Islamabad: A close aide to Pakistani cricket legend-turned-politician Imran Khan says he has married a former journalist for the BBC.
Sherin Mazari says the couple tied the knot in a simple ceremony Thursday at the politician’s farmhouse on the outskirts of the capital.
For some weeks, there has been chatter about the politician possibly remarrying but it was not confirmed until Thursday.
Pakistani television showed photos of the couple in formal Pakistani wedding attire following the ceremony.
According to sources, the “nikaah” (wedding) ceremony was a low-key affair and was followed by a photo session of the newlyweds, Dawn online reported.
“We are praying for Imran Khan’s success,” Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq said.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party’s Shireen Mazari dismissed reports that the wedding would be a fund-raising event for the chairman’s Shaukat Khanum Cancer Memorial Hospital in Lahore.
“As far as I know, it is an extremely private affair. There are no such ticketed cards and no grand function,” Mazari said.
“Imran is in no mood to celebrate after the Peshawar tragedy.”
Imran’s bride Reham Khan is a British Pakistani journalist who started her career in the BBC as a weather forecaster. Later, she worked for the network as a broadcast journalist. She is currently working as an anchor at DawnNews.
Imran Khan was previously married to English journalist and activist Jemima Goldsmith for nine years. The marriage ended amicably in 2004 with Goldsmith stating that she was unable to adapt to life in Pakistan.
Days after the British press broke the news of Imran’s alleged marriage to Reham Khan, the former cricketer on Tuesday had hinted that an official announcement was in the offing.
“Marriage is not a crime,” Imran said at a press conference in Islamabad after his return from London.
Jemima on Tuesday congratulated via Twitter the PTI leader on “this new phase of his life”, alluding to his reported marriage to broadcast journalist Reham Khan.
