What was Gandapur’s quid pro quo for Bushra’s release?

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is reported to have told his party leaders that he played a role in Bushra Bibi’s recent release from jail.

PTI sources told The News that Gandapur knew that Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI founder and chairman Imran Khan, would not be arrested in any other case. Apparently, authorities conveyed to him that he should send security for Bushra Bibi after her release from Adiala Jail. Gandapur, these sources said, was told that Bushra Bibi would not be arrested in any other case to keep her behind bars.

It is, however, not known whether there has been any kind of assurance given by the KP chief ministe to those who had contacted him and told him about Bushra Bibi’s release.A PTI leader, on condition of anonymity, said that he was told by Gandapur that he had played the role in getting the founder chairman’s wife released after nine months of her imprisonment. Gandapur did not explain the ‘role’ played by him, the leader said, adding that Gandapur being chief minister is the only party leader who has access to the establishment. Gandapur is also in contact with Imran Khan.

When asked, Gandapur’s spokesman Barrister Saif said that the CM did talk about his role in the releaseof Bushra Bibi. Saif, however, said that he neither knew nor asked what role the chief minister had played in getting Bushra Bibi released from prison.

Within the party, it is said that Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and Gandapur are the three persons who would precisely know why and on what conditions Bushra Bibi was not re-arrested and allowed to go free.

An important official source had told this correspondent a few days back that Bushra Bibi’s release was not the result of any deal but he did disclose that the only decision was not to keep her behind bars if the court granted her bail.

The authorities concerned as well as PTI sources confirm that Bushra Bibi was granted bail on merit by the Islamabad High Court but unlike the past this time she was not arrested in any other case to keep her in prison.

The wife of former prime minister Imran Khan was released last Thursday, a day after the Islamabad High Court had granted her bail, ending about nine months of imprisonment.Bushra Bibi’s release is seen as the biggest legal relief for Khan and his family since his imprisonment in August last year. The PTI founder has consistently maintained that his wife was unfairly arrested and implicated in various cases to pressurise him.