Film producer Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, has responded to the Supreme Court’s order to release the head of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Imran Khan was married to English heiress Jemima Goldsmith from 1995 to 2004. (Portal file photo)
Taking to Twitter, Goldsmith, who lives in the UK with her sons, tweeted, “Finally sanity has prevailed.” She also added a high-five emoji and the Pakistani flag.
Goldsmith and Khan were married in a nikah ceremony in Paris in 1995. Goldsmith has two sons from her marriage to Khan – Sulaiman Isa (born 1996) and Kasim (born 1999). On June 22, 2004, it was announced that the couple were divorcing, ending the nine-year marriage because “it was difficult for Jemima to adjust to the political life of Imran Khan in Pakistan.”
On Thursday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled that the arrest was unlawful but asked Islamabad’s Supreme Court, a lower court, to reconsider its initial decision to uphold the arrest.
On Friday, the Islamabad Supreme Court granted Khan protection from arrest in a bribery case and ordered his release on bail. The ruling came at a time when the government and legions of Khan’s supporters were on edge after days of violent clashes sparked by the former prime minister’s arrest earlier this week. The government has promised to find a way to take Khan back into custody, a move that would likely lead to a resurgence of riots and mob attacks.
Khan was arrested Tuesday in the Al-Qadir Trust case by Rangers officials on orders from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at the Supreme Court premises.
The IHC, noting Khan’s arrest, later described it as “legal”. The PTI then applied to the Supreme Court for the release of its chairman.
The Supreme Court declared Khan’s arrest “illegal” and ordered his immediate release on Thursday.
Goldsmith’s tweeted a day after Khan’s other ex-wife, Reham Khan, said she had no personal vendetta against anyone and her only concern was the safety of Pakistanis.
Without naming Khan, Reham tweeted. “It’s not a moment of joy, it’s a moment of reflection. Those who celebrated in 2018 are mourning today,” Reham said.
The former Prime Minister, along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders, faces a NAB probe into a deal between the PTI government and a property magnate that has reportedly caused the Treasury to lose £190million.
Jemima Khan’s brother Ben Goldsmith praises Imran Khan
Ben Goldsmith, a British businessman and former brother-in-law of Imran Khan, said on Friday he “loves and admires” the PTI chairman.
“He was one of the great inspirations of my life. “As a young teenager, he was the older male role model in my family,” Ben said on a British television show.
Speaking about the cricketer-turned-politician, the British financier said Khan was always there during the school holidays and taught him how to play cricket.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Have 11 years of experience in print and digital media. Write about politics, defense and world affairs and have a flair for human interest stories. …see in detail
