- Reham Khan was illegally granted access to cockpit on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight
- Cricketer-turned-politician, 62, divorced Reham, 42, in October, just ten months after getting married
- Pilot now faces an inquiry, a PIA spokesman said
A pilot is facing disciplinary action after allowing Imran Khan’s ex-wife to sit in the cockpit for ‘a few minutes’ during a flight from London to Lahore.
Reham Khan, a former BBC weathergirl, was granted access by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) staff member despite it being illegal.
‘Ms Reham expressed her wish to sit in the cockpit which the pilot could not turn down,’ PIA spokesperson Danial Gilani told news agency PTI.
Ms Khan, a divorced mother-of-three, was a BBC weathergirl but went on to become an anchor on Pakistan news channel AAJ TV
‘Ms Reham expressed her wish to sit in the cockpit which the pilot could not turn down,’ PIA spokesperson Danial Gilani told news agency PTI
‘Although it appears to be courtesy on the part of the pilot, the PIA cannot ignore the rules. Under the law, unauthorised persons cannot enter the cockpit,’ he said, according to NDTV.
According to the pilot, he ‘entertained’ the request during the incident yesterday on flight PK-788.
The cricketer-turned-politician, 62, married mother-of-three Reham, 42, in January this year and got divorced just ten months later, on October 30.
Their marriage had sparked an angry backlash from conservative Muslims.
Sources say the couple had argued about her plans to enter politics while Mr Khan had also faced pressure from his family to end the relationship.
Announcing the divorce on Twitter, Mr Khan said: ‘This is a painful time for me & Reham & our families. I would request everyone to respect our privacy.
The 42-year-old lived in Britain for part of her previous marriage, when she was a weathergirl and presenter on BBC regional news programme South Today
Controversial ceremony: The cricketer-turned politician tied the knot with divorced mother-of-three Reham in January, sparking an angry backlash from conservative Muslims
‘I have the greatest respect for Reham’s moral character & her passion to work for & help the underprivileged.’
He said speculation about any financial settlements between them were ‘absolutely false and shameful’.
Mrs Khan tweeted at the time: ‘We have decided to part ways and file for divorce.’
Reham, who was born in Libya to Pakistani parents, has three children from her previous marriage to a doctor.
The little-known journalist endured criticism on social media from conservative Muslim Pakistanis after her marriage to Khan became public and pictures and videos surfaced of her on-screen in Western outfits.
Imran Khan, who developed a playboy reputation in his younger days, built a political power base in Pakistan’s deeply conservative north.
His party became the country’s third largest in a 2013 election after he advocated talks with Pakistani Taliban insurgents and criticised the United States for drone strikes in militant areas.
