ISLAMABAD OCT 23 (TNS): Pakistan’s former maverick cricketer turned politician Imran Khan faced fresh trouble on Wednesday as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Ayesha Gulalai accused him of harassing women leaders. She claimed that Imran Khan used to send inappropriate text messages to her and to other women in the party. Further, Ayesha also resigned from the party and praised Nawaz Sharif for respecting women.
From being Pakistan’s only World Cup winning skipper, Imran Khan has been known as a lady killer. Let’s have a look at his colourful life and his various relationships.Though his cricketing career was still in its early stages in the mid-1970s, Imran Khan’s “love life” was a constant and he generally brought a ‘special’ girl with him to his matches, claims a biography of Pakistan’s cricketer-turned politician.
“One female undergraduate recalls having feigned an interest in the game … just to be near him. Imran made it immediately clear to his companion that he was a man of no small ambition, displaying ‘brass’ which impressed her,” the book penned by acclaimed biographer Christopher Sandford said.
It claimed that Imran generally brought a ‘special’ girl with him to his matches, or even to watch him practice in the Parks nets.
A subsequent Oxford girlfriend, another blonde now called Karen-Wishart, thought Imran a ‘physically beautiful’ man.
One evening the two of them went off together to ‘a little flat above a fruit and veg shop’ in the Oxford suburbs. Looking back on the episode years later, Wishart was left to conclude that Imran was a ‘music and roses at night, pat on the bum in the morning’ type, the biography said.
Rumours have been rife in the media that Imran Khan, the 62-year-old Pakistani cricketer turned politician, has tied many knots in secret and open. His countrymen did not take kindly the news of , given that Pakistan is going through crisis. And on the last day of 2014, Khan tweeted, “The reports of my marriage are greatly exaggerated.” True or not, here’s a look at the women who figured prominently in his life:
Zeenat Aman: Sparks flew when they met during one of Pakistan’s tours of India in the 70s or 80s. And there were instances when his friends pulled his leg over his somewhat fatigued output on the field the next day.
Sita White: Imran’s dalliance with the heiress in the 1990s ended in a bitter court battle and a genetic determination of paternity. The court ruled that Imran was indeed the father of Tyrian, White’s daughter. Imran first vehemently denied the judgment, and then accepted that he had indeed sired Tyrian.
Jemaima Khan: In 1995, three years after leading Pakistan to the World Cup crown, Imran married Jemima Goldsmith, a 21-year-old British heiress. Jemima converted to Islam and moved to Pakistan. Nine faithful years and two sons later, they parted ways amicably.
Benazir Bhutto
They were both young and free while at Oxford, and reportedly, quite close. The biography Imran Khan by Christopher Sandford reveals that Benazir was smitten by Khan, whose mother apparently showed interest in arranging their marriage. But by then, the two were off each other
Reham Khan: Imran married the 41-year-old mother-of-three. She works with the BBC as a weather correspondent and presenter on a regional news programme. They reportedly began seeing each other and ultimately tied a knot but parted ways later on.
Of late another love interest of imran khan has Kristiane Backer: Former MTV presenter Kristiane Backer has said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan made her to abort their baby in 1994 and promised to marry her but backtracked after finding Jemima Goldsmith, the Goldsmith heiress.
Kristiane Backer, the former German origin blonde television presenter, dated Imran Khan from 1992 till they fell out in 1995. She fell pregnant in 1994 to Imran Khan’s child. The couple lived together in London and travelled to Pakistan four times together – a fact documented in Kristiane Backer’s book ‘from MTV to Macca’.
Inspired by the #MeToo movement of women all over the world in the wake of scandal around Hollywood director Harvey Weinstein, the former MTV Europe presenter Kristiane Backer has detailed how she was sexually abused and beaten by Imran Khan and at one time, in the last three years, by Awan Chuddhary during a visit to Bani Gala.
“I converted to Islam inspired by the warmth of Pakistani M
uslim. Imran Khan was my introduction to Pakistan. I got to know Pakistanis when I was taken to Pakistan by my boyfriend Imran Khan. I fell in love with the people and converted to Sufi Islam. After returning from Pakistan I fell pregnant and I shared the news with Imran Khan. We went to the doctor and we were told that I was carrying a baby girl. Imran was thrilled initially but he changed his mind after three months and asked me to abort the baby. I was heart-broken and I refused but he promised that he will marry me in a proper Muslim ceremony and it will be legally and religiously acceptable. I aborted the baby at Chelsea Hospital and record exists of that,” said Kristiane Backer.
She said she helped Imran Khan raise funds for Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital during visits to Pakistan and in London. “We went to clubs and Imran Khan gambled this money and lost tens of thousands of Pounds.
She says Imran Khan kept promising her that he will tie knot with her but found Jemima Goldsmith in a nightclub and everything changed for her. “I was deeply involved in studying Islam looking forward to marrying Imran Khan when I found out that Imran Khan was marrying Jemima in a French suburb. Mt world was jolted. I cried for many months. I confronted Imran Khan over his betrayal and he abused me. I reminded him about his promises but he just threw me out of his life like a tissue paper.”
Kristiane Baker says Imran Khan approached her after Jemima divorced her and apologized for the heart-ache caused to her in 1995 and requested her not to bring up the subject of child abortion. They made up and have remained on good speaking terms.
Kristiane Baker visited Bani Gala on invitation of Imran Khan in June 2014. She says Imran Khan treated her to a nice dinner but after the dinner told her that Awan Chaudhary and Naeem-ul-Haque will arrange her residence for a week in Islamabad. She says that Awan Chaudhary first passed sexist comments and then asked her to spend night in his room. Kristiane Baker says she refused his advances but Awn Chaudhary advanced to touch her inappropriately which she resisted and reported the sexual assault to Imran Khan. She says Awan Chaudhary threatened to throw acid on her face if she made too much fuss.
“Imran Khan was least bothered when I told him about his staff’s unacceptable behavior. He told me to have fun or ignore. I couldn’t believe my ears. I told Imran Khan that Awan Chaudhary threatened to throw acid on me but Imran told me awan must be joking. I have decided to speak out to expose these beats and their ugly face before the world. Harassment of women is unacceptable and I think #MeToo movement is great to expose people like Weinsten, Imran Khan and others who target women.”
Reham Khan has told friends that she found messages by Kristiane Backer on Imran Khan’s blackberry when they were married and lived together in Bani Gala. It’s known that the couple fought over these messages.
