WATCH: 'Nawaz is my leader,' says Bushra Ansari after hurling bribe allegations
"Nawaz Sharif's government had done some very good things during his tenure," says Bushra
December 10, 2023
Pakistan's renowned actor Bushra Ansari issued a clarification after she faced severe backlash for claiming that her father had allegedly refused a bribe from a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader.
Speaking during the 16th Aalmi Urdu Conference at Arts Council Karachi, Bushra shared a story from her past about her father, Ahmad Bashir, saying he was allegedly offered a bribe on behalf of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, without naming the party.
In a video which has gone viral on social media, Bushra recalled someone had visited her father. "We started hearing my father verbally abusing [the guests]. I cannot name them because he [Nawaz Sharif] has just come back."
She recalled that her father angrily said, "He came to give me a lifafa [bribe]."
Bushra's father, Ahmad Bashir, was a noted journalist, intellectual and writer. He died on December 25, 2004, in Lahore.
Following the criticism, Bushra shared a video on her Instagram saying that whatever she said was true, however, people made a big deal out of it.
"The thing is, Nawaz Sharif may not have sent that person to my father. There are many people in the party and they [make their own decisions]. However, a person from PML-N had offered a bribe to my father. I did not say that Nawaz Sharif had sent him," the actor clarified.
The 67-year-old said that she does not like singling out any party or its leader, be it Asif Ali Zardari, Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif or Nawaz Sharif.
"Every government had made some compromises starting from Zia-ul-Haq, Pervez Musharraf or Zardari. Every government made compromises and mistakes and we dealt with it and are still dealing with them," she added.
Bushra said that Nawaz Sharif is her leader and his government had done some very good things during his tenure. "Like I said he [Nawaz] changed Punjab. [...] I don't want anyone to affiliate me with any party or against any party. Whatever it is, Nawaz Sharif is our leader," she said.
Urging people to not make a big deal out of her statement, Bushra said she respects all political leaders.
