ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) sees a conspiracy allegedly hatched by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz behind Reham Khan’s autobiography before its launch amid apprehensions that the book may contain some serious allegations against PTI chief and her ex-husband Imran Khan.

The book, which is likely to be launched next week in the UK, has already caused quite a furore among the PTI ranks, with the party’s media wing releasing screenshots of emails and issuing a statement on Saturday to claim it has “documentary evidence” that the author was in contact with PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal and the book was being published to damage the PTI.

In response to the allegation, PML-N leader and former interior minister Mr Iqbal described the emails released by the PTI as ‘fabricated and distorted’ and termed this act ‘shameful’. He also denied meeting Ms Khan after her marriage with PTI chief.

PTI, PML-N leaders trade barbs; author says Hamza Abbasi ‘emailing threats since August 2017’

“Most shameful, PTI resorting to fabricated and distorted emails to defend itself. Neither I ever met Reham Khan except for an interview in Aaj studio before her marriage with Imran Khan nor arranged her meeting with anyone.

“Please don’t drag me in matters between ex-spouses,” tweeted Mr Iqbal.

Released by the PTI, some of the alleged emails indicated that Ms Khan and Mr Iqbal were in contact with each other in January 2017. In one such correspondence, it was discussed that a meeting could be arranged in which the daughter of former premier Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, might also participate.

On the issue, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that the party had “solid evidence” to prove Ms Khan was meeting Ms Nawaz through Mr Iqbal so “the whole book is an exercise to demolish only real opposition i.e. PTI.”

Mr Chaudhry later told Dawn that he got the “documentary evidence regarding the exchange of emails between Ahsan Iqbal and Reham Khan from the social media”.

Earlier on Friday, actor-turned-anchor Hamza Ali Abbasi tweeted that he had the “very unfortunate experience of reading a manuscript of Reham Khan’s book”.

“Here is the summary: IK is the most evil man to walk the face of this planet. Reham is the most pious righteous (Tahajjud guzaar) woman ever and Shehbaz Sharif is an amazing guy! #RehamOnPMLNAgenda,” said the actor.

Former journalist and author, Ms Khan, in response to Mr Abbasi’s tweet, wondered how it was possible for the actor to read the manuscript since the book hadn’t been released yet. “Hamza Abbasi claims he has read manuscript when it’s not been published? Only possible through fraud or theft,” she wrote on her official Twitter account on Saturday.

The PTI chief’s former wife alleged in a series of tweets that actor Hamza Ali Abbasi had been threatening her since last year. She alleged he had been “emailing threats since August 2017”. To validate her claim, she posted a screenshot of an email exchanged with the actor last year where Mr Abbasi warned her that the PTI had been tracking her emails.

“They have your emails. A substantial amount of data from your gmail. Provided by some agency or hackers I don’t know,” the email reads.

However, Mr Abbasi claimed that her email version was “fake”, as he did not operate the email account she mentioned. He also posted a series of screenshots of email conversations where the two had discussed “a substantial amount of [Reham’s] correspondence being hacked”.

On being asked how hacking her emails was justified, Mr Abbasi in one of the emails wrote that “self-defence is a right” since she had been publicly shaming Imran Khan.

“Wish it didn’t have to be this dirty but there has to be a public reaction to it since Reham is publishing a book based on lies to manipulate public opinion for N League,” Mr Abbasi captioned the screenshots on Twitter.

Meanwhile, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry in one of his latest tweets on the matter stated: “We thght Gulla Lie is a big lie seems mother of All lies still at large:)”

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2018