New audio of Bushra, Zulfi emerges discussing ‘sale of watches’

PTI leader allegedly agrees to former first lady’s request calling her ‘Murshid’

KARACHI:

A fresh audio recording, purportedly that of PTI Chairman Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi and party leader Zulfi Bukhari, on Thursday surfaced in which the two were allegedly discussing the "sale of watches" that were in the deposed premier’s possession — the ones he had “acquired” from the Toshakhana (gift depository).

The 21-second audio clip starts with an exchange of greetings between the two and Bushra Bibi allegedly tells Bukhari that there were some watches of the PTI chief that he wanted to sell.

“There are a few watches of Khan sahib. He has said to deliver them to you so you can sell them because they are not in use by him [Imran],” the voice purportedly that of Bushra Bibi can be heard saying in the audio clip, which went viral on social media.

مرشد پاک تو گھڑیاں بیچتے ہوئے رنگے ہاتھوں پکڑی گئی۔۔۔ pic.twitter.com/CqkUQoBdbg

— Hina Parvez Butt (@hinaparvezbutt) December 8, 2022

Bukhari then allegedly agrees to proceed with the request.

“Sure, Murshid [a Sufi master responsible for guiding disciples towards mystical knowledge of God through a specified way]. I will do it,” the voice attributed to the PTI leader can be heard saying.

The audio clip then ends.

Read Audio leaks exposed Imran's 'conspiracy': PM

Reacting to the leaked audio clip, Bukhari said he had neither bought, nor sold any watches. “Earlier, it was being said that watches were sold to a person named Umar Zahoor through Farah Gujjar, he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

پہلے کہا جا رہا تھا کہ عمر ظہور نامی کسی شخص کو فرح گجر کے ذریعے گھڑیاں بیچی گئیں، جب ان کو لیگل نوٹس بھیجا تو اب نئ کہانی سامنے آگئ ہے کہ اصل میں یہ گھڑی میرے ذریعے بیچی گئیں، میں واضع کر دوں کوئ گھڑی نہ میں نے لی نہ میں نے بیچی
1/2

— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) December 8, 2022

“But when a legal notice was sent to him [Zahoor], now a new story has surfaced that these watches were sold through me,” he added.

The PTI leader further stated that even college students could make “such cut-copy-paste audio”.

اس طرح کی cut-copy-paste آڈیو کالج کے بچے بھی بنا لیتے ہیں۔ فوری اسکا فرانزک کرایا جائے ، میں اسکے پیسے اپنی جیب سے دینے کو تیار ہوں
2/2

— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) December 8, 2022

“Its [audio clip's] forensic should be done immediately. I am ready to pay for this from my pocket,” he wrote.

PML-N leader Hina Pervez Butt shared the audio clip on Twitter, writing that “Murshid Pak [Bushra Bibi] has been caught red-handed while selling watches”.

“This the story of the ‘honest’ Imran Khan, whose wife is engaged in a business of selling watches at the PM House,” she wrote.

“Today, Bushra Bibi has proven that Niazi sahib is a confirmed thief,” she added.

The latest clip is linked to the Toshakhana case against the former premier.

Last month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sent the Toshakhana reference to the trial court to initiate criminal proceedings against the PTI chairman.

In October, the ECP had disqualified the deposed premier under Article 63(1)(p) in the Toshakhana reference.

A four-member bench of the ECP declared Imran’s National Assembly seat vacant as it unanimously decided that he had misled officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as the prime minister.

The clip is the latest in the series of audio leaks.

In October, two audio recordings, purportedly those of the PTI chairman, surfaced on social media.

The first audio surfaced featuring the PTI chairman talking about “buying” MNAs -- a practice also known as horse-trading.

On the same day, another alleged audio of the PTI chairman surfaced on social media in which the former premier could be heard talking about the US cypher with party leaders Asad Umar and Shireen Mazari.

In the clip, they were allegedly planning on how to “play it up in the public”.