ISLAMABAD: In a rare public message on Thursday, Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan’s jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, assured state institutions he harbors no plans for revenge upon returning to power, as she rallied support for a protest planned by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) next week.
The PTI is organizing the rally in Islamabad on November 24, demanding Khan’s release, who has been in prison since August last year following his arrest on corruption charges.
The protest also aims to highlight the party’s allegations of electoral rigging in the February 8 general elections. The planned demonstration reflects the deepening political polarization in Pakistan, with Khan’s supporters and other political factions locked in an increasingly bitter political conflict.
Khan’s combative rhetoric against state institutions, including the powerful military— whom he has accused of orchestrating his ouster in an April 2022 no-confidence vote— has further entrenched divisions.
Despite his incarceration, Khan has remained defiant, which many interpret as evidence of his determination to seek retribution against rivals if he regains power. In her video message, however, Bibi dismissed the perceptions, emphasizing Khan’s commitment to forgiveness and unity.
“I want to tell the [state] institutions that it is completely wrong to think that Khan will take revenge on anyone,” she said in the video. “Khan says taking revenge on people after coming into power is akin to inviting God’s displeasure.”
“He has said that the time he has spent in jail has brought him closer to God,” she continued. “He has also said that he has learned that when you come into power, you should open the door to forgiveness, not the door to oppression.”
Bibi’s appeal marked a rare foray into the public eye, underscoring her emerging role as a central figure in the PTI’s efforts to build momentum for Khan’s release. She remained in the same jail with Khan in a case involving the illegal sale of state gifts before her release on bail in October.
Bibi called on party supporters to participate in the November 24 rally, saying there was no plan to change the protest date.
“The date can only be changed on one condition that Khan comes out and himself announces the next course of action to the public,” she said. “Otherwise, under no circumstances can the date of Nov. 24 be changed.”
Khan’s arrest and imprisonment have become a flashpoint for political tensions in Pakistan. The PTI alleges that the cases against Khan are politically motivated, aimed at sidelining the former premier and dismantling his party.
Meanwhile, the coalition government has taken measures to suppress PTI’s rallies, citing concerns over public safety and order, particularly in light of the planned protest in Islamabad.
Bibi asked people to come out and protest in her message, calling it their duty to fighter for the rule of law in the country.
In rare message, Imran Khan’s wife says he won’t seek revenge if back in power
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In rare message, Imran Khan’s wife says he won’t seek revenge if back in power
- Bushra Bibi says the protest date will only change from Nov. 24 if Khan shares another public course of action
- Her message marks a rare foray into the public eye, underscoring her emerging role as a central PTI figure
Pakistan detains five men deported from Sharjah for using fake UK visas
- The group was taken into custody at Lahore airport and handed to the Anti-Human Smuggling Circle
- FIA says the five men obtained forged UK visas through agents after traveling to Malaysia this year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities detained five citizens at Lahore airport after they were deported from Sharjah for attempting to travel to the United Kingdom on forged British visas, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Saturday.
The five men had initially traveled from Lahore to Malaysia earlier this year on visit visas, the agency said.
After their stay in Malaysia, it added, they allegedly tried to fly onward to the UK from Sharjah using counterfeit documents obtained through agents.
“Five Pakistani passengers were deported from Sharjah for possessing fake British visas,” the FIA said in its statement. “Upon arrival at Lahore airport, the deported passengers were taken into custody.”
Pakistan has tightened its crackdown on illegal immigration and human smuggling in recent years after a series of deadly boat tragedies involving its citizens attempting to reach Europe.
In July, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was targeting organized criminal networks and urging the public to use safe and legal pathways for overseas employment.
He said the state was expanding job opportunities at home and abroad but warned that irregular migration routes were dangerous and violated national and international law.
The FIA said all five men had been transferred to the Anti-Human Smuggling Circle in Lahore for further investigation.
According to its statement, the forged travel documents were acquired with the assistance of intermediaries, leading authorities in the United Arab Emirates to deny them entry and deport them to Pakistan.
The FIA said the inquiry into the visa fraud and the agents involved was ongoing.
