Overview
- UK magazine The Economist alleges Bushra Bibi influenced senior appointments and day‑to‑day decisions during Imran Khan’s government, with accounts of ritual practices and control over travel timing.
- The report cites claims that some security officials funneled sensitive information to her, which was then relayed to Khan as spiritual insight, and recounts her presence in high‑level meetings.
- PTI leaders denounced the article as fabricated and defamatory, with Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan announcing legal action and the party’s media wing attacking the report’s sourcing.
- Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa’s government called the piece propaganda and said it would pursue action against The Economist at an international forum, arguing official records contradict the allegations.
- PML‑N figures amplified the claims and urged court action, while ex‑PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat said Bushra Bibi had significant sway over governance, as debate intensifies with both Khan and Bushra in prison on corruption cases.