Government ministers on Friday blasted former first lady Bushra Bibi’s remarks about an alleged incident involving former premier Imran Khan in Saudi Arabia while the PTI denied the allegations.
In a video message on Thursday, the PTI founder’s spouse had claimed that some foreign powers were unhappy over his religious posture of walking barefoot in Madina. She said after the ex-PM returned from the holy city, then-army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa had begun receiving calls of disapproval. She didn’t specify who made the calls.
The statement seemingly baffled PTI leaders and workers who were expecting a favourable outcome from back-channel diplomacy in the lead-up to the party’s protest. Several media reports on Thursday night claimed the former general denied the allegations, while her claims also prompted widespread concern within party circles, with many saying her remarks could hurt ongoing backchannel efforts.
Lashing out at her remarks in a press conference today, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif termed them as “vile and disgusting” comments made “to salvage your politics and save a sinking ship like this.”
He said that the accusations were serious enough for the former army chief to address them himself. “[PTI’s] politics are sinking, and they want to save it.”
The defence minister alleged that the entire situation was actually about a fight for control of the party between Bushra Bibi and Imran’s three sisters.
“It seems like Imran Khan sent (Bushra) to Gandapur after she got out of jail, and he thinks politics is being done by Bushra Bibi.”
Asif said that of the “lowness” seen in 76 years of politics in Pakistan, he had never seen “the kind of lowness displayed by PTI, its leadership, and Bushra especially”.
PTI hit back at the minister’s press conference in a post on X.
“The country is in the grip of the worst terrorism, hundreds of innocent citizens have been mercilessly killed in two days, but the minister of defence of Form 47, instead of admitting his shortcomings and mistakes, has crossed all limits of shamelessness and insensitivity and is still busy raving against the PTI as usual,” it said.
“From the regime change to today, the level of disregard for humanity and human life that this fascist regime has shown is unparalleled,” the post said.
“The way security forces and the current regime are busy in operations against PTI, if you give just one per cent of attention to security, perhaps these incidents might stop.”
In an earlier statement posted on his X account, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar criticised the former first lady for “implicating Saudi Arabia for petty political point scoring “.
He said the government was proud of the “close relationship” Pakistan had with the friendly country which “always stood” by “through thick and thin”.
“This relationship is based on mutual respect,” the foreign minister said.
“Implicating Saudi Arabia for petty political point scoring is regrettable and indicative of a desperate mindset,” Dar said, urging “all political forces to desist from compromising Pakistan’s foreign policy in pursuance of their political objectives”.
PTI issues clarification on Bushra’s remarks
Meanwhile, the PTI issued a clarification regarding Bushra Bibi’s remarks. In a post on X, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said that the PTI viewed the relationship with Saudi Arabia with great respect and dignity and wanted to further expand on the “brotherly and friendly” relation.
“Bushra Bibi did not directly or indirectly name the leadership or government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in her message, nor is there any possibility of doing so.
Rather, she pointed to the characters whose chief was General Qamar Javed Bajwa who were active against an elected democratic government internally and externally and who created an environment at the expense of state resources at the local and international levels to pave the way for the regime change project.“ Akram said.
More to follow.
