A veiled first lady with spiritual, political skills

LAHORE: With Imran Khan as its premier, Pakistan is going to have a unique international honour of having a veiled Bushra Wattoo-Khan as its First Lady, keeping the Islamic tradition of observing purdah and not bowing to the pressures of the modern times.

A UK-based religious scholar Mufti Masod Alam, OBE (Order of British Empire), called me the other day to appreciate Bushra Khan keeping her religion and spiritual tradition much above the worldly power games.

Reliable sources have revealed that clairvoyant Bushra Khan’s prophecies about Pakistan’s general elections and Imran Khan becoming a prime minister have proved true. These sources claim that her prediction about Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf party getting 116 seats, made much before the elections, has also proved correct.

These sources say the would-be First Lady is not a lame duck Pirni or spiritual guide, sitting behind the curtains and just offering prayers and predicting events. “She is very practical and advises her husband on religious, spiritual and political issues. She was instrumental in getting Pir of Siyal Sharif, Pirs of Sultan Baho and even Pirs of Manki Sharif accommodated in the PTI ranks,” they say.

Bushra Khan’s political skills were observed well when in her native district Pakpattan she used her clout in such a way as to ensure the defeat of her ex bother-in-law and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Ahmed Raza Maneka at the hands of an independent candidate, Sardar Mansab Ali Dogar. She also won over the blessings of the Diwan (caretaker of Baba Farid shrine) of Pakpattan, Moudood Masood, through his close relative Diwan Azmat Chishti. She also managed her son-in-law Mohammad Hayat Maneka’s provincial assembly seat [PP-191] by disfavouring the PTI candidate from the same constituency. This PTI candidate ultimately revolted against the party and sided with an independent National Assembly candidate Rao Naseem Hashim who was denied a PTI ticket.

The would-be First Lady holds sway in Barelvi and spiritual circles. She sought some sort of seat arrangement with Tehrik-e-Labbaik, Pakistan (TLP) sending an emissary to its head Allama Khadim Rizvi but it could not materialize due to shortage of time. Her religious beliefs are strong and she condoned Maulana Rizvi’s outburst against Imran Khan and warned her husband to be careful on the issue of Khatam-e-Nabuwwat [finality of Prohethood] in future. It was through her advice and courtesy that Imran Khan had a three-hour marathon meeting with Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Chairman of the Ruayat-e-Hilal Committee to clear the air with Ahl-e-Sunnat-wal-Jamaat.

The sources claim that the her presence has had a very positive effect on Banigala. Now Imran Khan, the would-be prime minister, says his prayers regularly for five times and feels purity around in the company of the newly-attained spiritual power.