THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
A British magazine called The Economist published an article that created a huge controversy in Pakistan. The article was about Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and the powerful influence she supposedly had over her husband and the government while he was in power from 2018 to 2022.
The article, titled “The mystic, the cricketer and the spy: Pakistan’s game of thrones,” painted a dramatic picture of how Pakistan was really run during Imran Khan’s time as Prime Minister. The writers, Owen Bennett-Jones and Bushra Taskeen, claimed that Bushra Bibi was much more than just the Prime Minister’s wife—she was a spiritual guide who controlled many important decisions.
According to the article, Bushra Bibi told Imran Khan before they married in 2018 that their marriage was necessary for him to become Prime Minister. When he did win the election later that year, this strengthened people’s belief in her spiritual powers.
The article made several shocking claims:
(1) About Spiritual Rituals
Former staff members described unusual practices happening at the Prime Minister’s house. They said Bushra Bibi would ask for specific items like beef, red chilies, and black goats for spiritual ceremonies. One driver claimed that beef was passed around Imran Khan’s head three times while she chanted, then thrown on the roof for birds to eat. Red chilies were supposedly burned around his head to get rid of bad spirits from his previous marriage.
(2) About Her Control
Sources close to Imran Khan reportedly said that nothing major happened without Bushra Bibi’s approval—not even the Prime Minister’s plane taking off. Staff members claimed that before making important political decisions, Imran Khan would always ask for her opinion first.
(3) About Intelligence Information
The article suggested that Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, would pass information to Bushra Bibi through spiritual advisors (called “pirs”). She would then tell this information to Imran Khan as if it were spiritual visions or predictions about the future. This made him trust her advice even more.
(4) About Government Appointments The article claimed that Bushra Bibi influenced who got important jobs in the government. If someone upset her, they could lose their position. The article even suggested that the removal of a top intelligence official in 2019 was connected to her input.
(5) About Problems with the Military
The report said that her influence created tension between Imran Khan and Pakistan’s powerful military leadership. Even the current Army Chief, Asim Munir, allegedly tried to warn Khan about her influence when he briefly headed the intelligence agency, but Khan fired him instead.
Why Did This Create Such Controversy?
The article caused an explosion of reactions in Pakistan for several reasons:
(I)The International Platform
While many of these stories had been circulating in Pakistani media and political circles for years, having them published in The Economist—a respected international magazine—gave them new weight. What was once considered local gossip or political mud-slinging now looked like serious journalism from a credible foreign source.
(II)The Timing
Both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are currently in prison on corruption charges. Publishing these claims while they’re locked up and unable to fully defend themselves felt unfair to their supporters. Critics saw it as kicking people when they’re already down.
(III) PTI’s Strong Response
Imran Khan’s political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), issued an angry statement calling the article “recycled propaganda masquerading as foreign commentary.” They pointed out that one of the writers, Bushra Taskeen, was known to be critical of PTI and favourable toward their rival party, PML-N. PTI threatened legal action unless The Economist issued a public apology.
(IV) What the Article Left Out
PTI supporters were furious that the article focused on personal gossip while ignoring what they saw as much bigger issues—human rights violations, rigged elections, hundreds of PTI supporters being given long prison sentences, and systematic political persecution. They felt the article was deliberately distracting from these real problems.
(V) The Hypocrisy Question
Critics noted that when The Economist had published favourable articles about Imran Khan in the past, PTI supporters praised the magazine’s importance. Now that the coverage was negative, they were ready to dismiss it as biased and worthless. Former Pakistani ambassador Husain Haqqani pointed out this double standard.
(VI) Questions About Journalism
Many people, including you, noticed that the article seemed to just collect old stories that had been circulating for years without adding much new evidence. It relied heavily on anonymous sources and quotes from political opponents. Even people who don’t support Imran Khan wondered if this met proper journalistic standards.
The Two Sides of the Debate
1. Supporters of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi say:
(1) These are just rumours spread by disgraced former employees and political enemies
(2) The article is politically motivated and timed to hurt them while they’re in prison
(3) There’s no solid proof for these wild claims about black magic and spiritual control
(4) Bushra Bibi faces misogynistic attacks because she’s a powerful woman
(5) The article ignores the real crisis—democratic backsliding and political persecution in Pakistan
2. Critics and opponents say:
(1) Too many people from Khan’s inner circle have said similar things for it all to be lies
(2) The article confirms what many suspected about how decisions were really made
(3) Even if some details are exaggerated, the core story about her influence is true
(4) PTI can’t have it both ways—praising The Economist when it suits them and attacking it when it doesn’t
(5) The spiritual influence explains some of Khan’s puzzling decisions while in office
What Does This All Mean?
The controversy shows how complicated and dramatic Pakistani politics has become. Supporters see a popular leader and his wife being destroyed by lies. Opponents see confirmation of their worst fears about how the country was being run.
The article also raises important questions: When does gossip become news? When should a respectable magazine publish claims based on anonymous sources? And in a country as politically divided as Pakistan, is it even possible for any story about Imran Khan and his wife to be seen as fair by both sides?
One line from The Economist article sums it up well: “Pakistani politics has the quality of a Netflix series.” Whether you believe the article or think it’s propaganda, nobody
References
1.https://theprint.in/world/spirituality-black-magic-interference-economist-report-on-imran-khans-wife-bushra-bibi-ignites-row/2785300/
2.https://english.aaj.tv/news/330444915/pti-leaders-reject-the-economist-report-on-bushra-bibi-as-baseless-and-defamatory
3.https://www.brecorder.com/news/40392594/bushra-bibis-spiritual-influence-shaped-key-state-decisions-the-economist-reports
4.https://dialoguepakistan.com/en/pakistan/imran-furious-over-the-economist-story-about-bushra-bibi–mulls-legal-action–report
5.https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/15-Nov-2025/pti-planning-to-sue-the-economist-after-bombshell-report-targeting-bushra-bibi
