Aleema, Imran at pains to clarify role of Bushra in Islamabad protest

• Tweet from Imran’s X account says ex-first lady led marchers on his instructions
• His sister defends decision to retreat to ‘save lives’, claims Imran still has ‘trump card’ up his sleeve

ISLAMABAD: As a controversy rages over the role played by former first lady Bushra Bibi in the PTI’s protest in Islamabad last week, both Imran Khan and his sister Aleema came forward in a bid to ‘clarify’ her role.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the incarcerated PTI founder in jail on Tuesday, Aleema Khan said that it was indeed Bushra Bibi who led the march, and was present on the container, but lamented that other PTI leaders remained absent.

However, Ms Khan noted that it would not have been a wise decision to stay on the container and let workers die once the firing started.

In an apparent response to criticism from certain quarters that party workers should not have left D-Chowk, she questioned how people could have stayed on the container while marchers “were being shot dead by snipers”.

“Earlier, I was suggesting people to retreat but the workers were not willing to move back. They were saying that they were willing to sacrifice their life for Imran Khan,” she said.

“But the government should be asked why bullets were fired at peaceful protesters,” she said.

When asked about whether the marchers should have moved to D-Chowk or Sangjani, she said that there was confusion over the issue.

“While firing was going on and people were showing us the [teargas] shells, we had directed them to move backward so that lives would be saved. The ground reality was different from the imagination of those who were sitting far away. The container was the place from where messages had to be conveyed to workers, but at that time there was no one on the container. So we decided to retreat to a safer place. It was dark and no one was there to guide people,” Aleema Khan said.

Ms Khan also insisted that her brother still had a ‘trump card’ up his sleeve, which he would play soon.

Imran backs spouse

Meanwhile, a post on Imran Khan’s official X account — which he does not personally have access to — issued the content of his talk with journalists on Tuesday, where he also addressed the issue of Bushra Bibi leading the protest.

“I had instructed Bushra Bibi on how to take the protest to Islamabad. Whatever she did, she did as per my instructions.”

“I have demanded from the Supreme Court to form an impartial judicial commission to investigate the massacre of innocent and peaceful citizens and to give severe punishment to those who ordered the massacre and those involved in it,” he was quoted as saying.

Mr Khan said the PTI would not stay quiet on the matter and would continue to raise its voice on the issue.

“The data of hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi regarding the martyrs and injured should be made public as soon as possible and CCTV footage of all hospitals and Safe City should be preserved so that evidence cannot be lost like on May 9.

Omar Ayub quits JCP

Separately, PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan has stepped down as a member of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), suggesting that Barrister Gohar Ali Khan be nominated as a member instead. His resignation has reportedly been sent to the Speaker National Assembly.

“This decision has been taken after careful consideration and is necessitated by the multitude of First Information Reports and legal cases filed against me, which require my immediate and undivided attention,” he stated.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2024