New Delhi: She is the “iron lady of Pakistan”, a “queen” and “Nur Jahan to her Shah Jahan”. She is former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, and Pakistanis can’t help but notice her contribution to the PTI cause and efforts to get Khan released.
“When the pawns fall, the Queen rises. Checkmate, chaos!”, X user @AdeelaCSV declared with a picture of Bushra Bibi’s silhouette with a raised hand while @LahoreMarquez added: “First it was empress Nurjehan who helped Jehangir rule over India, now it’s Bushra Bibi, fighting for the freedom of her husband. True couple goals.”
The ‘politicisation’ of Imran Khan’s wife, wrote Dawn’s Amir Wasim in an article, “flies in the face of Imran’s own opinions about hereditary politics”, and speaks “volumes about what compels families of politicians to step up”.
Pakistan has been witnessing violent protests after supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf called for Imran Khan’s release ahead of his upcoming court hearing on terrorism charges. Khan, who was removed from office in 2022 through a no-confidence vote, has been imprisoned for over a year after being convicted in a corruption case.
He is also facing more than 150 criminal charges. Thousands of PTI supporters on Tuesday breached security barriers to march toward Islamabad, which has been under lockdown since Saturday. The government has imposed Article 245, which enables a civilian government to deploy the army to help maintain “law and order”. On Sunday, convoys of protesters led by PTI leaders set off toward Islamabad. The main convoy, departing from Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—PTI’s stronghold—was led by Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s wife, and Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Bushra Bibi’s rise to power
According to Pakistani political commentators and analysts, when PTI leaders struggled to keep the momentum alive, Bushra Bibi stepped into the fray and rallied PTI supporters with a level of enthusiasm and purpose that had been sorely lacking before.
“After Imran Khan’s imprisonment, Bushra Bibi has achieved what no PTI leader has. She has galvanized street support and upped the ante. We’ll know over the next few days if her decisions were rash, desperate or well thought out,” journalist Abbas Nasir wrote on X. Calling the situation “scary”, he added: “Bushra Bibi and the military are in a head-on collision now. This move up the escalatory ladder is scary.”
Economist Javed Hassan also lauded Bushra for her work and said: “Credit where credit is due. Bushra Bibi has led the protest with purpose and enthusiasm. Well done. Now please take to its natural conclusion – #FreeImranKhan #FinalCall.”
Another X user, Wahab, said: “After IK’s imprisonment, leadership was lacking & workers were shattered. Despite multiple attempts Gandapur & Co couldn’t pull off a proper dharna. Now with Bushra Bibi at the helm, the party’s signature dharna is back with a bang at D Chowk.”
@Umar_Soffi added: “Thousands of Pashtuns, Punjabis, and Sindhis march to Islamabad, led by a woman—Bushra Bibi. They claim Islam cages women, yet here she is, leading men to defy power. Find me a parallel.”
Journalist Sabahat Zakariya also praised Bushra Bibi’s resolve and wrote: “Bushra Bibi is a badass. Hard not to be impressed by the resolve of what once seemed like a burger party.”
Also read: Bushra Bibi’s claims leave PTI supporters confused. ‘She went overboard with Islamic touch’
Jemima vs Bushra
Bushra Bibi’s rise to fame has also started a battle of the exes. Jemima Khan, Imran Khan’s first wife, has weighed in on the ongoing protests in a decidedly indirect way. Sharing a poster of a gagged Imran Khan on X, she wrote: “Important message, relevant word of the day (stratocracy) & a magnificent moustache.”
However, this did not sit well with a few social media users.
“Jesus, couldn’t bear Bushra Bibi getting the limelight. Trust white people to make everything about themselves,” wrote Jasir Shahbaz on X.
Pakistanis are both confused and curious, but in strange ways.
@iv1cky posted a video of Bushra Bibi saying: “Bushra bibi is actually Jemima under the burqa”, while @TinkerxTwinkle said: “Bushra Bibi is the Response for what they did to Jemima.”
Meanwhile, one social media user went ahead and challenged Imran’s first wife: “Bushra Bibi’s video message for the people of Pakistan. Jemima, what’s your next move, girl?”
Under that burqa is actually a guy. Yes, Bushra “Bibi” is actually a man.