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Revision as of 05:15, 19 August 2018 by Mar4d (talk | contribs) (Please see the link; it is Khan's *own* interview to DM, hence this doesn't apply)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Bushra Khan | |
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| Born | Bushra Riaz Wattoo (1978-08-16) 16 August 1978 (age 46) Dipalpur, Okara, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Citizenship | Pakistani |
| Spouse |
Imran Khan (m. 2018) |
Bushra Imran (b. Bushra Riaz Wattoo on 16 August 1978; previously Bushra Maneka) is the current First Lady of Pakistan, as the wife of Imran Khan, the present Prime Minister of Pakistan. Bushra is known for her connection to Sufism; prior to her marriage with Khan, she had been his spiritual mentor (murshid).
Early life
Bushra was born to a conservative, politically influential family of central Punjab. She belongs to the Wattoo clan, of whom the Manekas are a sub-clan. She originates from the town of Pakpattan, located 250 km southwest of Lahore. The town is known for being home to the Shrine of Baba Farid, of whom both she and Khan are spiritual followers, and where they first met.
Family background
Before her marriage to Khan, Bushra was married to Khawar Maneka. Khawar Maneka was a senior Customs official and a son of Ghulam Muhammad Maneka, a former federal minister in Benazir Bhutto's cabinet. They divorced in 2017. She has three daughters and two sons from her first marriage. Her sons Musa and Ebrahim Maneka graduated from the Aitchison College in Lahore in 2013, and pursued higher education abroad. Her eldest daughter Mehru Maneka is the daughter-in-law of politician Mian Atta Muhammad Manika. Another of her daughters is also married.
Marriage to Imran Khan
My interest in Sufism started 30 years ago. It changed my life. Sufism is an order with many levels, but I have never met anyone who is as high as my wife. My interest in her began with that.
— Imran Khan in an interview, regarding his marriage to Bushra.
Imran and Bushra reportedly met for the first time in 2015. According to Dawn, Khan, noted for his increasing inclination towards Sufism in recent decades, was a frequent visitor of Baba Farid's shrine in Pakpattan, where he would pay homage to the renowned 12th century Sufi saint. He usually visited the town in the evening escorted by his private guards, and would later stay for a few hours at the Maneka family's residence, his local hosts, after which he would return to Islamabad. The Manekas were influential locally, and shared a "spiritual relationship" with Khan. Bushra, who was at that time married to Khawar Maneka, was a known and respected scholar, spiritual mentor and Sufi faith healer, also referred to as a pir or murshid. She has been described as a leader of pilgrimages to Baba Farid's shrine. During his visits, Khan would often consult her on spiritual matters whenever he found himself in a "difficult situation."
According to Khan, the couple were introduced via Bushra's sister Maryam Riaz Wattoo, who is a PTI member, whilst he was trying to understand the teachings of a 13th century Sufi saint. He would visit Bushra's house to receive counsel and advice on these and other religious matters, and "read the books she would recommend". According to sources, Khan interacted with Bushra shortly before the 2015 by-election in Lodhran for the NA-154 constituency. He became "very pleased" when his candidate Jehangir Tareen won that election, which she had correctly predicted, and started visiting and consulting her more regularly for guidance. According to a family source, Khan held "a lot of reverence for as a true follower." As the visits became more frequent, their personal understanding also grew. However, the prospect of marriage never surfaced until Khan learnt of Bushra's divorce. In an interview after his marriage, Khan said he "did not catch a glimpse" of his wife's face until after they were married; "I proposed to her without seeing her because she had never met me without her face being covered with a full veil." He acknowledged that he had only seen an "old photograph" of her at her house prior to that. When he finally did see her, he was not disappointed and is "now happily married."
Khan, known for his previous relationships, insisted his attitude had changed over time and he came to believe that "the character of a person and the mind, the intellect, is much more important than the physical, because in my experience that has the smallest shelf life." He has referenced his respect to his wife based on her intellect and character. A few months after their marriage, the couple went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Bushra has been described as an introvert who prefers to stay at home rather than attending social functions and gatherings very frequently, to which Khan admittedly has no objections, as he himself is "past the age of socialising". According to Khan, his two sons have met Bushra, while he has also had time to get to know Bushra's children following their marriage.
See also
References
- "Bushra Maneka - Google Search". g.co.
- ^ "Baba Farid: Where Imran Khan and Bushra Maneka found each other". Gulf News. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Butt, Shafiq (18 February 2018). "What brings PTI chief to a remote town?". Dawn. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- Correspondent, Sana Jamal, (8 January 2018). "Imran Khan did not break up my marriage: Bushra's ex-husband".
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Who's Khawar Farid Maneka and why Bushra took divorce from him". Daily Times. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Imran Khan's sisters once again in the dark regarding his marriage". The Express Tribune. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Rose, David (22 July 2018). "I didn't get a glimpse of my mystic bride's face until after we married, says Imran Khan as he calls his second marriage to TV weather girl 'the biggest mistake of my life". Daily Mail. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
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