British magazine says Bushra Bibi’s influence on Imran Khan unsettled his allies

Bushra Riaz Watoo, the third wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, would predict future events that would pan out exactly as she had envisioned in dreams. Her strong visionary ability and closeness to religion left Khan more dependent on her advice rather than making more logical and relevant decisions when he came to power. The Economist article has revealed some details shared by Imran Khan’s former allies and his driver, who explained why they were unsettled by Bushra Bibi’s influence on Khan. However, how far the accounts shared by them are true cannot be ascertained.

Khan’s third marriage, though initially private, soon became a matter of national interest as controversies erupted. Senior and former party leaders, including Jahangir Tareen, Awn Chaudhry, Faisal Vawda, and others, began to raise questions about Bushra Bibi's influence on him and his decision-making.

The article claimed that Pakistan’s intelligence officials at the time, particularly General Faiz Hameed, were in close contact with Bushra Bibi, though not directly.

Bushra Bibi developed an interest in Sufism after her first marriage. In her late 20s, she became a pir at a smaller level. She used to visit Baba Farid’s shrine in Pakpattan and would intensely pray day and night, driven by a genuine and strong interest in Sufism. Baba Farid, a popular Sufi in South Asia, emphasized building an individual’s close connection with divinity.

Bushra’s first husband, Khawar Manika, also supported her pursuit of Sufism, and she went on to become a well-respected Sufi personality in her circle.

Bushra’s sister, Maryam Watoo, introduced Imran Khan to her. Though initially reluctant, he eventually overcame his hesitance. Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan gradually grew close as their formal interactions as pir and murid became more intimate, and they began speaking alone.

These secret meetings perturbed Bushra Bibi’s husband, Khawar Manika, a landlord. Bushra Bibi had predicted that if she and Khan married, he could even win the 2018 elections and become prime minister. After her divorce from Manika, Bushra Bibi married Khan.

Khan’s marriage to Bushra Bibi perturbed many people, but it was only later that they became aware of her influence on him. The 1843 magazine interviewed Khan’s driver, Mohammed Safeer, who was likely the first to opine that Khan was not making the right decisions, and he reportedly told him so directly.

Safeer shared that Bushra Bibi would often order beef and red chillies to be passed over Khan’s head several times while reciting certain verses.

“He was also instructed to procure the severed heads of black goats each day, except on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when he had to buy dead black chickens instead. He delivered these items to Bushra’s maids at 10 or 11 in the morning; in the afternoon, the remnants would be returned with an instruction to leave them in a graveyard. Azim Rana, a butcher near Khan’s home, also recalled getting odd orders from the household—each morning he would be asked for beef, black animal heads and, from time to time, live black goats which he claimed he would personally deliver and dispatch with a special knife provided by Bushra Bibi.”

The article also mentioned that one of Khawar Manika’s relatives told Jahangir Tareen that Bushra Bibi was involved in black magic. While Bushra Bibi may have known about these accusations, she confronted Tareen during their first encounter at a dinner at Khan’s house.

“I am wearing these white clothes so you don’t think of me as a black-magic woman,” she said to Tareen.

Khan became more dependent on Bushra Bibi’s allies rather than seeking advice from his close aides and senior party leaders. He would often present candidates to Bushra Bibi, who claimed to have the ability to read faces and decide if they were fit for the role.

Awn Chaudhry shared that Khan had told him not to attend his oath-taking ceremony after the 2018 elections:

“Bushra Begum had a dream last night. She does not tell me what it is but says that she cannot go to the ceremony tomorrow if you are there. I am sorry about this as you have loyally served me for the past six years.” The next day, Chaudhry was dismissed.

The article said interference from Bushra Bibi continued, from major government matters, including meetings with then-Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa, to smaller issues, such as not allowing a plane to fly for four hours because it was not a good time for Khan to travel.

It also claimed that the ISI was closely monitoring Khan’s marriage to Bushra Bibi and events taking place in his household.

In a startling revelation, the magazine quoted former PTI leader Faisal Vawda, stating that the visions Bushra Bibi claimed were actually intelligence tips from Faiz Hameed. He would pass this information to one of Bushra Bibi’s pirs, who then informed her about which personalities were likely to be arrested or what events would occur and she presented this information to Khan as dreams.

“Faiz was getting the information and he would submit details to Bushra Bibi and she would tell Khan she had spiritual ways of getting this information in a dream. That’s how Khan started to get blinded,” said Faisal Vawda.

“General Bajwa was always ranting about her, saying she does black magic,” said one of Khan’s former cabinet ministers. “Bajwa was pissed off because he felt that Khan listened to her more than him,” the magazine added.

The details shared in the article mostly come from Khan’s close circle, with many party leaders disgruntled and sidelined by him. How accurate these claims are cannot be ascertained, nor can it be determined whether Bushra Bibi acted deliberately or unknowingly in her influence over Khan.