A source close to the PTI chairman said the two were "just not getting along." -Photo by Belal Khan
Another confidante of Imran Khan told Dawn.com that there was "a lot of pressure on Khan" from his family to divorce Reham, an apparent reference to Imran's sister Aleema Khan who had made no secret of her displeasure over the marriage.
Despite several attempts, Reham could not be reached for a comment, but posted an announcement of the divorce on Twitter:
Sources said Reham has left Pakistan for London and is expected to address a conference there.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also asked party leaders to refrain from commenting on Imran Khan's personal life.
The announcement today stirred a fiery debate on social media, with fans and naysayers of both Khan and Reham posting their two cents and taking sides.
Also read: Istakhara to Bani Gala: Reham spills the beans on Imran's unromantic proposal
In August this year the PTI chief had announced that Reham Khan, will not be playing an active role in party affairs, following "attacks" on his then wife in the aftermath of the party's defeat in the NA-19 (Haripur) by-polls.
Loved by millions across the cricket-obsessed nation for winning Pakistan its only World Cup in 1992, Khan's sporting prowess and rugged good looks brought him international celebrity.
He was considered his country's most eligible man until he suddenly announced his plans to marry shortly after calling off a movement to topple the government in December after a Taliban attack on a school that killed 150 people.
The PTI chairman and television journalist Reham Khan had tied the knot in a simple nikkah ceremony which took place in January this year at Khan's Bani Gala residence.
The nikkah, which was a low-key affair, was conducted by Mufti Saeed and was followed by a photo session. The wedding had captivated the entire country, with television channels going all out to cover the event and furnishing their audience with details of wedding sherwani and chappals.
In its early days, the marriage was marked by public appearances of the newlyweds who were seen smiling and happy at various events. Reham on several occasions had candidly expressed her feelings for Imran, saying he is "no longer alone". In an early interview, she had said: “I didn’t know Mr Khan was Mr Right, you wait your whole life for Mr Right and then you find Mr Most Right."
Also read: Reham Khan dismisses Daily Mail over degree report
Reham had recently also sparked controversy after it emerged that she had not actually attended a college where she claimed to be a student on her website.
Born in 1952 in Lahore into a comfortable family with origins in the Pashtun northwest, Imran Khan was educated at Aitchison College and then Oxford University.
He became one of the world's greatest ever all-rounders — a fearsome fast bowler and dangerous batsman — whose finest hour came at the 1992 World Cup, where at the age of 39 he led an inexperienced team to the title.
Off the pitch, he had a string of socialite girlfriends and frequented exclusive nightclubs in London until he married Jemima Goldsmith, the daughter of the French-British tycoon James Goldsmith, in 1995.
His marriage with the Jemima lasted for nine years and ended amicably in 2004 with Goldsmith stating that she was unable to adapt to life in Pakistan.
Imran Khan has two sons from his previous marriage to Jemima.
Reham Khan was previously married to psychologist Ijaz Rehman, with whom she had three children.