Bushra Bibi’s comments regarding a purported incident in Saudi Arabia were denounced by government ministers on Friday, while the PTI refuted the claims.
The spouse of PTI founder Imran Khan said in a video message on Thursday that some foreign countries disagreed with his Islamic stance of going barefoot in Madina. She claimed that cries of disapproval had started to come in for then-army leader Qamar Javed Bajwa after the former prime minister returned from the holy city. She did not identify the callers.
PTI leaders and employees who were hoping for a positive result from backchannel diplomacy in the run-up to the party’s protest appeared perplexed by the remark. The former general disputed the accusations, according to a number of media sources, on Thursday night. Her assertions also caused a lot of worry in party circles, with many claiming that her comments may undermine existing backchannel operations.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif criticized her comments during a press conference today, calling them “vile and disgusting” and intended “to salvage your politics and save a sinking ship like this.”
The former army leader addressed the claims himself, he added, because they were severe enough. “They want to save [PTI] politics, which are in danger of collapsing.”
The defense minister claimed that Bushra Bibi and Imran’s three sisters were engaged in a power struggle for control of the party.
“It appears that Imran Khan sent Bushra to Gandapur after she was released from prison because he believes she is engaging in political activity.”
Asif claimed to have never witnessed “the kind of lowness displayed by PTI, its leadership, and Bushra especially” in Pakistan’s 76-year political history.
In a post on X, PTI retaliated to the minister’s press conference.
“Hundreds of innocent people have been brutally murdered in two days, and the nation is in the grip of the worst terrorism, but the Form 47 defense minister has gone beyond all bounds of insensitivity and shamelessness and is still busy ranting against the PTI as usual,” the statement read.
“The level of disregard for humanity and human life that this fascist regime has demonstrated from the regime change to today is unparalleled,” the message stated.
“If you give security even 1% of your attention, these incidents might stop, given how busy security forces and the current regime are with operations against PTI.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar criticized the former first lady for “implicating Saudi Arabia for petty political point scoring” in a previous comment that was uploaded on his X account.
According to him, the government took pride in Pakistan’s “close relationship” with the friendly nation that “always stood” by it “through thick and thin.”
“Mutual respect is the foundation of this relationship,” the foreign minister stated.
Dar urged “all political forces to desist from compromising Pakistan’s foreign policy in pursuance of their political objectives,” saying that it is unfortunate and a sign of a desperate mindset to blame Saudi Arabia for minor political points.
PTI provides an explanation for Bushra’s comments.
In the meantime, Bushra Bibi’s comments were clarified by PTI. PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated in a post on X that the PTI intended to deepen the “brotherly and friendly” relationship with Saudi Arabia and treated it with honor and decency.
Bushra Bibi did not identify the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s government or leadership in her message, and she has no intention of doing so.
Instead, she cited the individuals, led by General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who actively opposed an elected democratic government both domestically and abroad and who paved the way for the regime change project at the expense of national resources both domestically and abroad. “Akram said.”
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