{"id":16942,"date":"2025-11-15T19:22:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T14:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=16942"},"modified":"2025-11-15T19:22:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T14:22:12","slug":"british-magazine-alleges-former-intelligence-chief-exploited-bushra-bibis-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=16942","title":{"rendered":"British Magazine Alleges Former Intelligence Chief Exploited Bushra Bibi\u2019s Influence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A recent report published by the well-known British magazine <strong>The Economist<\/strong> has stirred political debate in Pakistan, as it makes serious allegations involving former ISI Director General <strong>Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed<\/strong> and former First Lady <strong>Bushra Bibi<\/strong>. According to the report, the intelligence establishment allegedly sought to use Bushra Bibi\u2019s influence over then\u2013Prime Minister Imran Khan for its own institutional interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Economist\u2019s report states that although Pakistan\u2019s premier intelligence agency, the ISI, did <strong>not arrange the marriage<\/strong> between Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, \u201cthere were indications that the institution was benefiting from that relationship.\u201d The publication notes that Bushra Bibi, due to her influence within the household and over the former prime minister, was seen as an important channel through which political and administrative decisions could be shaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story adds that certain senior officials within the state apparatus\u2014including former Army Chief <strong>Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa<\/strong>\u2014had expressed concerns that Imran Khan placed <strong>excessive reliance on his wife\u2019s advice<\/strong> when it came to major decisions. This sentiment reportedly created discomfort in segments of the security establishment, which felt that the prime minister\u2019s judgment was being influenced by spiritual or personal counsel that did not always align with the state\u2019s strategic priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The article further explores the wider context of civil-military relations in Pakistan during Imran Khan\u2019s tenure. It notes that the relationship between Imran Khan and the military leadership shifted significantly over time\u2014from early mutual support to visible friction in the later years of his government. Within this backdrop, the alleged use of Bushra Bibi\u2019s influence is portrayed as part of a broader dynamic involving political manoeuvring, institutional power struggles, and internal disagreements within the establishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report claims that Faiz Hameed, during his time as ISI chief, enjoyed a position of considerable closeness with Imran Khan\u2019s administration. This alignment, the magazine argues, was believed by certain circles to be strengthened by the influence Bushra Bibi held over decisions within the Prime Minister House. However, the report does not provide concrete evidence of direct manipulation, relying instead on insider accounts, political perceptions, and statements attributed to unnamed sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Economist also touches on the tensions that emerged when the military leadership and Imran Khan diverged on key issues, including administrative appointments and political strategy. According to the report, disagreements over the transfer of the ISI chief in 2021, along with disputes regarding governance, contributed to a widening rift between the civilian government and the military establishment. Within this tense environment, rumours and allegations regarding the role of Bushra Bibi in state affairs became increasingly widespread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The publication notes that political opponents of Imran Khan frequently questioned the level of influence Bushra Bibi wielded behind the scenes. These critics argued that her spiritual authority and personal recommendations affected key appointments and policy decisions. Supporters of Imran Khan, however, have consistently rejected such claims, calling them politically motivated attempts to discredit both the former prime minister and his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report further highlights that the alleged institutional use of personal relationships is not unprecedented in Pakistan\u2019s political landscape. Historically, various civilian and military actors have been accused of leveraging family ties, personal networks, or religious associations to consolidate power. In this context, the allegations regarding Bushra Bibi and Faiz Hameed are portrayed as part of a long and complex pattern of governance challenges in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Economist also points out that the fallout from these dynamics continues to influence Pakistan\u2019s political climate even today. With Imran Khan incarcerated and facing multiple legal cases, and with Bushra Bibi also under legal scrutiny, the narrative around their time in power remains heavily contested. Meanwhile, allegations about the role of intelligence figures such as Faiz Hameed continue to fuel political debate, especially among parties seeking to interpret the events leading to the fall of the PTI government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the report has generated significant public discussion, it remains important to note that these allegations have not been officially verified. Neither Faiz Hameed nor Bushra Bibi has issued a statement in response to The Economist\u2019s claims, and the Pakistani military has not offered public comment on this specific report. Political analysts emphasize that without clear evidence, such claims must be treated cautiously, as they can further contribute to polarization in an already divided political environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent report published by the well-known British magazine The Economist has stirred political debate in Pakistan, as it makes serious allegations involving former ISI Director General Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed and former First Lady Bushra Bibi. According to the report, the intelligence establishment allegedly sought to use Bushra Bibi\u2019s influence over then\u2013Prime Minister [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","inline_featured_image":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[{"account":"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440","service":"facebook","timestamp":1763216574,"status":"success"}],"rop_publish_now_status":"done","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16942"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16944,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16942\/revisions\/16944"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}