Imran Khan and Jemima : A journey from love and marriage to divorce

New Delhi: Sometimes, the hardest thing and the right thing in life are the same. That is the toughest moment of life when we need to accept it. Imran Khan and Jemima also had to pass through that phase of life when they accepted that things were not going well as they ought to. The nine year long journey of the couple ended in 2004 when Imran and Jemima filed a divorce. Their journey started in 1995 when Imran met Jemima, a daughter of a British billionaire Sir James Goldsmith. Imran, former Pakistani cricketer was 43 years old and Jemima was only 21 at that time. She was doing her graduation when they met. There were a lot of hurdles in their relationship journey, considering their age difference and different religious backgrounds. Nonetheless, they overcame those hurdles and finally got married on 16 May, 1995 in a traditional Islamic ceremony in Paris. Jemima, like an ideal wife, tried to adjust and adapt to Imran's living. She converted to Islam few months before their wedding.In 2003, she received her MA in Middle Eastern Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, focusing on Modern Trends in Islam.She learned to speak in Urdu fluently and started wearing Pakistani suits. Jemima moved to Pakistan in 1996, when Imran entered politics and formed his own party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. In the same year, Jemima gave birth to his son, Suleiman and after three years their second son Qassim was born. It was during those days Jemima became associated with various organizations like UNICEF etc. She associated herself with Imran's Cancer Hospital, Shaukat Khanum Memorial, which was named after her mother-in-law.Imran was concentrating on his political career and Jemima was initially supportive in his work. But gradually, she started feeling lonely as Imran was busy progressing in his political career and Jemima was unable to cope up with the conservative Muslim environment. Khan's decision to join politics alarmed opposition politicians and intelligence agencies mainly because of Jemima's half Jewish ancestry. Jemima faced allegations that she was apart of Zionist plot to take over the country.She was pestered by many Pakistani dailies questioning her citizenship. Demands were made to cancel her Pakistani citizenship. Smuggling charges were also pushed against her which later proved to be false.Jemima and Imran's marriage life had become the butt of jokes and their private life was 'raked up' often in the media.Jemima could not handle so much stress especially when she was aloof in an alien environment.This love story came to a tragic end in 2004 when the couple filled a divorce and settled on a rotational custody of their two sons. Unfortunately, they had to part their ways after a 9 year long togetherness. Khan's sons visit him in Pakistan during their school holidays while he stays with his former mother-in-law, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, when he comes to London to see them. Imran and Jemima are also cordial with each other whenever they meet.Here, we present to you some of the beautiful moments from their life:Imran with his sons Suleiman and KassimJemima with her new born son Sulaiman at a London hospitalPrincess Diana, Jemima and ImranJemima and Imran's sonsJemima with her sonImran with his late father and two sons