Former cricketer Imran Khan became the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Friday, and the 66-year-old's new wife Bushra Bibi sat and watched the ceremony at President House in Islamabad.
The 40-year-old is known for her deep ties with Sufism, and she first met Khan in her capacity as his spiritual advisor. She was once married to senior government official Khawar Maneka, married Khan in February, and a few months after that the couple went to Makkah in Saudi Arabia on an Umrah pilgrimage.
Some Twitter users questioned her choice of a niqab veil at the ceremony, while others defended her, saying it was entirely her choice.
The mother-of-five also wore a full-face veil in her wedding pictures.
On August 1, Denmark became the latest European country to formally ban full-face coverings, including the niqab and burqa - a move seen by many as little more than thinly-veiled racism.
Is the backlash against Bushra also just ethnocentrism at its worst? Here's an example of some of the Twitter debate:
She has every right to wear what she wants but as the wife of Pakistan’s leader, she represents all Pakistani women.
— sameera khan (@SameeraKhan) August 18, 2018
When the international community sees Pakistan as a regressive state that oppresses women, this is not the greatest representation of Pakistani women. pic.twitter.com/3k1XxRRmnS
All those who are so keen on stating that Bushra Bibi’s dress is her choice, would you be so understanding had she chosen to wear a bikini? Let’s face it. Some choices are weird, like bikinis and burqas, so it’s fair game to comment on them as neither represents moderation.
— Ayesha Ijaz Khan (@ayeshaijazkhan) August 18, 2018
Bushra Bibi isn't trying to win religious conservatives with her naqab, this is her personal choice and she stands by it. Why is there a new drama surrounding her veil now?
— Asmaa | اسماء (@ALadyInKuwait) August 19, 2018
Focus on Imran Khan, he was the one elected, not his wife.#Pakistan
Elegance ...Poise and Finesse of Our First Lady Bushra BiBi....!!!
— VEENA MALIK (@iVeenaKhan) August 18, 2018
I’m Already A fan...!!!@ImranKhanPTI #NayaPakistan #PrimeMinisterIK pic.twitter.com/zJfIdMzgm2
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Read more:
The austerity prime minister Imran Khan leads by example
In pictures: Protests in Denmark as ban on full-face veil takes effect
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