Reham wants ‘family-like bonds with PTI activists’

Karachi
Asma Ali, a 30-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter in the Hussainabad area, was very eager to see Reham Khan, wife of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, during her recent visit to the National Assembly constituency NA-246, where a by-election is scheduled to be held on April 23.
“It was very good to see her in our constituency accompanying her husband. We, the entire family, participated in the rally to see her,” said Ali.
Reham made an appearance with her husband at the April 9 rally to campaign for the by-election in NA-246, a politically significant constituency for Khan and his party.
On the political stage, it was Reham’s first appearance. Her first appearance with Khan was at the Army Public School in Peshawar to express solidarity with the families of the slain teachers and children.
“I came to Karachi to support Khan Sahib,” Reham told media on her arrival at the Karachi airport, where a number of party supporters, including women, were present to welcome them.
Khan had earlier told reporters that he had not invited Reham to the rally and that she had come of her own will and wanted to take part in the Karachi rally herself.
Reham’s visit has helped the party activists, especially women, to keep their morale high in preparation for the NA-246 by-poll, party activists say.
Naz Baloch, a central PTI leader who accompanied Reham during her visit, said her visit aimed to establish family-like bonds with her husband’s party activists. “The PTI is like a family and party members treated Reham as a family member in the city,” Baloch told The News on Thursday.
The women activists in the constituency had formed committees to run a door-to-door electoral campaign for their candidate, Imran Ismail, and dozens of women, who registered themselves as polling agents, had also got proper training, she said.
Nazia Rabbani, Sindh president of the PTI’s women wing, also hosted a luncheon in honour of the couple, where Reham met a number of women activists.
Ali, who shared a number of photos she took in the rally on social media, demanded of the leadership, especially Khan, to bring Reham again to the party’s April 19 gathering in the constituency.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which are also taking part in the by-poll, are organising women’s gatherings. The JI has announced a women’s rally on Shahrah-e-Pakistan on April 17. The MQM’s women wing is also organising corner meetings there.
Local observers also believe Reham’s participation in the PTI rally has had a positive impact on the party’s female activists.
Reham, a British Pakistani and TV journalist, married Khan in January this year. Jemima Khan, the PTI chief’s first wife, instead of pursuing Khan’s political ambition, did a lot for his charity project of Shaukat Khanum Hospital.
Reham’s entry a positive move
Insiders in the PTI claim that there are continual requests from members, particularly women, for Khan to involve Reham in active politics.
Political observers have differing views on Reham’s entry in politics. Riaz Sohail, a Karachi-based veteran journalist, said most of Pakistani politicians did not involve their wives or daughters in active politics, except Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, Begum Nusrat Bhutto and Begum Naseem Wali.
“The case of Kulsoom, Naseem and Nusrat was different as they had been compelled to enter into politics because their husbands were in jails during different regimes. They did not come into politics by choice,” Riaz told The News.
He thinks that bringing Reham to a public rally in a significant constituency of Karachi shows that Khan has set a new trend among the mainstream political parties. “No head of any political party, even claiming to be liberal and pro-women, has employed such a tactic in the recent past.”
Some critics say Khan is also following the “family politics” in Pakistan by inducting her wife in the political arena. “Like other politicians, Imran has also introduced his wife, who would be his political successor,” said a political researcher in Karachi, adding that her warm welcome in the Karachi rally showed she could get an important designation in the party soon.
“The PTI claimed to be against the status quo-based political parties and the entry of Reham will shatter this distinctiveness of the PTI,” he said.
However, Baloch said Reham’s case was different from other women politicians. “Our party is against the family politics. Reham does not have any party designation. She came to support her husband in Karachi.”
Ali said Reham could be a good addition to the cadre of women politicians in the country. “Having a journalism background, she could soften the image of the PTI and organise the party’s media and women wing in a good way,” she said.