Barely a fortnight after announcing the
break-up of his marriage with Jemima Goldsmith, cricketer-turned-politician
Imran Khan has stated his intention to marry again, possibly
by next year.
“I am already thinking about looking
for a second wife. It doesn’t look possible this
year but I’ll see if I’m able to find someone
by my next birthday,” the 51-year-old Imran said
in an interview published in The Sunday Telegraph.
Describing his split with Jemima after
nine years of marriage as “tragic”, Imran
vehemently denied that any other person was involved and
insisted that his wife had tried her best to relocate.
“This is utter nonsense. There is
no involvement of any third person at all,” he said.
“I’ve not seen any such report, but if anyone
ever writes it, I will take him to court. It is so ridiculous.
Jemima would do the same, if she is bracketed with a third
person.” “She (Jemima) did everything, but
sometimes you do things and do not succeed,” he
said, admitting that his passion for Pakistani politics
and deepening commitment to public life might have made
it more difficult for Jemima to settle down. “Maybe,
if I had been doing something else, or had more time to
travel in England or everywhere, it would have been different.
But as I said, it all was just very difficult. So that’s
all and it is very tragic.” Imran also said the
decision to part way with Jemima was not an easy one.
“Splitting up is something that has a huge impact
on your life. Especially because of the children, it is
not easy at all. Well, the whole family split, you see.
It is a big decision and it is not an easy decision at
all.” Imran, who won a World Health Organisation
award last year for establishing a cancer hospital in
Lahore, plans to set up another cancer hospital in Karachi.
“One really cannot cope with cancer in Pakistan
and we need to have more such centres across the country,”
he said. Other projects on hand include setting up a university
in his home town of Mianwali, from where he was elected
as MP in October 2002, and achieving political change,
Imran said. ap
