Maryam Wattoo Warns PTI: Stop Using Bushra Bibi’s Name in Senate Ticket Row
Islamabad, July 18, 2025:
As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) faces internal unrest over its Senate ticket distribution, Maryam Wattoo, sister of former First Lady Bushra Bibi, has issued a sharp rebuke to the party leadership, accusing them of dragging her sister’s name into political gamesmanship.
In a strongly-worded statement, Maryam Wattoo declared that Bushra Bibi had no involvement in the nomination of Mashal Yousafzai for the Senate and warned PTI not to justify its decisions by invoking her sister’s name. “If PTI feels compelled to give Mashal Yousafzai a ticket, then go ahead,” she said, “but do not use Bushra Bibi’s name to validate it.”
Maryam revealed that she had personally spoken to senior PTI lawyer Salman Akram Raja, informing him that Bushra Bibi had never discussed any political nominations with the party. “I told him clearly — Bushra Bibi has nothing to do with this. Stop politicizing her name for backdoor deals,” she added.
Her comments come at a time when PTI is embroiled in controversy over whether the Senate nomination for Mashal Yousafzai was genuinely approved by the party’s jailed founder, Imran Khan, or if internal players misled him. “If this decision was made under pressure or due to false information fed to Khan in jail, then that’s your responsibility,” she stated, hinting at deep internal manipulation.
The statement has sent ripples across PTI circles, as the party already faces mounting accusations of favouritism, backchannel negotiations, and betrayal ahead of the crucial Senate elections.
Maryam Wattoo’s intervention has added a new and explosive dimension to the controversy, making one thing clear: the Wattoo family is not willing to stay silent while Bushra Bibi’s name is used for political gain.
