Who is Bushra Bibi? Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan’s third wife, who make public appearance in traditional abaya, sentenced to 17 years imprisonment in Toshakhana corruption case, she is currently in…

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his third wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-2 corruption case and Al-Qadir Trust cases. The verdict was given during a hearing in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Saturday.

While Imran Khan is currently in jail in Adaila prison, his wife Bushra Bibi is also in jail after being convicted in the Al-Qadir trust case. Claiming that these accusations were ‘fabricated’ and ‘politically motivated’, Imran Khan accused the Army chief of targeting his wife due to personal enmity.

Who is Bushra Bibi?

Bushra Riaz Batto (former name) is Imran Khan’s third wife after Jemima Goldsmith and Rehman Khan. They married in 2018 in a private, low-profile ceremony. Bushra, who is in her late 40s, is referred to by her husband and followers as Bushra Begum and Bushra Bibi, an Urdu title denoting respect for women.

Bushra Bibi is a faith healer and spiritual advisor, follows Sufi mysticism. She is a disciple of the revered Sufi saint Fariduddin Masud Ganjshakar, also known as Baba Farid, a revered Muslim mystic and Sufi saint whose shrine is located in her former husband’s hometown of Pakpattan in Punjab.

She stays away from the public eye and usually appears in public wearing a veil and traditional abaya. She has five children from her first marriage, which lasted nearly 30 years before marrying Imran Khan, and comes from a landowning family in Punjab.

After Imran Khan’s jailing, Bushra Bibi emerged and came forward as one of the prominent faces demanding the release of her husband. She donned her veil and gave a speech encouraging Khan’s supporters to march towards Islamabad for the release of Imran Khan.

Bushra Bibi in controversy

Bushra Bibi is serving a seven-year prison sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust case, which involves allegations that R50 billion sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency was misused during Khan’s premiership. Now he has been sentenced to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana case.

He is also accused by his political opponents of wielding undue influence over Imran Khan. He is also accused of practicing black magic and has allegedly been rejected by Imran Khan’s party PTI.

17 years in prison in Toshakhana case

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in prison in connection with the Toshakhana case, which involved the purchase of an expensive jewelery set gifted to Imran for a nominal price by the Saudi Crown Prince during an official visit in May 2021. Both were sentenced to 17 years in prison as well as a fine of Rp 16.4 million.

Pakistan’s leading newspaper, Dawn, quoted the court order and said, “While imposing the sentences, this court took into account the old age of Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi and the fact that Bushra Imran Khan is a woman. It took into account both factors, which is said to have adopted a lenient perspective on giving lesser sentences.”