Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) chief, Jahangir Khan Tareen, expressed regret on Tuesday for the controversial remarks he made against former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, during a recent TV interview.
“Regarding my comments on Nadeem Malik’s show, it was not my intention to malign anyone. I have always refrained from making derogatory comments about politicians’ families, even while my own family was under attack. I only shared what was said to me verbatim. In hindsight it should have been kept private,” he said on X (formerly Twitter).
In an interview with Nadeem Malik, Tareen disclosed that the strained relationship between him and Imran Khan was fueled by Bushra Bibi and revealed an intriguing episode involving Khawar Maneka’s family.
“Maneka’s brother called me and asked for a private meeting,” said Tareen.
“He told me that his sister-in-law Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan have a relationship and it is creating a disturbance in his brother’s married life,” he added.
Tareen said he replied that they should approach Bushra Bibi’s husband first and said it was not his job to resolve the matter.
According to Tareen, when he relayed the entire story to Khan in another private meeting, it annoyed the PTI chief and led to clashes between them.
The discord escalated, and at a walima ceremony, Imran Khan summoned Tareen into a room where Bushra Bibi confronted him about his inappropriate remarks. Tareen expressed disbelief at the turn of events, emphasizing that he and Imran Khan were close and that he never anticipated such repercussions. Despite feeling sidelined, Tareen chose to endure the situation in silence.
As Tareen acknowledged the irreversibility of the past events, he reiterated his regret for the controversial remarks and the subsequent fallout with Imran Khan. The revelations have sparked intrigue, shedding light on the complex dynamics within political circles.
