On November 14 of this year, The Economist’s sister publication, 1843, ran a feature on the controversial spiritual influence of Bushra Bibi — the current wife of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, who is now in jail. Bushra Bibi is also currently incarcerated and it is widely believed that Khan remains captivated by her ‘roohani [spiritual]’ powers. 1843 also quoted former close comrades and house staff of the couple, more than alluding to her use of ‘magic’ to maintain Khan’s power and control his opponents.

But the content of the feature was hardly groundbreaking for most Pakistani media personnel. They were already aware of the details that the feature elaborated. However, when allegations about the couple appeared in a highly respected international magazine, the reaction was explosive.

Khan’s opponents capitalised immediately on social media, while journalists who had previously been lambasted by Khan’s party for airing what were dismissed as unfounded rumours, viewed the feature as validation of their long-held suspicions. Khan’s critics accused Bushra Bibi of directly interfering in politics throughout Khan’s tumultuous tenure, an accusation that starkly contrasted with Khan’s public insistence that she was “just a pious housewife”.

Then there were those who derided Khan himself, suggesting that, despite his Oxford education, he was in reality a highly superstitious and irrational individual. Finally, a third group criticised the 1843 feature itself, arguing that it was ‘sexist’ for laying the blame for everything that went wrong with Khan’s government squarely at Bushra Bibi’s feet.

From Islamabad to Pyongyang, authoritarian rulers often use myths, ‘magic’ and the........

© Dawn (Magazines)