Imran Khan’s Bushra Bibi march disappeared

A burnt-out truck, tear gas shells and posters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan – all that was left of a massive protest led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, sent the entire capital into lockdown.

Just a day before, faith healer Bibi – wrapped in a white shawl, her face covered by a white veil – stood atop a shipping container on the outskirts of the city as thousands of her husband’s devoted followers waved flags and chanted slogans beneath her.

“My children and brothers! You have to stand with me,” she cried Tuesday afternoon, her voice over the deafening roar of the crowd.

“But even if you don’t,” he continued, “I will still stand firm.”

“This is not just about my husband. It is about this country and its leader.”

It was noted by some observers of Pakistani politics, his political debut.

But as the sun rose on Wednesday morning, there was no sign of Bushra Bibi, or the thousands of protesters marching across the country to the heart of the capital, demanding the release of their imprisoned leader.

What really happened on that “last march”, and Bushra Bibi, when the city was dark is still unclear.

All eyewitnesses like Samia* can say with certainty that the lights suddenly went off, plunging D Chowk, the square where they had gathered, into darkness.

As loud screams and clouds of tear gas engulfed the square, Samia described holding her husband on the pavement, covered in blood. a gun shot him in the shoulder.

“Everyone was running for their lives,” he later told BBC Urdu at a hospital in Islamabad, adding that it was “like a disaster or a war”.

“His blood was on my hands and the crying would not stop.”

But how did the tide turn so suddenly and decisively?

A few hours earlier, the protesters finally reached D Chowk on Tuesday afternoon. They had overcome days of tear gas and dozens of blocked roads to reach the city center.

Many of them were supporters and workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party led by Khan.

He asked for a march out of the cell he has been in for more than a year for charges he says are politically related.

Now Bibi – his third wife, a woman shrouded in mystery and out of public view since their surprise wedding in 2018 – was leading the charge.

“We will not go back until we have Khan,” he said as the march reached D Chowk, deep in the heart of Islamabad’s government district.

Insiders say that even the choice of destination – a place where her husband once led successfully – was Bibi’s, she did it when she was confronted by another leader’s opposition, and urged the government to choose another meeting place.

His presence may have surprised him. Bibi, who was recently released from prison, is often described as independent and apolitical. Little is known about his early life, except that he was a spiritual guide long before he met Khan. His teachings, rooted in Sufi traditions, attracted many followers – including Khan himself.

Was he getting him into politics – or was his sudden appearance a smart move to keep Imran Khan’s party going while he was incarcerated?

For critics, it was a move that contradicted Imran Khan’s opposition to royal politics.

It didn’t take long to combine the possibilities.

After the lights went out, witnesses said the police started firing tear gas at around 21:30 local time (16:30 GMT).

The demolition continued for more than an hour later.

At some point, in the middle of the chaos, Bushra Bibi left.

Videos have been seen on social media showing him changing cars and leaving the scene. The BBC could not confirm the footage.

When the dust was smoldering, his container was set on fire by unknown people.

At 01:00 the authorities said that all the protesters had fled.

Eyewitnesses described the events of the riot, tear gas was fired and the police rounded up the protesters.

Another, Amin Khan, said that behind an oxygen mask he joined the march knowing, “I will bring back Imran Khan or I will be shot”.

The authorities denied that they fired at the protesters. They also said that some of the protesters were carrying guns.

The BBC has seen hospital records of patients with gunshot wounds.

However, government spokesman Attaullah Tarar told the BBC that the hospitals denied receiving or treating the shooting victims.

He added that “all security guards deployed on the ground are not allowed” to have ammunition during the protests.

But one doctor told BBC Urdu that he had never done so many operations on gunshot wounds in one night.

“Some of the injured arrived in such a critical condition that we had to start surgery immediately instead of waiting for anesthesia,” he said.

Although no official figures have been released, the BBC has confirmed from local hospitals that at least five people have died.

Police said at least 500 protesters were arrested that night and held in police stations. PTI says some people are missing.

And one person in particular who hasn’t been seen in days: Bushra Bibi.

“He has abandoned us,” said another PTI supporter.

Others defended him. “It wasn’t his fault,” insisted another. “He was forced to go by the party leaders.”

Political commentators have been very vocal.

“His exit damaged his political career before it started,” said Mehmal Sarfraz, a journalist and commentator.

But is that what he wanted?

Khan has previously dismissed any suggestion that his wife might have political ambitions of her own – “she is only passing on my messages,” he said in a statement posted on his X account.

Speaking to BBC Urdu, commentator Imtiaz Gul calls his participation “a remarkable step in extraordinary circumstances”.

Gul believes Bushra Bibi’s role today is about “keeping the team and its staff busy in Imran Khan’s absence”.

It is a sentiment echoed by other PTI members, who believe he is “only joining because Khan trusts him deeply”.

Insiders, however, have always whispered that she pulls the strings from behind – advising her husband on political appointments and guiding senior decisions during his reign.

The direct intervention came for the first time earlier this month, when he urged a meeting of PTI leaders to support Khan’s call for a meeting.

Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif accused him of “taking advantage”, saying he saw his “future as a political leader”.

But Asma Faiz, an associate professor of political science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, suspects that the PTI leadership may simply be looking down on Bibi.

“It was thought that there was an understanding that he is not a political person, so he will not be dangerous,” he told AFP.

“However, the events of the past few days have shown a different side of Bushra Bibi.”

But it probably doesn’t matter what commentators and politicians think. Many PTI supporters still see him as their link to Imran Khan. It was clear that his presence was enough to electrify.

“He’s the one you really want to get out,” said Asim Ali, a resident of Islamabad. “I trust him. Absolutely!”

Additional reporting by Joel Guinto and Yvette Tan