Butcher Rana Azim denies The Economist's claims that Bushra Bibi used animal sacrifices for black magic

Amid ongoing controversies surrounding former first lady Bushra Bibi, butcher Rana Azim has denied the claims made in an article published by The Economist. He shared that the article’s co-author, Bushra Taskeen, visited him frequently and attempted to extract stories from him.

The article, titled “The mystic, the cricketer and the spy: Pakistan’s game of thrones,” was authored by Owen Bennett-Jones and Bushra Taskeen. The writers cited accounts shared by former party leaders, Imran Khan’s driver, and a butcher who had been supplying meat to Khan’s home for a long time.

Muhammad Safeer, Imran Khan’s driver, had earlier alleged that Bushra Bibi frequently instructed household staff to bring beef and red chillies, which she would move over Khan’s head multiple times while reciting certain verses.

Rana Azim, the butcher, claimed that he has supplied meat to Khan’s residence for the past 15 years. Some details about Bushra Bibi’s alleged practices, such as using meat daily and carrying out animal sacrifices, were attributed to him.

According to earlier claims by journalist Bushra Taskeen, he was asked each morning to provide beef, black goat heads, and occasionally live black goats. It was said that he would personally deliver them and slaughter the animals using a special knife allegedly provided by Bushra Bibi.

However, Rana recently dismissed all such allegations in an interview with PTI’s social media team. He confirmed that he had indeed supplied meat to the household for 15 years but insisted the accusations were false. “No skull was ever sent to her,” he said. “Even when I slaughtered animals at her home, I took all leftovers back with me. There is no truth to these claims.”

He also denied that Bushra Bibi ever provided him with a special knife. “Every utensil at Imran Khan’s house was mine, and the knife people claim Bushra Bibi gave me was also mine. I had used it earlier, but mostly I relied on my own knife,” he said.

“There is no truth in the story that Bushra Bibi demanded animal skulls,” he added, noting that the entire meat was sent with him and he would later distribute it among the needy.

He further stated that Bushra Taskeen visited him three times, purchased meat, and asked questions about Imran Khan. During the third visit, he realized she had a specific intention behind meeting him. He claimed she even attempted to bribe him, but he refused.