ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan’s life is full of stories that establish him as a person who has not only enjoyed fame, but also love, intimate relationships and passion.
However, the transformation from being a playboy to becoming Pakistans only hope for a progressive future, raising a voice against Islamophobia and spearheading a move towards the formation of a religiously driven welfare Islamic state, has truly been a 360 degree turn.
Imran Khan has always been surrounded by stories of relationships that have had a major impact on his life and depict how this played a pivotal role in his transformation.
His first known relationship was with Sita White, daughter of the late British industrialist and billionaire Lord Gordon White, who was also a prominent American industrialist. Sita White fell in love with the handsome bachelor Imran Khan, and both stayed in a love relationship for at least six years.
As per reports, both decided to have a baby in 1991 and Tyrian Jade was born in Los Angeles in June 1992. However, Khan refused to accept Tyrian as his daughter but was later forced to do so after a Los Angeles court ruled that Khan was Tyrian’s father.
Khan’s life took another turn when he married Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of another billionaire James Goldsmith with a highly influential presence in the Jewish community.
Being a Pakistani Muslim, Khan’s marriage into an influential Jewish family became a point of concern for many despite the fact that Jemima accepted Islam. However, Khan’s marriage and the birth of his two boys brought some clarity and direction in his life. The marriage later ended and Jemima lives in the United Kingdom with her two sons and her stepdaughter, while Imran Khan lives in Pakistan.
Khan’s another marriage debacle was with Reham, by far one of the bitterest ones as it happened under critical circumstances and at a time when Khan’s political popularity was at its peak. Khan’s marriage with Reham ended with serious allegations levelled by her. She even wrote a book detailing spicy and not so comfortable details about Khan.
But Imran Khan’s life witnessed a major makeover as he got close to his spiritual healer and current wife Bushra Bibi, who in contrast to his earlier life partners, came from a spiritual and religious background.
Bushra Bibi’s entry into Imran Khan’s life brought about a transformation in his personality, attitude and approach towards life. Khan saw a switch from his playboy image to a new image of an enlightened person with better understanding of Islam, its values, coupled with a narrative focused on the formation of a welfare state, run under the Islamic religious laws of Shariah.
His transformation saw added support for him as his popularity among the masses was now enlarged with acceptability among the religious factions, who agreed with the formation of an Islamic welfare state in Pakistan.
It would not be wrong to maintain that Imran Khan’s relationships have had a major effect on his life and have brought about changes in him in ways even he could never have imagined.