Nearly 10 months after Imran Khan tied the knot with Reham, the two have divorced with mutual consent amid reports that the cricketer-turned-politician did not approve of her meddling in political affairs. Mr. Khan’s marriage to TV journalist Reham was his second after his first marriage with English heiress Jemima Goldsmith for nine years ended in divorce in June, 2004. He has two sons from his previous marriage. “Yes, I can confirm the divorce. Everything has been settled between the two,” said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Naeemul Haq. “Imran and Rehman have requested that the media respect their privacy and avoid speculation,” Mr. Haq said. Mr. Haq refused to give reasons for the divorce but according to Mr. Haq’s close associates he was not happy with Ms. Reham meddling in political affairs. Mr. Khan’s divorce with Reham has not come as a surprise since rumours of troubles in their marriage had been doing the rounds for some time and they were reportedly living apart. Sources aware of the development said the main issues between the two were Reham’s keenness to get involved in party matters and her disliking for Jemima who remains in touch with Imran because of their sons and takes keen interest in his political career and matters related to the Shaukat Khanum Cancer hospital. o anyone who watched the news on Friday, it was as if there were no serious issues left in the country anymore. Amidst this circus, we saw a mature reaction from those from whom it was least expected. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto asked their party members to respect the privacy of Imran and Reham. For once, there was recognition in political circles that there were bigger issues that the country faces than the tedious details of Imran Khan’s private life.
We wish that the same maturity was to be witnessed amongst the media and gossip circles, where the desire for greater ratings trumped the principle of providing balanced coverage of all issues. Must we be reminded that the affectees of this week’s earthquake are still facing extreme weather while the two most populated provinces in the country were set to vote to elect local governments after almost a decade? However, while we maintain that a spectacle should not be made out of the personal lives of people, people should not make a spectacle out of their own personal lives too. It surprised no one that the divorce was announced via a tweet over social media. The marriage of Imran Khan was treated as a public affair by the political party and the couple in the first place after it was announced a few days after the APS Peshawar attack. Similarly, the news of its breakdown has been announced at a most inopportune time with thousands of people awaiting aid after the earthquake. The Imran-Reham union was always a political one with each moment of their lives made public to score political points. This started from the surprise moment when Imran Khan announced – on top of a container – during the PTI dharna that he was going to get married soon. The responsibility of making the wedding such a spectacle must be shared by the PTI chairman and the media.
pk.shafaqna.com
