Bushra bibi
Justice Markandy Katju
I have the highest respect for former Prime Minister Imran Khan's wife Bushra bibi
But first I must make a confession. I had in the past ridiculed her on twitter etc by calling her 'peerni', does 'jaadu tona', and saying that she has two djinns in a bottle which she takes out at midnight to feed meat to them, that she roasts live chicken at midnight to feed these djinns, that one cannot see her face in a mirror ( implying she is a vampire ), and similar poppycock.
Though all this was said as a joke, yet I am ashamed of saying such nonsense. I am guilty of throwing mud and casting aspersions on a noble lady, which I should never have done, and I can never forgive myself for saying all this rubbish and baloney..
The media made all sorts of false and fantastic allegations to malign her, alleging that she was controlling her husband
It was alleged that she practices 'kaala jaadu', and that she married Imran Khan before completing the period of iddat after divorcing her first husband
Even allegations of corruption have been made against her
There were even allegations that she had deserted her husband and has left her home
I have carefully considered all these allegations, and I agree with senior advocate Sardar Latif Khosa that Bushra bibi is a very good woman, and all these allegations against her are false and figments of the imagination of some people, particularly mediapersons who only want 'mirch masaala'.
I am convinced that she is a simple housewife, loyal to her husband. Of course it may be that on some occasions she may have given advice to Imran Khan, but which wife does not ? This not mean that she controls him.
She is a pious lady and would not do wrong things, and that is why Imran Khan married her after meeting her in Baba Farid dargah. Imran Khan is a mature person who has seen the world, and would not have married her unless he found her a lady of high character. She has loyally stood by him in his hour of trial, and I salute her.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. These are his personal views.)