Nation fortunate to have Imran as PM, says wife Bushra

–First Lady says her husband is a leader, not a politician, will change Pakistan’s fate

–Denies rumours regarding ‘divine inspiration’ behind marriage with Imran Khan

–Says her veil is her identity, wants to work for welfare of orphans, elderly citizens and differently abled persons  

First Lady Bushra Bibi on Thursday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will change the fate of Pakistan, saying the nation was fortunate to have an honest leader sitting at the helm of affairs in the country.

In her first interview with a private TV channel, Bushra Bibi said she believes that Imran Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are the only two leaders of the 21st century.

“There is a difference between politicians and leaders,” she explained. “When God wants to change the fate of a nation, He gives them a leader instead of a politician,” she further added.

“Imran will change the fate of Pakistan, he is working hard for the Pakistani nation although it takes time for these things to happen,” she said, adding that the premier offers Fajr prayer every day and says “Allah, I am only doing this for you” before heading to work.

“Khan Sahab is a very simple and fair person who has no greed for anything at all,” she said.

“He is not used to this life. He has always lived in a big house but now he is living this life and has adjusted in no time at all,” she said while asserting that he has no insecurities or aspirations for an opulent lifestyle.

Narrating an incident from the early days of her marriage, the first lady reiterated that her husband is a man of simple needs. “He does not get any clothes stitched for himself. When I first married him, I asked one of the housekeepers to take out his summer clothes and was told that he does not have any, he adjusts with outerwear according to the season,” she said.

“The housekeeper told me that he only wears clothes if someone gives them to him. He never gets them stitched,” she recalled, adding, “someone came and gifted him a few stitched sets of shalwar kameez, which he wore throughout the season”.

Speaking of her transition from a spiritual guide to the first lady of Pakistan, Bushra Bibi said her plans to make use of her position include the uplift of orphans, disabled, and old-age homes.

Describing a visit she paid to an old people’s home in Lahore, the first lady spoke of the effect it had on her.

“The pain [I felt] was such that I could not eat or pray for the next few days. Some of the people I met had nothing […] some asked me for a small stipend, just so that they could spend Rs10 on something on their own. That jolted my soul to the core. I just wanted to leave that place quickly and do something for them,” she told the host.

To a question, the First Lady replied, “Everyone says I brought change in Imran Khan’s life, but the reality is that change came in both of us due to each other.”

In response to a question about her about her transition from spiritual guide (pir) to first lady, Bushra Bibi said “Before marrying Imran Khan, people would visit me to seek guidance to be close to Allah Almighty and Prophet (PBUH) but now people come to seek her help to become close to Khan sahib”.

She elaborated that the couple was of the opinion that worship is void without service to humanity (huqooq ul ibaad). “It is important to worship and pray, but it is more important to serve humankind,” the first lady said. “This is something I’ve learned from Khan sahab,” said Bushra.

“I taught him that worship brings you closer to God, and he taught me that loving His creation brings us closer to Him,” she observed.

Commenting on the premier’s visibly calm temperament as compared to the past few years, the show’s host quizzed the first lady about the reasons and mentioned media reports that said that she had been divinely inspired to marry Imran Khan.

“I did not have any divine instruction to marry Imran. I could have married someone the day I left my former husband’s home, but I waited some six or seven months before I did so. I completed my iddat even before I left my former husband’s house. Both I and my former husband believe in religious obligations,” she stated.

“I cannot conceive of how or why people choose to circulate such lies,” she said, visibly flustered.

She also added that the controversy speculation over the timing of her marriage had caused her distress.

The first lady also revealed that she does not use social media. “My veil is my identity,” she stated.