ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the recent report published by The Economist about Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi is accurate, stressing that the magazine is not an ordinary journal but a credible international publication.
In an interview with a private TV channel, Khawaja Asif said that Imran Khan remained under the full control of former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-ISI chief Faiz Hamid during his tenure as prime minister.
The defence minister said that “over-smart people” often face humiliation later in life, and that the claims regarding Bushra Bibi pose a security concern that must be investigated.
Asif said the report implies that Bushra Bibi had been working to the advantage of former ISI chief General Faiz Hamid. He alleged that the information fed to her would eventually reach the PTI founder and would often prove true within days. “This is how overly clever people end up disgraced,” he remarked.
He claimed that PTI’s founder was fully controlled through Bushra Bibi by General Faiz and former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. According to him, then-ISI chief General Asim Munir had once provided a detailed written account of Bushra Bibi’s activities to the PTI founder, which angered him and led to Asim Munir’s removal from the post.
“This is the full backdrop of the story,” Asif said, responding to PTI chairman’s remarks about filing a lawsuit. “He should file it—if he doesn’t, he cannot claim loyalty to the PTI founder. Pakistan has been made a victim of a very serious deception. This woman was launched for power.”
The minister further alleged that the PTI founder had a long history of superstition, recalling his visits to a spiritual figure in Narowal. “Our religion does not permit such superstitious practices,” he said, adding that The Economist would not publish such a story without a credible basis. He claimed that the alleged corruption during PTI’s four to five years in power was part of a “planned scheme.”
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Asif criticized past judicial decisions against Nawaz Sharif, saying special benches were formed and public statements by judges preceded his disqualification. He said PTI supporters once considered their leader “highly intelligent,” yet “he was sold out by a woman,” noting that even the selection of Usman Buzdar as chief minister was based on supposed spiritual guidance.
He further alleged that money from corruption was sent abroad through “Gogi,” while the PTI founder received personal benefits. “Whatever share the spiritual adviser received must be somewhere,” he added, calling it a serious insult to Pakistan’s largest province that a leader became prime minister through “chants and superstitions.”
Asif mocked claims about the PTI founder’s Oxford education, saying that even after studying abroad he became a follower of Bushra Bibi. “I doubt she is even educated—if she is, then perhaps she has a PhD in deception,” he remarked. He said those responsible for this “national insult” must pay the price.
Speaking on judicial matters, Asif said Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had dreamed of becoming chief justice but resigned instead after developing differences on one issue. He added that judge transfers happen worldwide, just like in civilian and military bureaucracy, so judicial transfers should not be controversial.
Under the new law, he said, judicial transfers will be handled entirely within the judiciary, without involvement from parliament or the prime minister. “Constitutional courts exist worldwide and are meant to deal with constitutional matters,” he said.
Asif stated he has been elected to the National Assembly since 1991. “My salary is four lakh rupees, while their salaries are sixteen lakh, with separate perks and equal pensions after retirement. If they have to work, then so be it. We want an independent judiciary,” he concluded.