Fawad advises army to apologise to Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi over Iddat case

Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed that the un-Islamic Nikkah case against party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi was lodged at the behest of the establishment.

He made the revelations during his recent interview with the US broadcaster, Voice of America.

Talking about the souring relationship between PTI and the army, the former federal minister said that the connections started deteriorating when Imran Khan ordered party leaders to detach talks with the establishment.

"It created misunderstanding between both," he said.

x.com

ہمارا فوج سے رابطہ رہتا تو غلط فہمیاں نہ بڑھتیں، فوج کی اندرونی سیاست ہم پر آگئی، ابھی بھی صرف تلخیاں ہیں،عمران خان عزت دار آدمی ہے، کروڑوں لوگوں کی دھڑکن ہے،اسٹیبلشمنٹ ایک قدم پیچھے ہٹے،عدت کیس پر عمران خان اور بشریٰ بی بی سے معذرت کرکے کیس واپس لے، فواد چوہدری۔۔۔!!! pic.twitter.com/XSP7sY9HXs

— Mughees Ali (@mugheesali81) June 26, 2024

When asked who was responsible for the rift between Imran and the establishment, Fawad blamed the army's internal politics.

"It was the army's own internal politics that caused us damage," he said.

"Imran Khan never understood the army's politics and the pressure to end relations with the establishment from Imran and party created misunderstandings between both. Otherwise, there was no fight [between PTI and amry]," Fawad elaborated.

Fawad advised the army to take the first step towards easing tensions by apologising to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi for the Iddat case.

"Firstly, army should apologise to Imran Khan Sahab and Bushra Bibi on Iddat case," he said.

It is to be noted that in January, Khawar Maneka, Bushra's ex-husband, had challenged the couple's marriage and had termed their nikah as fraudulent.

Maneka, in the petition, claimed that the marriage was solemnised during Bushra Bibi's iddat (the time a woman goes into isolation after a divorce or her husband's death).

In a surprising revelation, Fawad also claimed that a serving military officer tweeted from his account to announce his decision to leave PTI following the May 9 riots.

Fawad was one of many PTI leaders who had left the party following violence in the country on May 9, 2023, when the 71-year-old politician was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

Although Fawad had said at the time that he was “taking a break from politics”, he was seen at the launch ceremony of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) in June, 2023. 

However, Fawad had cleared the air that he had not joined any political party.

He was arrested from Islamabad on November 4 last year in a corruption case and after facing 5-month custody, Fawad was released from Adiala jail on April 6.