Bushra Bibi

Bushra Imran Khan (Previous Bushra Maneka)
First Lady of Pakistan
Assumed role
18 August 2018
Prime Minister Imran Khan
Personal details
Born Bushra Riaz Wattoo
(1968-08-16) 16 August 1968
Dipalpur, Okara District, Punjab
Citizenship Pakistani
Spouse(s)
Imran Khan (m. 2018)

Khawar Maneka
(m. 1987; div. 2017)
[1]
Children 5
Alma mater No formal Education from University or college
Occupation House wife

Bushra Imran Khan (née Wattoo) is the current First Lady of Pakistan, as the wife of Imran Khan, the present 22 nd Prime Minister of Pakistan. Bushra is known for her connection to Sufism; prior to her marriage with Khan, she had been his spiritual mentor (murshid).[2]

Early life

Bushra was born to a conservative, politically influential family from central Punjab. She belongs to the Wattoo clan, of whom the Manekas are a sub-clan.[2][3] She originates from the town of Pakpattan, located 250 km southwest of Lahore. The town is known for being home to the Shrine of Baba Farid, of whom both she and Khan are spiritual followers, and where they first met.[2]

Personal life

First marriage

Before her marriage to Khan, Bushra was married to Khawar Maneka.[4] Khawar Maneka was a senior Customs official and a son of Ghulam Muhammad Maneka, a former federal minister in Benazir Bhutto's cabinet. His brother Ahmad Raza Maneka is currently a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, and is affiliated with the PML-N.[5] They divorced in 2017.[2] She has three daughters and two sons from her first marriage. Her sons Musa and Ebrahim Maneka graduated from the Aitchison College in Lahore in 2013, and pursued higher education abroad.[2] Her eldest daughter Mehru Maneka is the daughter-in-law of politician Mian Atta Muhammad Manika.[2][6] Another of her daughters is also married.[5]

On 6 August 2018, it was reported that Mehru Maneka had joined Khan's PTI following a meeting with him.[7]and her last daughter is about 10 years old who is now living with her ex husband Khawar Maneka.

Marriage to Imran Khan

Khan and Bushra reportedly met for the first time in 2015.[6] According to Dawn, Khan, noted for his increasing inclination towards Sufism in recent decades, was a frequent visitor of Baba Farid's shrine in Pakpattan, where he would pay homage to the renowned 12th century Sufi saint. He usually visited the town in the evening escorted by his private guards, and would later stay for a few hours at the Maneka family's residence, his local hosts, after which he would return to Islamabad. The Manekas were influential locally, and shared a "spiritual relationship" with Khan.[3] Bushra, who was at that time married to Khawar Maneka, was a known and respected Sufi scholar, spiritual mentor and faith healer, also referred to as a pir or murshid,[3] and this is what reportedly drew Khan closer to her.[8] She has been described as a leader of pilgrimages to Baba Farid's shrine.[8] During his visits, Khan would often consult her on spiritual matters whenever he found himself in a "difficult situation."[3]

My interest in Sufism started 30 years ago. It changed my life. Sufism is an order with many levels, but I have never met anyone who is as high as my wife. My interest in her began with that.

— Imran Khan in an interview, regarding his marriage to Bushra.[8]

According to Khan, the couple were introduced via Bushra's sister Maryam Riaz Wattoo, who is a PTI member, whilst he was trying to understand the teachings of a 13th century Sufi saint. He would visit Bushra's house to receive counsel and advice on these and other religious matters, and "read the books she would recommend".[8] According to sources, Khan interacted with Bushra shortly before the 2015 by-election in Lodhran for the NA-154 constituency. He became "very pleased" when his candidate Jehangir Tareen won that election, which she had correctly predicted, and started visiting and consulting her more regularly for guidance.[3] According to a family source, Khan held "a lot of reverence for [Bushra] as a true follower."[3] As the visits became more frequent, their personal understanding also grew.[8] However, the prospect of marriage never surfaced until Khan learnt of Bushra's divorce. In an interview after his marriage, Khan said he "did not catch a glimpse" of his wife's face until after they were married; "I proposed to her without seeing her because she had never met me without her face being covered with a full veil."[8] He acknowledged that he had only seen an "old photograph" of her at her house prior to that.[8] When he finally did see her, he was not disappointed and is "now happily married."[8]

Khan, known for his previous relationships, insisted his attitude had changed over time and he came to believe that "the character of a person and the mind, the intellect, is much more important than the physical, because in my experience that has the smallest shelf life." He has referenced his respect to his wife based on her intellect and character.[8] A few months after their marriage, the couple went on a pilgrimage to Mecca.[8] Bushra has been described as an introvert who prefers to stay at home rather than attending social functions and gatherings very frequently, to which Khan admittedly has no objections, as he himself is "past the age of socialising".[8] According to Khan, his two sons have met Bushra, while he has also had time to get to know Bushra's children following their marriage.[8]

As first lady

Bushra is reportedly the first veil-wearing First Lady of Pakistan.[9][10] Shortly after Khan took office, Bushra was quoted by the media as having commented "I am sure Imran Khan will fulfill his promises to Pakistan. Allah has given us a great responsibility. Power comes and goes. Imran Khan aims to eliminate poverty from the country. He wants to improve the health and education system in Pakistan."[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ghulam Muhammad Maneka's wife passes away". thenews.com.pk.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Baba Farid: Where Imran Khan and Bushra Maneka found each other". Gulf News. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Butt, Shafiq (18 February 2018). "What brings PTI chief to a remote town?". Dawn. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Correspondent, Sana Jamal, (8 January 2018). "Imran Khan did not break up my marriage: Bushra's ex-husband".
  5. 1 2 "Who's Khawar Farid Maneka and why Bushra took divorce from him". Daily Times. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Imran Khan's sisters once again in the dark regarding his marriage". The Express Tribune. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  7. ↑ "Imran Khan's stepdaughter Mehru Maneka joins Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf". New Indian Express. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "I know more about physical attraction than anyone else: Imran Khan on his third marriage". Dawn. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Bushra Maneka To Be The First, First Lady To Keep A Veil - UrduPoint". urdupoint.com.
  10. ↑ "Burqa of Pakistan's first lady 'unmasks societal biases'". The Express Tribune. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "First lady Bushra Maneka 'afraid' after Imran Khan sworn in as Pakistan PM". Deccan Chronicle. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
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