim and believer in Sufism.
“Bibi played an important role in transforming Khan,” the source told EFE.
The couple married in 2018 in a private ceremony, and Khan’s electoral victory that year deepened his reliance on her spiritual guidance. Despite widespread criticism from opponents accusing her of black magic, she remained a key figure in Khan’s life and political journey.
Bibi’s emergence as a leader has drawn comparisons to iconic figures like Benazir Bhutto, who advocated for her husband during his imprisonment; Kulsoom Nawaz, who rallied during Nawaz Sharif’s incarceration; and Nusrat Bhutto, who led her party after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s imprisonment in the 1970s.
Born Bushra Riaz Watto, she was first married to Khawar Maneka in 1989. She has five children from her first marriage.
After marrying Imran Khan, she adopted the name Bushra Khan but is widely referred to as Bushra Bibi.
Known for her modesty, she has always covered her face with a veil and draped herself in a long scarf. Only a few of her photographs have surfaced.
As Pakistan’s political turmoil unfolds, Bibi might have begun a new chapter in her journey—from spiritual guide to a political symbol of resistance. EFE
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