Aleema Khanum, sister of founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, has told Voice of America (VOA) on Tuesday (today), that former First Lady Bushra Bibi’s close aide Mashal Yousafzai was attributing a false message to her brother’s call to march towards D Chowk, saying, “Mashal Yousafzai is lying.”
“Imran Khan had issued the instruction to the party via Salman Akram Raja on Thursday [November 21]. Mashal Yousafzai is accusing Imran Khan [for D Chowk protest call].”
Multiple casualties were reported and several individuals were wounded, including security personnel, during clashes between party demonstrators and security forces on Tuesday night’s (November 26) grand operation.
Bushra Bibi’s spokesperson, Mashal Yousafzai, speaking to a private news channel on November 28, said, “She [Bushra Bibi] had been entrusted with a responsibility by the party founder [Imran Khan], and she could not betray that trust.”
“She is just acting as a bridge between Khan and the people,” Mashal added.
Bushra Bibi’s Dubai-based sister, Maryam Riaz Wattoo, while giving an interview to The Guardian on Monday (December 2), reiterated, “They [the party leadership] put so much pressure on Bibi not to take the protest to the heart of Islamabad, but she went ahead as Khan had suggested. She won’t give up until Khan is released.”
Mashal Yousafzai was removed as the Special Assistant to CM Ali Amin Gandapur on November 28 after giving an interview on the Geo News programme Naya Pakistan.
Responding to the claims that Bushra Bibi is gradually taking the party leadership into her own hands, Aleema Khanum maintained, “There is only one leader, and that is Imran Khan.”
Furthermore, Imran Khan’s sister complained about the party leadership’s lack of instructions to their supporters and workers during the PTI protest march.
When asked about Imran Khan’s sister being taken into confidence before initiating and ending the three-day-long party protest march, Aleema Khanum added, “No party leaders had discussed it with us.”
PTI had marched towards the federal capital, which started on Sunday (November 24) and abruptly ended after clashes with security forces on Tuesday (November 26).
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party had put three demands before the government during last week’s protest march, including the repeal of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the release of the political prisoner and the return of their “stolen mandate.”