INDIAPOSITIVE
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A week ahead of her arrival in India to sign a publishing deal for her autobiography that nobody seems to be willing to bring into the market, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan paints him as a self-absorbed man who, during an interview she did with him before their marriage, kept pestering her for her phone number when she wanted him to talk about the 2012 gang rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapist in Delhi that triggered global outrage.
Talking exclusively to Mumbai Mirror over the phone from her London home on Saturday, Reham said Imran – between seeking to know her age, and where she stayed in London – rather casually pinned the blame for the horrific rape on Bollywood’s depiction of women as scantily dressed dolls.
While Reham’s autobiography titled ‘Reham Khan’ has created a storm in Pakistan with its rather scandalous details of Imran’s personal life — ‘seeking sexual favours from women in his party’, his ‘drug habit’, and the talk of ‘illegitimate children’ — the author said the book was actually about the mistakes she made in her life, marriage to the playboy cricketer being just one of them. “[In the book] I tell you about a girl from a privileged family who went to a good school and who could speak English. Despite that, she did not know what she was looking for in England at 19 and in Pakistan at 42.”
Drawing a parallel between falling in love and following a political leader, Reham said people in India and Pakistan do not demand enough from the people they vote for. “We just think he [Imran] is a cricketer, a politician and an honest man. How do you know he is an honest man? In cricket, there is a record of his performance. There is no record of his performance in politics,” she said.
On the possibility of Imran being elected Pakistan’s prime minister in this month’s elections, Reham said it was a scary thought. Referring to his alleged use of drugs, she said: “He does not remember in the morning what he said the previous night. So,
it is possible that he will press the nuclear button in the night, and say in the morning that he did not order the nuke strike.”
Your book is drawing immense attention in India, even more than the recently launched Spy Chronicles, co-authored by two former spy chiefs from both countries.
It’s good to know that. There are so many good books but people don’t read in India and Pakistan. For me it is important that my book should be read by the general public. When you talk of my book, the perception is that it is about Imran Khan. But actually it’s about my mistakes. Despite that I did not know what I was looking for in England at 19 and in Pakistan at 42. My reality in England as an immigrant was that I am someone from South Asia, a single parent, a working mom, and I did not fit in with conservative reality. Similarly, when I went to Pakistan, a lot of people asked me “Kyun kiya shadi Imran se?” (Why did you marry Imran?) I talk about how Bollywood has influenced us. You have to be the perfect wife. Another thing I have tried to do is to get people to think about why we vote for certain people. For example, the perception in Pakistan is that Narendra Modi is radical but he was a good CM. I have not lived in India but how do I know this? It is a perception built by the media. I spoke to someone in India and he said, ‘Itna toh governance acchhi nahin hai. Aisi baat nahin, Gujarat state hi aisi hai’ (Praise for Modi is unwarranted because Gujarat is a prosperous state anyway).
We do get brainwashed easily. It’s not only the Taliban that is indoctrinating the public. Actually, indoctrination hota hai through Bollywood. I am a Muslim but I have this romantic notion about Karva Chauth. It is not just a Hindu concept. It’s a South Asian thing. Even professional women follow it. I did it when I was 18 and again at 42. But women should think: should we forget our identity? In the same way, you should think deeply about who you are voting for. Whoever it is — be it Nawaz Sharif, Modi, Imran or Rahul Gandhi. But we don’t think about all this. We just think Imran is a cricketer- politician and an honest man. How do you know he is an honest man? In cricket, there is a record of his performance. There is no record of his performance in politics. His performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is not much. It is only about 11 per cent votes. I was the biggest critic of Imran and KP. There is a record of my criticism. And then I go and marry the man — makes no sense at all.
So why did you marry him?
Because when somebody tells you are beautiful, you fall for him. We fall for these things because jante hue bhi hum kuch nahin jante. (We know everything, but we know nothing.)
So would you say marriage to Imran Khan was a big mistake?
Yes and no. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t learn. But it was not a pleasant experience. I misjudged him completely. I was not meant to be in Pakistan in 2014. I had an accident in Pakistan, I had to use a wheelchair. That’s why I could not return to England. Because of that accident, I met Imran. But because of that ‘Imran mistake’, I found my calling in life. I have a platform now to talk about domestic violence. My issue with Imran is that this man who wants to be Pakistan’s prime minister can’t even handle a divorce.
You speak of domestic violence. Did you experience it?
You should read the book. I have addressed it in the first half. I have described it explicitly and graphically. My worry was not what will happen to me if I leave my husband, my worry was ‘log kya kahenge?’(What will people say?) I was worried that my mother would be embarrassed by what people would say. I have written about how my mother did not use the word ‘divorce’ for six years after I split from my first husband. She referred to it as ‘separation’, and would tell me not to speak about it before the driver and the children. I started with only 300 Pakistani rupees. I did not even have a bank account. Now I am in UK with three children (from her first husband Dr Ijaz Rehman. I have never made any compromises. I did not have to smile at anyone, nor travel in anyone’s car to live a decent life. If you work hard, no one can defeat you. It is not easy but integrity is important.
About Imran, I have spoken about sexual favours in his party. One woman may compromise and she may reach Parliament. Another may be more talented, but she may not get the opportunity.But you have said that Imran is compassionate, caring and magnanimous.
In the book? No. Maybe in an interview, but I can never use those words for Imran. Maybe I said that when I was still married. Wahi to mein kehti hun, pyar andha hot hai. (After all, love is blind.) Actually, that is his problem. He can never be compassionate. Imran was a celebrity when he was 21. So much fame, so many girls and so much money at such a young age. Pakistan is not like India. In India, you have so many celebrities. But in Pakistan, there is only one celebrity. So he can never be normal. He never lived a normal life, never had to go to the bank, to an ATM or power supply office. He does not know what daily chores are. He does not know how to raise children, his wife did it.
My first meeting with him was when I had gone to interview him. I was told that he would be the next Prime Minister. But, all through the interview, he kept asking me my age. I did not want to be rude, but I did not like it. I told him about the Nirbhaya rape case. He did not know about it. While I was talking about it, he kept asking me for my address in London. I paid no heed to his enquiries and kept asking him about the Delhi rape. And he said he did not have any idea. I explained the gravity of the crime and the global outrage. He replied: ‘Really?’ And he then said it was all because in Bollywood films they make girls wear skimpy skirts and because of that, these crimes happen. I was shocked. What a thing to say!
You have also written about drugs, sex and adultery in the book?
In detail. He uses multiple drugs. It is an old and entrenched habit. He never remembers in the morning what he said the previous night. He even used banned drugs. It is brought to him in a thaili (bag), like the ones in which you carry sandwiches.
The latest Bollywood blockbuster refers to a celebrity’s struggle with drug addiction.
You know, I cried during the bathroom scene in Sanju. I kept weeping because Imran did not have a father like Sanjay Dutt did. Sunil Dutt was such a caring, loving man. Sanjay Dutt had such a large support system. Imran does not have anyone. I told the same thing to my children. The second thing is, Sanju is honest about it. Imran is not. You cannot cure Ashiqui 2 kind of problems.
The book also frequently refers to homosexuality, obsession with male genitals, and more.
When I spoke to him about it, he did not seem to be interested. What I have hinted at in the book is that for someone with pretty dubious sexual habits, it is odd to be homophobic. It’s hypocrisy. When you are like that, what is the point of getting married? Also, you talk of Islam and your lifestyle is not Islamic. It’s basically hypocrisy. That is the difference between Imran and Sanju. Sanju says that he had 308 girlfriends. There has to be some kind of honesty.
Why did he stop you from coming to India?
I got invited by a media house for a conclave. I had got my visa but Imran Chaudhry (Imran Khan’s financier and friend in Dubai) suggested that I should not go. Then Imran sent a message to me through his secretary that I should not visit India. I thought he could have told that to me directly. He was told to get rid of me early on in the marriage.
You have written about Imran’s illegitimate children in India. Are they in Mumbai?
I don’t know where they are. All he told me was that he had five other children. He told me flippantly that the eldest one was 34. That person’s mother kept it a secret because she was married. Another lady wanted to keep their child, since she had had problems conceiving. So, he said, “Haan rakh lo”. I don’t know who they are but he was boasting about it. I don’t even know if it is true because you can never make out whether he is telling the truth or not. It is the same with this Bollywood superstar. He told me that she was after him. He said she came after him to London. The actual story was different.
Wasim Akram has reportedly sued you. What happened?
I don’t know if it is true. Akram has been mentioned because he had come to our house twice. He was very well behaved towards his wife [Sunera]. They are a loving couple. He is friendly to the staff, who say he is down to earth. When I told this to Imran, he did not like it very much. Wasim loves Imran. Imran was also very happy in Wasim’s company. But when I praised Wasim, he was unhappy. You can’t praise someone in front of Imran.
There are question marks over the release of the book. Is it timed with the elections in Pakistan?
People may say that it is politically motivated. Our original release date was September. When these people started maligning me, we advanced the date. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not want the book to be released at all. They are not worried about the sexual details. They are worried about the other flaws. If people want to make Imran the PM, the book is immaterial. Imran did not want the book to come out. Then I started speeding up things. Also, if people think that it is politically motivated, why I should I care what people think?
So will you be getting it published in India?
Yes, but I am bound by a confidentiality clause with my publisher. I want the publisher to make the announcement. We will launch it properly in India.
The Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar has hinted that you promised dirt on Nawaz Sharif in return for being made governor of KP.
It’s not correct. She is an unemployed person, she is now on the rolls of PTI. Also, Pakistan Muslim League [Nawaz] does not have majority in KP. I come from there but the question of them helping me does not arise. It’s not logical. Najam Sethi’s magazine [The Friday Times] spread stories that I told Nawaz Sharif that I should be made the governor of KP. I have never met Nawaz Sharif nor have I ever spoken to him. Besides, the governor has no powers in Pakistan.
It has been said that you honey-trapped Imran.
There is a man called Dr Shahid Masood. He is an anchor in Pakistan. He was close to General Hamid Gul [former ISI chief]. General Gul said in front of me to Dr Masood what to say on TV. That’s how it works there. General Gul even threatened me before marriage. I told Imran that he is a badtameez admi. Gul was initially good to me. He would tell me that he would take me to Syria and Sudan. I was not expecting it. Imran told me to ignore him, and said he was a lunatic. Dr Masood and another anchor have said I was a honey trap.
This was after our marriage. I told Imran he should tell his friends that I am his wife. But Imran kept quiet. This went on for three months. They even said that I was an MI6 agent. After my divorce I said that if I am an MI 16 agent, it is an insult to ISI.
Your book is slammed as pornography by the Pakistan media.
The media has been bought by PTI. My book is number 1 in India, Canada. It is also doing well in Japan. In Pakistan, it has been blacked out. One channel did a safe interview with me and PTI stopped releasing advertisements to that channel. We’re promoting the book on social media because no one is giving us coverage. Why? Because, as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari [chairman, Pakistan People’s Party] said yesterday, Imran is PM-elect. The entire coverage has been reserved for Imran.
Do you think Imran might become the PM eventually?
I think the Punjab vote will go to PMLN. I was in PTI and attended their dharnas, but they don’t have the same support as PMLN. There is total support for Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan is the only Muslim state to be a nuclear power. And I have talked about how he [Imran] says something at night and denies it the next morning. He might press the button at night and next morning he could say that he didn’t order this. We want a responsible person, we can’t afford such a person. The best politicians coming out of Pakistan are Bilawal and Maryam (Sharif).
