Karachi: Private lives of politicians are rarely discussed openly in conservative Pakistan but the rumoured marriage of flamboyant Imran Khan is one of the most trending topic in the country, with many expecting his future wife to play an influential role in his party.
An official confirmation of cricketer-turned-politician Imran's marriage to former BBC journalist Reham Khan, commentators believe, could also signal a change of fortunes for his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).
A senior leader of the PTI, who declined to be named, said that whenever Imran confirms the marriage he sees Reham, who hosts a political talk-show on DawnNews, playing an influential role in party affairs.
"She has strongly defended the party and Imran on her talk show and there are indications she will get an official position once the marriage is confirmed," the leader said.
Notwithstanding Reham's expected new stint in Pakistani politics, political commentators are warning that the marriage of 62-year-old heartthrob can also mean a loss of support among the country's female voters.
"It may sound like a joke but it is a fact that many of the females that come to our rallies and sit-ins are attracted by Imran's charismatic personality," a PTI leader said on condition of anonymity.
Since Imran's press conference yesterday, his marriage was the subject of furious debates on Pakistani television and social media is abuzz with trolls attacking the duo.
Senior journalist Farrukh Malik said that the last time a politician's marriage received such frenzied coverage in national media was during the marriage of slain Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto with Asif Ali Zardari.
"If I recall a politician's marriage was big news in the Pakistani media only when Bhutto married Zardari and now Imran's personal life is generating the same hype," he said.
Online abusers have also set up Facebook hate pages attacking the TV news anchor and threating to share her controversial photographs in revealing clothes from past life.
Reham, 41, who was born in Libya to Pakistani parents, has three children from her previous marriage to a doctor.
Imran has married Jemima Goldsmith in 1995 but they got divorced after nine years and since then the charismatic ladies man has spent most of his time focusing on building his political career and his party.
Imran has earlier vehemently denied media reports on his marriage but yesterday in London he said that he was returning to Pakistan to share the "good news" of his marriage.
"I am going to Pakistan to share good news about my marriage with the nation. I have nothing to hide," he told Pakistani journalists last night.
