Pakistani politician and former playboy cricketer Imran Khan has married a woman described as his ‘spiritual adviser’ in a private ceremony this weekend.
Khan, who has previously been married to socialite Jemima Khan and TV presenter Reham Khan, married Bushra Wattoo in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday.
In stark contrast to the 65-year-old’s previous weddings, which garnered much attention thanks to the celebrity status of both Khan and his brides, the one on Sunday was held under the radar.
Conservative: Imran Khan, centre, poses for a photograph with his new wife Bushra Wattoo, second from right, along with relatives during a wedding ceremony in Lahore
Wife number three: Ms Wattoo, who kept her face covered during the ceremony, is reportedly a mother-of-five in her 40s
Pictures of the ceremony, which saw the bride wear a full face-veil, were posted on the Twitter account of his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) party.
Ms Wattoo has also been married before, and is reportedly a mother-of-five in her 40s.
Khan, once known internationally for his high-profile tabloid romances, cuts a more conservative persona in Pakistan, often carrying prayer beads and nurturing beliefs in living saints.
PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry told AFP the couple had known one another ‘for a long time’ but declined to provide further details. She has been widely reported to be the politician’s spiritual adviser.
Ceremony: A photo published on Twitter by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sees Khan and his new bride during their marriage ceremony in Lahore on Sunday
Second wedding: Imran and second wife, TV presenter and BBC weather-girl Reham Khan, pose on their wedding day in January, 2015
Glamour: Khan married British socialite Jemima Khan, nee Goldsmith, in 1995
Khan is loved by millions across the cricket-obsessed nation for winning Pakistan its only World Cup in 1992. His sporting prowess and rugged good looks also brought him international celebrity.
He married British socialite Jemima Khan in 1995 and had two sons with her before their divorce in 2004.
The split was attributed to the difficulties she faced in Pakistan, where she was hounded for her family’s Jewish ancestry, and to his obsession with politics.
He and second wife Reham Khan, host of a local TV talk show and a BBC weather segment, divorced suddenly in October 2015, just ten months after they wed.
First divorce: The couple divorced after 11 years of marriage and two children
She had been widely criticised after appearing at public meetings of PTI, with opponents accusing her of seeking to boost her own profile through her husband’s fame.
Khan, born in Lahore into a comfortable family with origins in the Pashtun northwest, was educated at Pakistan’s prestigious Aitchison College, at boarding school in England and then at 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.
Khan’s party plans to contest a general election due in Pakistan this year, telling AFP in a recent interview that he believes this is PTI’s ‘biggest chance’ at seizing power.