Two divorces, a love child and infidelity.
No, I am not talking about my ex Imran Khan, the playboy international cricketer and now Prime Minister of Pakistan, nor am I talking about US President Donald Trump.
I stumbled on this piece of information as I was reading up about the new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
A few weeks earlier, a former colleague had suggested I write an article on the similarities between Imran Khan and Boris Johnson. I had laughed it off saying I think Imran is more like Trump than Johnson.
But when news broke recently about Johnson’s neighbours calling the police over a loud domestic altercation, my ears perked up. That evening, I sat down to browse about Boris.
Tabloids screamed out: “Philandering MP, embarked on at least five extra-marital flings and got at least two of his mistresses pregnant.”
Imagine my horror as I discovered more shocking similarities between him and Imran Khan.
Also read: A meeting with Imran Khan is all it took to make Pakistanis fall in love with Donald Trump
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
I had a vague idea of Boris’s failures in diplomacy from his time as foreign secretary, but had no idea about his personal life. The public persona of Boris was of a humorous, rather likeable, benign posh toff.
Same with Imran Khan – the PM the public sees, and people close to him see are completely different. The alleged argument between Boris and his very young girlfriend was immediately followed by a leaked picture of the loving couple sitting on garden furniture. My mind flew back immediately to the time when Imran had posted a video of the two of us playing cricket in our Bani Gala garden as a cover-up to the news of our imminent divorce.
No surprises that both Imran and Boris went to Oxford and constitute the small group of elites globally who go to the same playgrounds as children and end up on the same partying circuit as adults.
But that Oxford education didn’t help either with their sense of geography – both have referred to Africa as a ‘country’.
References to Imran Khan’s cocaine addiction are commonplace in TV talk shows and memes in Pakistan. It is perhaps the worst kept secret in Pakistan, which I confirmed in my memoir too. Our new British PM flits between volunteering information himself on live TV and dodging direct questions, as per his mood.
I recall a clip with Paul Merton from Room 101 in which Boris responds to a question about drugs with: “What do you want me to say?”
Now, he insists his introduction to cocaine was just that one time long ago, and he very innocently thought he was being offered icing sugar.
Also read: A very happy Pakistan PM Imran Khan must remember Trump’s affections are as fickle as his
Racist sons of immigrants
All three – Trump, Khan and Johnson – have chosen to marry women of other ethnicities and cultures, but have then gone on to attack immigrants and refugees as politicians.
Not many people are aware that Johnson’s second wife hails from the Pakistani city of Sargodha and is of Sikh origin. Four of his declared children are from this marriage. Boris Johnson has spared no opportunity to be openly racist and hostile to immigrants.
To add to the irony, all three men come from migrant families themselves but when it comes to sympathy for refugees their track record is dismal.
Imran’s family migrated from India after Partition.
Johnson has the most mixed-race heritage out of all three men. His great grandfather, Ali Kemal, was a Muslim Turk who was lynched by a mob and brutally murdered. Kemal was respected for his strong liberal democratic ideas and he had spent much of his life in exile. Boris’s grandfather Osman Kemal changed his name on arriving in the UK and that is why we have the Johnson surname. Boris’ mother is of Jewish heritage. He himself had dual nationality. With this in mind, his Brexit stance seems baffling.
Trump is the grandson of German immigrants and his own Scottish mother came looking for domestic work in America. These are the very kind of people he chooses to attack these days. And of course, he just told the ‘squad’ to go back “where they came from”.
To be fair, all three men’s celebrity status grew on the basis of their arrogant, rude, self-entitled and sexist personas.
Imran built his reputation as the cricket captain who made grown men cry in the dressing room. The kick-ass captain was feared so much that not only could he sack anyone from the team, but no one dared to question him in person.
Now that Trump has given both of them the literal and proverbial pat on the back by calling them tough and different like him, we have further cause for concern.
Good old Donald went as far as calling Boris the “Britain Trump”.
Also read: When Boris Johnson asked me why the lane next to Calcutta Collectorate smelled of urine
Affair with fake news
Although publicly, all three men attack everything against them as fake news, they are guilty of making up stuff too.
Johnson was sacked from the Times early on in his career after he was found inventing a quote by historian Colin Lucas for an article. In fact, he was branded “one of the greatest exponents of fake journalism” by Chris Patten, former chairman of the Conservative Party and former chairman of the BBC Trust.
Imran too is notorious for making up numbers and facts on a whim. When challenged on what he might have said earlier, he laughs it off later and calls it political rhetoric.
Trump’s affair with fake news, of course, needs no introduction.
Peter Pan syndrome
Both Boris and Imran’s childhoods were not the happiest. Mothers struggling with depression while fathers were being neglectful or absent. It strikes me that both Boris and Imran had very isolated lifestyles. Celebrity status merely added to the isolation, it seems.
A deep-rooted insecurity screams out to me. As a child, Boris wanted to be the “king of the world”.
For Imran, too, bringing in the biggest trophy was his way of gaining respect in the family. He had been ridiculed early on for his lack of intellect by siblings and family.
The arrogance with which these men now strut about is further evidence of not feeling very secure. A secure man is quietly confident.
As the American President, of course, Trump is louder than the other two.
This is typical of the Peter Pan syndrome. Little boys who refuse to grow up and behave like sensible adults. They hang onto their adolescence as stubbornly as they do to their hairstyles.
For Imran Khan, it has always been about winning. It is all about personal glory. He just wanted to become the PM – to win – that was the target, nothing beyond it. Every step he took was a means to that end. A shrewd player who plays the simpleton act very well. Boris, I suspect, hides a very cunning mind beneath that cuddly teddy bear appearance.
Also read: What Boris Johnson’s run for Oxford Union president told me about the PM he will become
Making of an unapologetic man
By far, the greatest feature they all have in common is a lack of remorse and the fact that they survive every revelation, every mistake they make. They come out unscathed and their meteoric rise is, in fact, built on these very failings. It seems being a womaniser, racist or sexist, is part of their appeal. We are as guilty as these men for laughing it all off and allowing them to carry on.
Imran’s words ring in my ears: “We have poor candidates because clean people like you Reham don’t want to get their hands dirty in politics.”
Reham Khan is a journalist, child rights activist, and a single parent. She authored ‘Reham Khan’, an autobiography. Views are personal.
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For anyone who has read books off libraries, listened to schollars and professors, learnt from historians…they will all see the lies you are painting Reham. Lets start something, admit who you were spying for. The world isnt as dumb as you think.
Good job Reham Khan!!! You are a journalist at heart!!! Its important that pakistanis know who they have chosen as PM. I am sure several of those if not all are now sorry for their choice of PM.
For anyone who has read books off libraries, listened to schollars and professors, learnt from historians…they will all see the lies you are painting here Reham, you cant touch Imran Khan. Lets start something, admit who you were spying for. The world isnt as dumb as you think. As for indian clappers here…well pimps always follow where they let their tarts loose.
Pakistanis dont need traitors like you Reham to point out facts and fiction. You were upto no good in Pakistan, and since being caught you lost your mind going after the man who dumped you and pittied you.
There’s also a certain type of woman who is attracted to men like Khan, Johnson and Trump.
Damn! Do yourself a favor and move on already! Your character is apparent already in your negative writings against IK. Enough of this!
What really strikes me that this has been printed in The Print?. Before accepting an article, do you really check the credentials of the person writing it?.
This writer’s whole life is full of contradictions and deceit ; be it about hiding her identity or falsely claiming a degree from a reputable institution. Her book failed miserably but she fails to understand that by writing such articles, she’s only to be remembered as an ” item girl” ( analogy to the Bollywood songs ). Fake News, Double Divorced, Hunger for notoriety etc. , dishonoring a marriage contract… shame on you Ms
U should move on Get a life in ur view Imran khan is so useless yet u seek attention writing about him .
Do u not have any dignity left in u ..
She still misses IK
When you are no longer in relationship with someone,respect the secrets they shared with you.
It is called integrity…
But does she have one?
No she has not
You keep reminding us that you are an independent woman, but you still refuse to move on. He has obviously moved on. No doubt divorce is a painful and traumatic experience, but you’re not doing yourself any favours by constantly writing about him and to be frank, readers are exasperated by your bitterness and vindictiveness. Surely if you were an independent woman, you wouldn’t be failing into that trap. Move on!
Sheds light on what a toxic personality Imran Khan is. Such wicked minds should be locked up in an iron room on a island and the key should be thrown away!
Cleanest article by the cleanest Lady in the world !!!1
“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.” You can’t make 200M Pak fool by a planted story against three head of states for a fame or money. A man serving well his country don’t need an ancestory, and appreciation from you who has fallen from the grace. Arguments out of a dirty mouth are unanswerable. Noise proves nothing as often a hen who has merely laid an egg crackles as if she laid an asteroid. By the way, who paid you to write this article?
Too bad you cant keep a good man to yourself leave him alone and get over it
Who reads non sense like this!
Reham Khan—the only loser in this game—. Yu could have been standing next to Trump & Melania in the Oval office—.
You could have been standing on the stage at the Capital One arena—. It was all your to lose and you did it royally—. You know honey—we hear your painful screams—we understand your anguish—we understand your loss—.
You chose failure over success—you got what you deserved—.
Hmmm she create a decent article…so finally she developed some writing skills
According to you “ That evening, I sat down to browse about Boris.” you’ve to work really hard to get his attention but he’s a man with dignity. Allah has given him the ability to judge the character and in 9 months he find about you, right than and there he decided to leave you with gracefully and called this his life’s biggest mistake. As you know IK says “mind over matter” so he don’t mind Bcz you don’t matter to him 😜 so please get over him bcz he’s done with you.
Imran wasnt writing abour you Reham…you just wished he does.
He pittied you, after you were caught stealing and hacking into his phone…the MIs of this country know, they were caught in your stupidity.
Nothing was blown big, ISI doesnt have issue with the Brits other than to keep chavs like you out of our business.
Khan is minding his business, very well. UK should, and pinocchios like this Reham need to move on and find someone else to bum up to. Class doesnt care for such arse…send em to india…im sure they can do with some up lifting, kissing ass
Their greatest feature “a lack of remorse”. Really? I believe he did express remorse at having married you.
Lol… Considering you got lots of ex husbands… Which one particularly?
Clean woman?
Oh my God! The dirtiest soul on earth is thinking herself clean. This is enough conjucturing with the fact that you are a shit indeed.
clean people like you hahaha this is joke of millinium same like your whole artical.
Clean people like you Reham….lol oh god you got me. Get over him sweety, it’s been quite a while. My sympathies for you.
Women love such men and stay away from regular boring men.