In the chaos of protests that turned Pakistan's capital into a battleground, a new figurehead has emerged: Bushra Bibi, the wife of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

Until now, she has appeared only rarely in official photos, shielded from view during court appearances by large white sheets and always wearing a face veil.

But since being released from jail last month, where her husband and the country's wildly popular opposition leader still languishes, Khan's third wife has stepped up in his defence and roused his fanatic followers.

"It was assumed that there was an understanding that she is a non-political person, hence she will not be a threat," said analyst Asma Faiz, an associate professor of political science at Lahore University of Management Sciences.

"However, the events of the last few days have shown a different side of Bushra Bibi."

Islamabad was brought to a standstill on Monday and Tuesday when around 10,000 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters flooded the capital, defying a ban by authorities which rights groups have accused........

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