PTI founding Chairman Imran Khan Friday clarified that his spouse Bushra Bibi’s statement was deliberately taken out of context to draw ‘our brotherly country KSA’ into a needless controversy, as she didn’t mention Saudi Arabia at all. In a statement on his social media account, Imran said Bushra had no connection with politics and that she only conveyed his message to the nation on November 24 protest.
Irrespective of the real motives and intentions, the original statement unnecessarily dragged a brotherly country into domestic controversies in Pakistan. There is no doubt that Bushra Bibi did not directly mention Saudi Arabia but the context and references were quite obvious. The most damaging aspects of the statement were references to Shariah, casting aspersions on the approach and policies of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), who is working tirelessly to modernize the economy of the Kingdom and diversify its sources of income and linking it to the dismissal of IK Government. Imran Khan has emphasized that Bushra Bibi was apolitical and that her statement has been taken out of context. In fact, foreign relations involve delicacies with ramifications for bilateral relations, therefore, such high stake remarks should have been avoided. The statement has provided an opportunity and justification to the political opponents of the PTI to criticize the party for an alleged bid to damage relations with a country that always remained steadfast in standing with Pakistan through thick and thin. It is because of this that, as per media reports, there is also resentment within the party on the issue. It was also due to the severity of the controversy that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a strong statement warning that spitting venom against the brotherly country was an unforgivable crime. He e regr regretted that the largest national interest is being “slaughtered” to serve short-term political interest. Former Army Chief General Bajwa, who, as per Bushra’s video statement started receiving calls after Imran visited Madina ‘barefooted’, described the assertions of Bibi as baseless, irresponsible and unfounded stating that neither Saudi Arabia nor any foreign nation intervened in Pakistan’s domestic affairs. Prudence demands the statement should be withdrawn because of its negative connotations.
