Imran Khan 'divorced' Reham Khan at Bushra Bibi's behest: Awn Chaudhry

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Former prime minister Imran Khan (right) and first lady of Pakistan Reham Khan (left). — Facebook/PTI
Former prime minister Imran Khan (right) and first lady of Pakistan Reham Khan (left). — Facebook/PTI

  • Awn records statement before Islamabad's district court.
  • Says Khan divorced Reham via an email on Bushra Bibi's advice.
  • Says he was a witness in Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi's nikah.


Making a startling revelation, former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Awn Chaudhry Thursday alleged that former prime minister Imran Khan divorced Reham Khan, his second spouse, at the behest of his current wife, Bushra Bibi.

It was disclosed during the proceedings of a case related to the alleged unIslamic nikah of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief with Bushra Riaz Wattoo — who is better known as Bushra Bibi — at a district and sessions court in Islamabad.

The former prime minister was married to Bushra — who is his third wife — in February 2018.

Khan's friend Zulfi Bukhari and former party leader Awn Chaudhry had said the Nikah was solemnised by Mufti Saeed in Lahore. They both also stood witness to Khan's nikah.

Awn maintained that he was a personal assistant and political secretary to Imran Khan.

"I used to look after all the personal and political affairs of Imran Khan," he added.

The politician told the court that Khan and Reham's divorce took place in 2015.

"Bushra Bibi told Imran Khan to divorce Reham Khan immediately as it was better for him.

"On Bushra Bibi's advice, Khan divorced Reham via an email," Awn said, adding that Khan's former wife wasn't in Pakistan at that time.

He further stated that Khan started getting distressed after the divorce and often asked to be taken to Bushra Bibi. Following this, Khan continued to pay visits to Bushra Bibi till December 31, 2017, and announced he would marry her on January 1, Awn added.

"Imran Khan told me to make marriage arrangements. I was surprised at Imran Khan's words and said that Bushra Bibi was already married but Imran Khan told me that Bushra Bibi had been divorced."

Awn went on to say that he trusted Imran Khan and left for Bushra Bibi's place with Mufti Saeed and Zulfi Bukhari the next day.

As per the former PTI leader, Khan's nikah with Bushra Bibi was solemnised in Lahore on January 1, 2018, and he was a witness to it.

Awn further stated that Mufti Saeed, who solemnised the nikah, had asked for Bushra Bibi's divorce certificate in his presence, but Khan and his wife told him that the document would be provided later.

He then stated that he found out after the marriage that the period of Bushra Bibi's iddat (the time a woman goes into isolation after her husband dies or divorces her) had not been completed and both Khan and his wife knew that.

By this time, the talk of Bushra Bibi's marriage was also on the media, he said, adding that Khan then told him that the iddat would be completed on February 18 and ordered to make arrangements for a second nikah with Bushra Bibi on the said date.

'Bushra Bibi married Imran Khan during her Iddat': Mufti Saeed

On the previous hearing, Mufti Saeed who solemnised the Khan and wife Bushra Bibi's nikah had said that the couple married during the latter's Iddat despite knowing everything.

"Imran Khan contacted me on the phone on January 2018. At that time I had good ties with Imran Khan and I was a member of his core committee.

"Imran Khan asked me to solemnise his nikkah with Bushra Bibi," the cleric had told the court.

He further stated that a woman accompanying Bushra Bibi identified herself as her sister.

"I asked her [the woman] if Bushra Bibi's nikah can be [solemnised] as per Shariah," Mufti Saeed said, adding that the woman told him that all requirements for the marriage under the Shariah were complete.

He further stated that he solemnised Khan's nikah with Bushra Bibi on January 1, 2018, over the woman's assurance.

"Then the former premier contacted me again on February 2018 and requested me to solemnise his Nikah with Bushra Bibi again as the previous solemnisation was against the Shariah," Mufti Saeed stated before the court.

He said that the first time when the nikah was solemnised, Bushra Bibi's Iddat hadn't ended. 

He quoted Khan as saying that Bushra Bibi had been divorced on November 2017 and that there was a "prediction" that the PTI chairman will become the prime minister of Pakistan if he married Bushra Bibi.

Mufti Saeed added that the first Nikah was illegal, which had been solemnised based on the "prophesy".