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You can only talk politics with Imran: Reham Khan

You can only talk politics with Imran: Reham Khan

Reham Khan breaks her silence about the rumours surrounding her 10-month marriage and eventual split from the Kaptaan
15 Nov, 2015

A fortnight after her divorce with PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Reham Khan has finally broken her silence about the rumours surrounding her 10-month marriage and eventual split from the Kaptaan.

In an interview with British paper Sunday Times, Reham tells all about the “painful” and “disturbing experience” that was her divorce, during which she has been accused of “hitting” him, “poisoning him with rat poison” and being an “MI6 spy”.

An unregistered marriage and rumour-ridden divorce

While reports that Imran divorced her over a series of three talaq text messages are untrue, Reham said that the divorce has still been a painful experience.

"First the announcement was leaked; then she was “presented with divorce papers” by one of her husband’s represen­tatives in the UK; and now her belongings have been “packed off to some storage facility” within two days of the break-up," reported the Sunday Times.

“There is no need for that,” she said.

One of the earliest rumours to surface was that Reham had received Rs150 million and Rs80 million from Imran as financial settlement of their divorce.

“The sad fact is that despite all my work with women’s rights, my marri­age wasn’t registered in Pakistan or in the UK, so actually I have no rights and, after a 10-month marriage, you’re not entitled to anything,” she told Sunday Times with a hollow laugh.

An unromantic proposal

While Reham had earlier told Dawn News that Imran Khan proposed to her in the container in which he lived during his dharna period, it turns out that their courtship, thought just as unromantic, was slightly more drawn out.

After Reham (who knew Imran as a TV journalist) complained to him about a member of his political party who had been sending “inappropriate text messages”, Khan was impressed and sent her a text saying, “I need your parents’ names”, which she thought was “a bit odd”.

"He wanted to give them to his “spiritual adviser to find out if you’re the right woman”. She told him off for his lack of romance and said: 'This isn’t how it’s done.'

The next time they met, he proposed. Although they 'had never met socially' and 'didn’t really know one another', she found it 'endearing' and agreed to marry him,'" writes Sunday Times.

She elaborates on Imran's unromantic streak: “He never gave me anything, not even a wedding band. It’s not cultural. That’s absolutely fine of course.”

Trouble in paradise

Imran and Reham's marriage had its set of challenges from the get-go.

For one, Imran's sisters have famously been known to disapprove of their match.

But she doesn't confirm this, and simply told Sunday Times: “You have to ask them.”

“Actually my brother didn’t think Imran was religious enough for me. I had to persuade him,” she added.

Disapproval of a career wife

Party members made it clear that they had “issues with me working”, she told Sunday Times.

“I was told specifically by a senior adviser: they basically wanted me to be in the kitchen, to be cooking chapatis and not to be seen ever again.”

"Her career was a constant problem, particularly when she became an 'ambassador for street children' in Peshawar. Many party supporters were said to fear that she wanted to “ride his coat-tails”. She admits: 'There wasn’t any involvement, I never attended meetings or anything of the sort, but obviously there was insecurity,'" Sunday Times reported.

Creating a picture of domestic bliss

In their short-lived marriage, Reham tried to turn his house into a home.

There have been rumours that she went overboard in her rearrangement of their Bani Gala mansion, shutting out his family and evicting his dogs from the bedroom.

“If rearranging the house means cleaning the fridge and providing food!” she cried, aghast. “It was a bachelor fridge, it was a bachelor pad and there was no food.”

Their dogs — a sheepdog cross and a Belgian shepherd — remained in the bedroom. “My whole day revolved around the dogs,” she sighed. “His dog was in love with me.”

She does take credit for overhauling his "dreadful", "moth-eaten" wardrobe.

“I’m the sort of person who panics if my family is not looking right,” she said.

"So she “marched off” with one of his private secretaries and used him as a dummy to buy a new wardrobe. Imran was “quite happy with it”, she purrs. She introduced other things such as “deodorants, creams and shampoos”. And she tried to make sure he was given cooked food, because “he was eating raw porridge when I got there”," she told Sunday Times.

"There was no housekeeper; just a “kitchen boy” and a caretaker “who really wanted to be on TV”, so guests were never fed and Imran was surviving on “one chapati a day”," she added.

“I tried to talk to him. I’m very talkative and I’m very chatty but, you know, you can’t exactly with Imran Khan. You can’t discuss the colour of the curtains; you can only talk politics. You cannot exactly discuss Bollywood films with him. God knows I tried.”

Imran and fatherhood

It seems that his politics-only frame of mind also prevented him from being a father figure to his step-children.

“He didn’t interfere at all. He’s not the sort of person who gets involved with anyone. He’s very private and he’s not used to having children around.”

Her children, she said, were confined to one room: “They would never come out . . . would never go to the kitchen”, while Imran had his own wing in the mansion.

She also dismissed reports of jealousy between her and Imran's ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith. A close relationship between a father and the mother of his two sons “is inevitable”, she said. “If anything I encouraged him to spend more time with his children: he’s lazy with phone calls and I thought that was a bit odd.”

Break-up by black magic?

Reham also explained her Twitter statements about black magic:

She said she found “small amulets” in the house prior to their last fight.

“In the Koran it’s mentioned that there is magic and it is used for only one reason — in the Babylonian tradition as well — to separate husband and wife.”

Where were the objects coming from? “Not from me.” Does she think he has planned it all? “Let’s just say I think he knew more than I did.”

The breaking point

While she disclosed that their arguments were "because I would get frustrated about everyone having a go at me,” Reham stays mum about the breaking point of the relationship.

“We had a big argument and I decided that was it,” she simply said, adding that “something happened that I found difficult to get past.”

Reham, post-Imran

What is Reham doing now?

“I have to make up for loss of income. I married a man who convinced me that he loved me, who looked lonely and who I thought had the same ideas about life and the same goals, but we were just too different,” she sighs.

“Maybe I wasn’t meant to have everything — personal happiness doesn’t seem to be on the cards.”

She plans to continue her work with street children in Pakistan, is producing two films and is also looking for work in England.

Comments

Vijay Nov 15, 2015 07:06pm
Imran's continuous talking about politics is understandable, one always keeps on chatting about something one lacks or not achievable .
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harmony-1 Nov 15, 2015 07:11pm
It is her mistake that she did not understand IK completely before marrying , why did she hurry into marriage ,is it due to intensity of love , love is blind and you have to bear the consequences .
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ibrahim Nov 15, 2015 07:17pm
We wish both Imran and Reham well. Matches are made in heaven and performed on earth. On occasion, they break down on earth too!
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Tariq Nov 15, 2015 07:23pm
That she goes public with ptivate matters tells more about here than Imran.
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Faisal Nov 15, 2015 08:01pm
i wish both Imran and Rehan GOOD LUCK. Unfortunately two Swords can survive together. Both were too good and ambitious and by human nature, chances of marriage survival were too less
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Mohammad I. Sheikh Nov 15, 2015 08:12pm
It happens best of us. Two people didn't get along and decided to get separated. Best thing for media and their admirers leave them alone and don't speculate. Best wishes for them and their families.
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imran Nov 15, 2015 08:23pm
she sold her story to the Sunday times in the UK, I think that says it all,
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Ahmed USA Nov 15, 2015 08:25pm
There are two sides to every story... both miscalculated... conflicting ambitions and mindsets... People think that their relationship is a private affairs and yet leave no chance to show-off or air their grievances in public... When someone consider and advertise themselves as a" public figure" than should not complain at "public scrutiny"... Ironically it seems both of them have not learned any lesson and now have launched PR campaign to further their agenda…
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Krish Chennai Nov 15, 2015 08:26pm
This makes me like Imran even more. Looks like he had to make a hard, painful choice between wife and country, and chose the latter.
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Jalbani Baloch Nov 15, 2015 08:28pm
Madam, we didn't know who were you. We only came to know you after you entered in the life of Mr. Imran Khan, who is loved by millions of Pakistanis irrespective of caste, color and creed. I am Baloch, but I love Imran Khan, as after ZA Bhutto, Mr. Khan is the only politician from Punjab, who is accepted equally by both Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochis and Pushtoons. We are sure, Mr. Imran Khan will unite the nation and will fulfill the dream of Quaid-e-Azan, as a one-nation. Now, when you are no more in the life of PTI leader, it would be better not to talk about Khan an in effort to remain in news headline. Do you business, what you were doing previously.
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Eli Nov 15, 2015 08:33pm
Best people are those who still speak good about the other even after the break-up !
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Battleaxe Nov 15, 2015 08:37pm
Freedom is somthing that one gets after separation , love is somthing that is lost in its way .Feel sad as it looks so real ,the pain can be felt . God have mercy on them as this life is crule .
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Fiz Nov 15, 2015 09:10pm
She has presented a perfect profile of Imran as he is. Well, as human beings , no one is perfect. Every one has imperfections in their personalities but Imran seem to come out as an 'apathetic' person. He does not understand women.
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Muhammad Nov 15, 2015 09:21pm
Best wishes for them and their families.
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Arun Nov 15, 2015 09:29pm
Well tried Reham! Now since Life is meant for Jiyo Aur Jine Do, Leave IK for politics and forget him. This is your life and live it to fullest.
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khan Nov 15, 2015 09:48pm
Discuss Bollywood movies with him? Is that something that you would like to discuss with a noble educated person? Give me a break.
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Zulfiqar Nov 15, 2015 10:40pm
I Do not know why #PTI Supporters are angry on Reham, In this Interview she has said nothing against Imran Khan..
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qaiser iqbal Nov 15, 2015 10:48pm
reham is doing great job for street children in pakistan . and she has all abilities of a leader , so it will be good for pakistan to have her in politics
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abdullah Nov 15, 2015 10:56pm
@Mohammad I. Sheikh .media can only leave if both of them stop coming on the media and talk about there marriage.well inran should learn to respect others too.
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Zak Nov 15, 2015 11:43pm
It was a sad end. Wish both made an attempt to stay togather. But I guess with Imrans age it is hard to change and with Reham being a woman, courtship and romance is an expectation, that should be adhered to. Alas!
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Zak Nov 15, 2015 11:43pm
Their children would have been awesome looking.
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GS Nov 16, 2015 12:15am
So magic separated them, what a tragic ending.
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Asad Nov 16, 2015 12:40am
Hope and pray that both come out of this divorce stronger than before. One thing from this interview is quite clear 'how simple and modest life Imran is living'. He truly has dedicated his life to politics. God bless him!
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Ray Nov 16, 2015 12:49am
It is just sad for both of them. And it is enlightening to see there is no mud slinging from both sides. What a mature thing to do!
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voltore Nov 16, 2015 02:03am
IK's simple life of living on a chapati a day and eating raw food was one of the issues. Sign me up as the biggest fan of Imran Khan. He is a simple man happy eating raw food and wearing simple clothes. This is nothing new.
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A shah Nov 16, 2015 02:45am
What about cricket?
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miristan Nov 16, 2015 05:00am
What else she expected that Imran will talk, He is a politician , she should have married a actor or a media person.
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Danish Nov 16, 2015 06:59am
Why can't the media stay from sniffing someone's personal life.
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Jay Nov 16, 2015 07:24am
Marriage is the name of compromises. If you are not willing to do that, it does not last. Both Imran and Reham are good hearted and socially conscious people. They should continue the good works they have initiated and don't let this divorce come in their way.
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KD Nov 16, 2015 09:02am
It was a case of two people just not able to get along. I think media will do very well to leave them alone.
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kuttathi Nov 16, 2015 09:05am
Imran Khan is liked as a sportsman and an uncorrupted politician. But life would have been very boring for a carrier woman to lead as a house wife with a lot of restrictions and suspicions. Good on her and people like IK might be better off by living on their own.Best wishes to both of them.
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Vijay B. Nov 16, 2015 09:11am
I am an Indian. I have seen Ms. Reham Khan in TV interviews and on her Reham Khan Show. She comes across as a most charming, articulate and compassioate person inside out. Reham Knan is the kind of lady anyone would be proud to have as a sister, dughter, mother or wife. i'd say she is ever so lovely and ever so lovable. Mr Imran Khan has lost a wonderful partner.
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better alone Nov 16, 2015 09:12am
It's better to be alone. She can get more things done now.
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T.M. Wazir Nov 16, 2015 09:51am
She made a good choice quickly instead of struggling years to adjust with Imran Khan. That's good for her and her children. Good luck and all the best Ms Reham Khan. I don't think Imran Khan will have any problems to survive without being married. Good luck imran Khan for wining the next election.
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Dr Zebaish Nov 16, 2015 09:59am
@Vijay I'm a doctor and I always talk about medical. Your comment is illogical at 79 different levels.
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Raja Ragu Raman Nov 16, 2015 11:59am
IK must make some improvements in his personal lifestyle.
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Naveed Nov 16, 2015 02:49pm
They were simply two strong personalities.
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AKN Nov 16, 2015 04:07pm
Less she talks about her marriage, better it would for both. Why let gossip tabloids have a field day.
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Why Nov 16, 2015 04:21pm
Why Imran decided to get married? He chooses bright and articulate women as his life partners and later expects them to be doormats. (Not interfering in politics or any of his business). When you choose a career woman, you should learn to make compromises, as she also would have compromised a lot to accommodate herself in your life.
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x Nov 16, 2015 10:59pm
@imran i think after what the ned a has been doing to her and targeting her, anyone can have a breaking point and decide to break the silence. It was easy for IK to stay quiet, no one blamed HIM. I love IK and will continue to support PTI but i have to sympathise with reham here.
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sja ja Nov 17, 2015 03:17pm
They say if one door closes many doors open but in this case MANY OPPORTUNITIES OPENED for Reham Khan, WHEN THE MARRIAGE DOOR WITH IMRAN ENDED, and those opportunities are rewarded able in their own way.
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Sana Nov 17, 2015 06:10pm
@Tariq yeah right! Like imran was so private about his divorce. They both are public figures, people started talking the second they got divorced, mostly targetted Reham. Its her right to explain the truth.
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Sana Nov 17, 2015 06:11pm
@Fiz I so agree with you
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Malik Nov 18, 2015 12:04am
As her husband, it was his job to protect her...from the idiots in his party who thought she had to be contained! Tough it does appear she had her hopes set too high also. Sad for both of them. I thought they looked good together.
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Ajay vikram Singh Nov 18, 2015 03:01am
@Vijay B. - LOL. You should have seen Imran khan when he was 40. He was at least a 100 times better. Even his articulation was awesome, and still is. His compassionate, humane nature is known to everyone. I would suggest you watch Imran Khan's interview on "Simi Grewal Show" in India.
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Ajay vikram Singh Nov 18, 2015 03:48am
Even if they both dont do that, we people must stop talking about their personal lives. Focus on your own personal lives....yes it will be a very tough thing for you folks to do...because it is not even interesting (LOL), but keep trying. Try, because its your life, you get only one chance at it... and its very short.
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Nasim Nov 18, 2015 09:30am
@voltore u guys r not realistic
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irfan Nov 18, 2015 11:12pm
shameless pro male society in pakistan, pathetic
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