Former First Lady Bushra Bibi Faces New Arrest Warrant Amid Graft Allegations

Bushra Bibi, ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's wife, faces an arrest warrant in a graft case linked to alleged illegal sales of state gifts. Released in October after nine months in jail, she denies the charges. Massive protests erupted, resulting in violence and gunshot injuries among supporters.

A Pakistani court issued an arrest warrant Thursday for Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, escalating the graft case saga. The news was reported by ARY News, highlighting the potential ramifications for her re-arrest, only two months after being released on bail.

Bushra Bibi was previously detained for nine months over alleged illegal sales of state gifts during Khan's administration from 2018 to 2022. Both she and Khan, who remains imprisoned for other charges, deny allegations of selling gifts valued at over 140 million rupees, claiming they should have been state property.

Following large-scale protests demanding Khan's release, which included violence and alleged gunshot injuries among Khan's party supporters, the Islamabad court issued the warrant in her name. ARY News suggests this empowers Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau to possibly detain Bibi again.

(With inputs from agencies.)