By IANS
London : London socialite Jemima Khan is joining hands with ex-husband Imran Khan in a move across the oceans to drum up political opposition against a state of emergency in Pakistan.
Jemima, whose cricketer-turned-politician husband evaded house arrest in Pakistan, is to lead a demonstration outside the home of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Saturday to protest against the martial law imposed by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, and call for tougher action against him.
“This is a movement against martial law and it has teachers, lawyers, students in it – just like the movement in Pakistan itself,” Jemima said.
She said she wants the British government to take a stronger position against Musharraf and cancel nearly half a billion pounds in aid pledged over the next three years.
The fairytale romance of Jemima, Jewish daughter of late British billionaire Oliver Goldsmith – one of the world’s richest men – and Imran, the rugged and dashing Pathan cricketer, hit the headlines in 1995 when they got married.
They captured the world’s imagination when Imran came across as the man who wanted to clean up Pakistan of corruption and Jemima as his sweetheart who would follow him to his dangerous homeland braving threats from Islamic fundamentalists objecting to her Jewish background.
Jemima converted to Islam and they had two children.
Although she supported her husband’s political career, settling in Pakistan became difficult and the two divorced in 2004. But she continues to retain her Islamic faith.
Earlier this week, Jemima found herself catapulted to the political struggle for democracy in Pakistan after Imran Khan, who heads the Tehrik-e-Insaf party, escaped house arrest and went into hiding.
It was Jemima who alerted the world about Imran, releasing an email from her former husband Wednesday saying he had succeeded in giving police the slip after they ransacked his home in Lahore and roughed up his family members.
She also criticised the United States and Britain for what she called their “muted response” to Musharraf.
“Musharraf needs extremists to guarantee his support from the West and to stay in power – his real goal,” she added.