Lahore, Nov 23 (IANS ) Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi has come under a severe attack by the ruling government and other political parties over her recent controversial statement about Saudi Arabia, forcing the jailed leader and his political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to rush to her rescue and go in a full damage-control mode.
Bushra Bibi had released a video recently, urging everyone to take to the streets on Sunday (November 24) to protest against the "illegal imprisonment" of her husband Imran Khan.
In the video, she also stated that Saudi Arabia was offended when they saw Imran Khan arriving barefooted to visit Madina. This, she claimed, resulted in multiple calls to then Army Chief (Retd.) General Qamar Jawed Bajwa, expressing concerns over Khan showing himself as the representative of Islam and Shariah to them at a time when they (Saudis) are abolishing it from their own country.
The statement prompted immediate response from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who slammed Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, warning that any attempts to dent relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia would not be tolerated at all.
On the other hand, PTI leadership maintained that, as Bushra is not a political figure, her statement should not be attributed to the party at large.
"Bushra Bibi's statement has nothing to do with PTI," said senior PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen.
However, Imran Khan seems to be endorsing what his wife had said.
While speaking to the media from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, Khan said that his wife had not named Saudi Arabia and that the statement was being twisted to directly target MBS (Muhammad Bin Salman) and Saudi Arabia.
Imran Khan's endorsement of his wife's controversial statement was also picked up by the government, which slammed both of them for towing anti-state and anti-Pakistan agenda.
"Imran Khan did not negate what his wife said and, in fact, he endorsed it. Imran Khan, his party and his so-called non-political wife are on an anti-Pakistan agenda. They are enemies of Pakistan. They can go to any extent to damage our country and its relationship with brotherly countries like Saudi Arabia," said Azma Bukhari, spokesperson of the Punjab government.
"This disgraceful statement from an uneducated and uninformed individual against friendly countries shows she is working on the agenda of hostile elements. The people of Pakistan have now witnessed the true faces of these two deceivers. The so-called 'Fitna Party' is no longer acceptable to the nation," she added while speaking with reporters in Lahore on Saturday.