Islamabad: It was the former general chief of the army Qamar Javed Bajwa who initially brought the question for the Minister of the Imran Khan time – a file containing details on alleged corruption linked to Bushra Bibi, the first lady at the time.
Khan, however, immediately postponed, would have said to Bajwa: “Bushra Bibi is my red line.”
According to the familiar initiates with the exchange, Khan rejected the content of the file as “unilateral”. When Bajwa suggested that the Prime Minister examines the links of individuals close to Bushra Bibi – including Farah Gogi, then the chief minister of Punjab, Usman Buzdar, and others – Khan has once again reiterated that Bushra Bibi was prohibited.
Later, the director general of the inter-service, the lieutenant-general Gen Asim Munnir (now the Marshal), tried to inform the Prime Minister of the same allegations informed. This was not suitable for Khan, who in the 24 hours called Bajwa and asked for the withdrawal of the higher intelligence post.
Sources say that Bajwa tried to pacify the Prime Minister, but Khan remained firm and insisted that Asim Munnir is replaced. Khan proposed General Faiz Hameed for the role of CEO ISI – despite the fact that the name of Hameed was not included in the official panel sent for the approval of the Prime Minister.
While Khan continued to put pressure for the withdrawal of General Munnir, Bajwa would have advised him to invite at least the outgoing ISI DG for farewell tea – a gesture of protocol and respect. Khan refused.
In a recent declaration published via his official account on the “X” social media platform, Khan confirmed that he had withdrawn Gen Asim and said that afterwards, he had tried to reach out to Bushra Bibi via intermediaries, but she refused to speak to him.
Ni Khan explained who were these intermediaries and the complaint was not confirmed by any independent source.
This account contrasts strongly with the previous public position of Khan. In May 2023, responding to a telegraphic report which affirmed that General Munir was rejected because he sought to investigate corruption involving Bushra Bibi and his inner circle, Khan categorically denied history. “It’s completely false,” he wrote in a tweet. “Gen Asim did not show any evidence of my wife’s corruption and I had it resigned because of this.”
The telegraph had pointed out that General Munnir, during his brief passage as head of the ISI, had faced Khan in 2019 after raising concerns about financial relations around Bushra Bibi. He was withdrawn from his post at only eight months in what was to be a three -year term.
Interestingly, in November 2022, Khan supported the appointment of General Munir as the chief of the army staff. A few weeks before this appointment, Khan had received a call for the long duration of March, allegedly blocking the appointment of Gen Asim as head of the army.
Although the decision concerning the appointment of the chief of the army has legally resumed with the Prime Minister in office, the president of the PTI, Dr. Arif Alvi, flew to Lahore to meet Khan and publicly report the approval by Khan of the promotion of General Murnir.
Originally published in the news
