An Outswinger?

THE British tabloids had a field day, churning out report after report that Imran Khan's fairytale marriage with Jemima Goldsmith was as good as over after the former cricket star met his old girlfriend Sita White and lovechild in the US last week. Particularly a love-child Imran had publicly disowned before accepting the truth about his fatherhood.

Even as party (Tehrik-e-Insaaf) stalwarts and Imran's family in Lahore alleged that it was all part of a conspiracy to tarnish his image, following a recent protest procession staged by Imran outside the London property of prime minister Nawaz Sharif, fact is both Imran Khan and wife Jemima have spoken of difficulties in the marriage. Several reports in London newspapers quoted close friends of Jemima as saying that on the eve of the Los Angeles visit, Imran Khan had "stormed out" of her house after a row.

Reports from Los Angeles about the meeting suggest that Sita White sought out a reluctant Imran at a fund-raising dinner for his cancer hospital. But Imran went to Los Angeles knowing Sita White lives right there in Hollywood. That Jemima refused to accompany her husband seemed indication that Imran was not quite surprised by the presence of Sita White at that dinner.

The later meeting between Imran, Sita and their six-year-old daughter Tyrian in a ninth floor room at a Los Angeles hotel was not kept hidden from the press. Photographs of Imran with the "other" woman, the other child, were all over the British newspapers for Jemima among others to see.

Reports from Los Angeles say Sita White turned up at the fund-raising in a dark trouser suit and was wearing a headscarf in deference to his religion. Imran was evidently embarrassed speaking to her in public but had to on a couple of occasions. She did not bring the child after an agreement with Imran, and left soon after chatting to him, telling the press on her way out: "I've done what I came to do." Sita told the journalists, who somehow were present at a Pakistani dinner they would normally not cover, that "the last time I saw him was six years ago, but we are still good friends, and talk on the phone."

Sita said: "I wanted to bring Tyrian, but he didn't think it was a good idea. I want him to see her and she wants to meet her daddy very much." Later, they met at the hotel room. "We had a meeting, but I don't want to talk about it," she told waiting journos as she left. Imran emerged later to say: "There really is no problem." And his wife? "Jemima will have to answer any questions about that one," he said, before slipping away through the hotel kitchen under armed escort. Though he told a Pakistani journalist on the phone: "We are living a very happy life".

In London, Jemima tried to stop speculation by driving out of the home of her late billionaire father Sir James Goldsmith in a salwar-kameez, and refusing to comment on reports of a rift. Her two-year-old son from Imran, Sulaiman, was with her. Jemima (24) is four months pregnant with the second child of their four-year marriage. In an article in Vogue, Jemima described Imran (46) as a "most tolerant angel" but spoke of "sobbing" during power cuts. As for Imran, he admits that his political career is keeping him and Jemima separate. "It puts a lot of stress on the marriage because of her having to come out to Pakistan. It's a huge change."

바카라 웹사이트The two now spend much of their time separately, with Imran Khan mostly in Pakistan and Jemima lodged in London. Differences between the two seem to have grown over their lifestyles, says a doctor who has been acquainted with the couple. "Their circles have remained different, there is not much conversation between the two, you can feel it in the room," he said. Jemima's world is that of bright upper class Brits, a world in which she spends increasingly greater time, according to reports in London. Imran spends much of his time in political and other engagements in Pakistan.

The Observer quoted a friend of Jemima as saying the couple will "battle" to save their marriage. "She has tried tremendously hard" to make the marriage work and there's "a very, very strong urge on both parts to see the storm through." The paper said Jemima broke down in tears when asked about the rift. She asked her maid to tell reporters: "I would greatly appreciate it if you would all leave us in peace now—I will not be making any statements, neither will I be going out again this weekend."

Livid at the rekindling of the Sita White issue, Imran's family circle blames it on Nawaz Sharif and alleges that whenever Imran attacks the prime minister over his "corruption", he hits back with personal scandals. In last year's elections, the Muslim League had exploited Imran's playboy image to the hilt, including raking up the Sita White issue, and so damaged his credibility that his party was routed in the polls.

IMRAN'S family maintains that the increasing strain is not due to some incompatibility but because he is concentrating on his job. Jemima married Imran knowing that he had switched his devotion from cricket to Cancer Hospital. She appreciated he had strong convictions but was not warned how much time his politics would take up. Even Imran had acknowledged last month in a newspaper interview the strain his political ambitions were having on his marriage. "It has been pretty tough for Jemima. I am not spending as much time at home as I should. To say it has been easy has been far from the truth. One thing I don't like about politics is that it is very tough on home life."

But the fact remains that brought up in a society of equality, Jemima has coped with walking behind her husband and accepting there will be no affection between them in public. Yet during a flight to Pakistan last year, passengers noticed Imran was abrupt with her when she was upset with turbulence. While her husband was in the toilet, Jemima wrote him a note: 'I love you so be a bit happy'. A personal friend of Imran, who had a couple of meetings with Jemima, explained: "When you are young like Jemima, you want the company of your man. She is crazy about him and wants to be with him so it is lonely for her. When you are older, you can accept more easily that you can't be together all the time so you develop your own interests. But Jemima is like Princess Diana when she married Prince Charles—she wants attention from her husband."

Ironically, Imran referred to the ill-fated royal marriage during the same interview. Commenting on the stresses Jemima faced, he had remarked: "Look at Prince Charles and Princess Diana. They were supposed to be the perfect couple. In our case, the challenge is that much bigger. I cannot say—and neither can Jemima—whether we will still be together in five or ten years."