Reham Khan leaves Pakistan citing threats

KARACHI: Reham Khan, former wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, has left the country citing threats to her by unknown individuals.

Speaking to Geo News' anchorperson Muneeb Farooq, Reham confirmed that she left Pakistan on Sunday night and that she was receiving threats through phone calls made to her staff. 

Reham also reportedly shared an audio recording, in which the coordinator of Reham Khan Foundation is telling her how he received calls from unknown numbers and was threatened to not coordinate Reham's interviews and events.

She further said that she has had to discontinue the schooling of her daughter, due to which she is extremely distressed, adding, "None of the political parties is standing by me, nor backing me".

The anchorperson quoted Reham as saying that it is a battle that she can not fight while staying in Pakistan. 

She, however, had yet to explain if there was some specific issue pertaining to which she had been issued threats, or name any party standing against her. There was also no confirmation if she had filed a complaint with the police in this regard.

Reham, however, said that her "staff was receiving these threats since last September", but now these threats have increased, so she decided to leave Pakistan.

The former wife of the PTI chairman confirmed to the anchorperson that "several former cricketers called her and advised her to forget Imran Khan and not to get into any fight with him."

'Not afraid of threats'

Speaking on Geo News programme 'Aapas Ki Baat' later, Reham said she is under no pressure and that neither she needs anyone's support, nor is she afraid of anyone's threats.

The journalist said that she had been seeing various reports on her life for quite some time, adding that her book will soon be unveiled, which will have the story of her life.

"Weird things have been written about my life and many people genuinely want to know...about the 'plan' I was part of," she said sarcastically.

"Definitely, there would be a mention of the ones I have been married to. It is a story of my life," she said, when asked if the book would have a mention of Imran Khan and may damage his political standing.

'Betrayal and deceit'

Reham said that revisiting the chapters of her life, which had been closed, was a "very painful" process.

Asked if Imran had been a loyal husband to her, she said there could not be a simple answer to that and things are not straight forward in life.

"I would only say that we are Pathans and we even sacrifice our lives for the sake of friendship or love, and loyalty is in our blood," the journalist said. "I can't continue to live in a situation, where I feel there's betrayal and deceit."

"People have their own compulsions....But I think that honesty is the basis of everything," she said, adding, "There is a sanctity of nikkah, but I could not see it."

'Married Imran because of ideology'

Reham said that she had tied the knot with Imran on the basis of his ideology and it was not a love marriage.

"When I felt things were different then it became difficult for me to continue to compromise."

Gulalai's allegations

Asked about allegations levelled by Aisha Gulalai against Imran Khan, she said if Gulalai has any proof against Imran Khan then it should be presented.

The journalist said that she didn't see Gulalai in any event during the period she had been married to Imran Khan.

Reham denied having any acquaintance with Gulalai and Ameer Muqam.

Response to Awn Chaudry's tweet

In response to a question about a recent tweet by Imran's political secretary Awn Chaudry, she said Chaudry was a witness to her nikkah with Imran and she always considered him her younger brother.

"It's a very painful thing for me....I would still advise him being an elder sister that you are not going to get any political position because of this," Reham said.

Reham vows to return to Pakistan

She said that she would return to Pakistan. "I have responsibility towards my kids. I have had to get their studies discontinued and since I had no security so I first ensured their safety.

"But I will come to Pakistan....I have arrived here (UK) for the publishing of my book and that there may be no curbs on what I have to say," she said.

Earlier on Saturday, Reham said that she believes she will have to break her silence over certain things in her knowledge.

"There were many matters that were and are in my knowledge and I have remained silent about them but now that everything is out in the public and everyone is talking about it, I feel like I will soon have to break my silence about them," she said in an interview with an Indian news channel.

Reham expressed her surprise at the Supreme Court of Pakistan's judgement that gave a clean chit to Imran Khan in a disqualification case against the PTI chief.

"The Supreme Court in Pakistan has given him the label of Sadiq (honest) and Ameen (truthful)," she said. "I don't know what criteria did the Supreme Court have to allow so much concession to him.

"A few recent decisions of our judiciary seem to give a lot of concession in some cases and none whatsoever in others," she said, adding that the court was extraordinarily strict in the case of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif's case.

Discussing the announcement of her marriage to Imran, she said that their nikkah was performed on October 31, 2014.

"There was an emphasis that our nikkah rituals be performed on October 31, 2014, and the same date was chosen for the divorce in 2015," she said, that she had no say in the marriage or divorce [dates].

"I had no say in the marriage or divorce [dates], maybe someone else's opinion carried weight," she said. "There was an urgency that the nikkah should be performed on October 31 only."

"I am not habitual of lying so the circumstances got difficult for me," Reham said. "The marriage was not disclosed for two months and eight days."

The journalist said, "In December, he tweeted that reports of his marriage were greatly exaggerated right in front of me. Despite my advising against it and saying that it would create a mockery [of us], it was a blatant lie yet he was adamant and proceeded ahead to do so."

Reham further added that her sources had confirmed that Imran had remarried.

"Even in my case, the marriage was hidden, lied about, and weird things said about it," she said. "Even now, it is quite evident that the marriage has been solemnised but why is it being said that only the marriage proposal has been sent across."

"Getting married is a good thing, it is preferred and it should be disclosed," the journalist added.

She also said that she believes she will have to break her silence over certain things in her knowledge.

"There were many matters that were and are in my knowledge and I have remained silent about them but now that everything is out in the public and everyone is talking about it, I feel like I will soon have to break my silence about them."