All About Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's Wife And Central Figure In Pakistan Protests

Pakistan this week saw serious turmoil, with supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan defying government lockdowns and violent police opposition to demand the release of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder. The face of one of the biggest protests in Pakistan's history was Bushra Khan, cricketer-turned-politician Khan's third wife.

Bushra Khan entered the capital Islamabad this week along with thousands of PTI supporters who breached heavy security force barricades. Mounted atop a truck, she addressed the public near the historic square of D-Chowk, also referred to as Democracy Chowk, and vowed to hold a sit-in until Khan was freed.

"You all need to promise that until Khan is amongst us, you won't leave D-Chowk," said Ms Bushra in her first public address. 

Her insistence on holding the protest at a centralised location near the country's parliament, despite Imran Khan's instructions to gather on Islamabad's outskirts, underscores her growing active role in PTI's strategy, Reuters reported quoting party officials.

Ms Brusha had to escape to the PTI stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after a massive police crackdown on PTI supporters following days of deadly clashes between protesters and authorities, party officials added. 

PTI on Wednesday temporarily suspended the protests after Pakistan's security forces conducted a midnight raid on supporters. 

About Bushra Khan

Born Bushra Riaz Watto, Ms Khan took her husband's last name after her marriage. Imran Khan and his followers called her Bushra Bibi or Bushra Begum, titles that denote respect. She reportedly hails from a family of landowners in Punjab, but little is known about her early life.

Ms Khan, who is in her late 40s, has kept a low profile since marrying Mr Khan in a secret 2018 ceremony. It was the former PM's third marriage and her second. Bushra was previously married for around 30 years. The couple was charged for not completing the waiting period mandated by Islam after Bushra Bibi's previous marriage. However, the conviction was overturned by a court this year. 

Ms Khan usually appears in public dressed in a flowing plain black or white abaya, or robe and her face covered by a veil. She is also a devotee of Fariduddin Masud Ganjshakar, or Baba Farid, a revered Muslim mystic whose shrine is located in her ex-husband's hometown of Pakpattan in Punjab.

It was not clear when or how she met Mr Khan, but according to former aide Aun Chaudhry the former PM was very impressed with her spirituality. However, her husband's opponents accuse her of practising sorcery, a claim his aides have repeatedly denied.

Ms Khan was in jail for nine months in connection with a case involving the illegal sale of state gifts. She was released from prison in October. 

Rise Of Bushra Bibi

Pakistan has a rich legacy of women rallying support for detained relatives and taking over significant roles in their parties, such as the country's first female Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. After her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was imprisoned and executed in 1979 under the military regime of the late General Zia-ul-Haq, the young ms Bhutto used to speak out defiantly in support of the former President. 

Similarly, without formally holding office, Ms Khan, who has previously remained in Imran Khan's shadow, has now emerged as a de-facto leader of PTI, according to Mazhar Abbas, a journalist and political analyst. "Her posture is different and even the government is also targeting her," Mr Abbas was quoted as saying by Reuters. 

However, according to PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari, Bushra Bibi still wanted to lead a private life. "If she has come out and led this protest, it's on the orders of Imran Khan and the people will obviously rally behind her unitedly because she is the wife of Imran Khan," he said, adding her near-year-long imprisonment has earned her supporters' admiration which had helped to mobilise the large numbers of protesters.

The public support rallying behind her is not going unnoticed by Pakistan's ruling coalition. Without naming her, South Asian country's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told the media that the "one woman" behind the destruction during this week's protests. He also said that the root cause of the unrest was a "hidden hand."

Though it is yet to be seen how PTI would regroup, some analysts said that Bushra would likely continue to act as a rallying figure while Mr Khan remained behind bars.

"Putting Bibi at the forefront of these protests is a politically savvy move, because of her relationship to Khan. That gives her a level of authenticity that appeals to protesters and will bolster their commitment to the cause," said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute.