Islamabad: It was former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa who originally brought the question to the then Prime Minister Imran Khan’s attention-a folder that contained details of alleged corruption linked to Bushra Bibi, the first lady at the time.
However, Khan pushed back immediately and reportedly told Bajwa: “Bushra Bibi is my red line.”
According to insiders who are familiar with the exchange, the Khan rejected the contents of the folder as “unilateral”. When Bajwa suggested that the prime minister should examine the relations of individuals close to Bushra Bibi – including Farah Gogi, Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar and others – Khan again repeated that Bushra Bibi was out of borders.
Later, the then director of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant Gen Asim Munir (now the field marsh) tried to inform the prime minister of the same claims. This did not sit well with Khan, who within 24 hours called Bajwa and demanded Munir’s removal from Top Intelligence Post.
Sources say Bajwa was trying to put the prime minister, but Khan remained firm and insisted that Asim Munir was replaced. Khan suggested Gen Faiz Hameed for the role of DG ISI – despite the fact that HAMEED’s name was not included in the official panel sent for the prime minister’s approval.
As Khan continued to push for the Removal of Gen Munir, Bajwa reportedly advised him to at least invite the outgoing ISI DG to a farewell tea – a gesture of protocol and respect. Khan refused.
In a recent statement issued via his official account on the social media platform “X”, Khan confirmed that he had removed Gen Asim and said he was trying to reach Bushra Bibi through intermediaries, but she refused to talk to him.
Neither Khan explained who these intermediaries were, nor have the requirement been confirmed by any independent source.
This account contrasts sharply with Khan’s previous public position. In May 2023, corresponding to a telegraph report claiming that Gen Munir was rejected because he tried to investigate corruption involving Bushra Bibi and her inner circle, Khan categorically refused the story. “This is completely false,” he wrote in a tweet. “Neither did Gen Asim show me any evidence of my wife’s corruption, and I made him resign because of that.”
The telegraph Had reported that Gen Munir, during his short stint as ISI manager, collided with Khan in 2019 after raising concerns about financial intercourse around Bushra Bibi. He was removed from his position only eight months into what was expected to be a three -year period.
Interestingly, in November 2022, Khan supported the appointment of Gen Munir to the chief of staff. A few weeks before this appointment, Khan had called for a long March allegedly blocking Gen Asim’s appointment as army chief.
Although the decision on the appointment of army chief legally rested with the sitting prime minister, then-PTI-President Dr. Arif Alvi to Lahore to meet Khan and publicly signal Khan’s approval of Gen Munir’s promotion.
Originally published in the news
