Islamabad, January 4, 2025: Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has reportedly reshuffled the party’s legal teams and the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF), sources revealed on Saturday. The move comes amid increasing internal tensions and dissatisfaction among party ranks regarding legal matters and fees.
According to sources, Bushra Bibi directed Advocate Qazi Anwar to compile a nationwide list of PTI-affiliated lawyers. Both Advocate Anwar and Mashal Yousafzai are now required to report directly to her on legal affairs. She also tasked Anwar with overseeing final consultations on ongoing legal cases and prohibited direct communication between PTI lawyers and Imran Khan, who remains imprisoned following his conviction in the Toshakhana case last August.
Earlier this week, Bushra reportedly resolved disputes among PTI’s lawyers and finalized decisions on the leadership structure of the ILF’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter, later informing Imran Khan of the developments. However, Advocate Anwar, when approached by a private news channel, dismissed the claims, stating, “I have not been contacted by Bushra Bibi, nor am I aware of any such directives.” PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also declined to comment.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat has called for an audit of legal fees paid to the party’s lawyers. In an interview, Marwat claimed that several lawyers received excessive payments for handling what he described as “baseless cases” that did not require significant legal expertise. He insisted on transparency, asserting, “The cases did not demand high-profile lawyers or exorbitant fees. An audit is necessary.” Marwat further highlighted his own unpaid efforts, noting that he represented Imran Khan in 74 cases without charging any fee.
The developments come against a backdrop of growing dissatisfaction within PTI over Bushra Bibi’s and Aleema Khan’s alleged interference in party affairs. Last month, senior party leaders, speaking anonymously, criticized the increasingly harsh behavior of Imran Khan’s wife and sister toward party members. The confrontation between Aleema Khan and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan at Adiala Jail reportedly underscored the rising internal friction.
Party insiders suggest that Bushra Bibi’s expanded role and recent decisions could further deepen divisions within PTI at a critical time, as the party faces mounting legal challenges and struggles to maintain unity following Imran Khan’s ouster from power in April 2022.
