ACE Detains Bushra Bibi's Ex-Husband Khawar Maneka In Lahore

‘Maneka apprehended on charges of illegally constructing a marriage hall on the cemetery land’

ACE Detains Bushra Bibi's Ex-Husband Khawar Maneka In Lahore

Khawar Farid Maneka, the ex-husband of Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, was detained by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Lahore on Monday on suspicion of engaging in illegal construction.

Maneka was detained on suspicion of errantly erecting a marriage hall on cemetery property, according to an ACE spokesperson who also verified his detention.

The spokesperson said that a complaint was made against Maneka, and an investigation into the allegedly unlawful building is currently underway.

According to sources, Maneka attempted to "escape the country" before being apprehended at the airport.

Maneka was denied entry to the Lahore airport because his name was on the exit control list (ECL), according to a statement from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The announcement also stated that Maneka had been turned over to the ACE team.

Maneka, a senior customs official, has three daughters and two sons with his ex-wife, Bushra Bibi.

Bushra, a woman in her late 40s, comes from a Punjabi family of landowners. The details of her early life are obscure.

Her first marriage, which lasted for almost 30 years, was to Maneka, a member of a Punjabi family with political clout.

The writer is a senior correspondent at The Friday Times with a focus on politics, economy and militancy.