First ex-husband launches counter defamation case against Reham

LONDON: Reham Khan’s ex-husband Dr Ijaz Rehman has launched a counter defamation case against her former wife alleging that he has been defamed repeatedly on false grounds.
Dr Ijaz Reham sent a legal letter to Reham Khan through solicitor Rashad Aslam – after Reham Khan threatened to sue her former husband for being involved in a wilful malicious and hostile campaign against her to the extent that it negatively affected her marriage with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan and “ended in divorce”.
Barrister Rashad Aslam, while issuing legal claim on behalf of Dr Ijaz Rehman, said that his client’s life had been made difficult because Reham Khan’s lawyer had disclosed the phone number and email address of Dr Rehman.
“Our client has submitted that he has been harassed over the phone. This in turn has made him suffer great deal of anxiety and stress. We seek a valid justification for this act as this action is a clear breach of privacy and confidentiality.”
The letter said that Reham Khan had defamed Dr Rehman in a TV interview on the first day of her wedding and labelled Dr Rehman a “wife beater”.
“Our client has provided an unblemished service as a consultant psychiatrist for 20 years and the stigma hereafter labelled him as a “wife beater” resulted in our clients Line Manager to be removed from the work. Considering it resulted in economic loss to our client, due to loss of employment as a direct consequence of the allegations, it accumulated to a mental and psychological damage and loss of personal health. He had to consult a G.P on regular basis and had to take professional assistance.”
The letter said that the “threat of legal action of £1,000,000 is groundless” because there is a cap on defamatory damages.
The letter demanded that the ARY broadcast which defamed and libelled Dr Ijaz Rehman must be removed from all social media and online sites; apology, in form to be agreed, and published within 14 days; ‘an undertaking from you not to repeat any of the allegations complained of; damages; and reimbursement of our client’s legal costs.’
Barrister Rashad Aslam said that Dr Rehman intended to go ahead with the case at the civil courts in London. He said that he has already launched a case against the broadcaster with the Ofcom, UK’s media regulatory body.
The row between Dr Rehman and her former wife started when Reham Khan claimed in an interview, in which Imran Khan was also present, that she was subjected to “domestic violence” in her marriage with Dr Ijaz Rehman. Dr Ijaz Rehman, a senior NHS consultant, has maintained that he has never been involved in domestic violence and that her fair name was tarnished all over the world. Reham Khan has said that she has stated facts only and didn’t mean to hurt or libel her first husband.