Why did Reham Khan launch a smear campaign against Zulfi Bukhari?

Reham Khan, the former wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan formally apologised to PM Khan’s former Special Assistant Zulfiqar Bukhari after losing a defamation case brought by the Bukhari against her in the United Kingdom.

Now, according to the court papers ruled by the London High Court, Reham has to pay the sum of £50,000 as a contribution towards Bukhari’s costs and damages. To which, the former BBC host has also agreed to pay, however, the concern is will Khan pay the Zulfiqar Bukhari?

The case

In December 2019, Reham Khan in her YouTube broadcast addressed the sale of the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. She raised the question of Zulfi Bukhari’s alleged involvement in the sale.

Reham lleged that Manchester-based businessman Anil Mussarat and Bukhari may be involved in the sale of the hotel or gain an unfair advantage by purchasing it at a low market price.

Khan had claimed, “If the news my source gave me is correct, that these two overseas British Pakistanis Anil Mussarat and Zulfi Bukhari are involved in the sale of the Roosevelt Hotel, then it is selective justice… Malik Riaz may have been tolerated but not this.” Her broadcast, however, was shared on social media websites raising concerning points.

Defamation case

The same year, a defamation case was filed over Reham Khan making allegations in 2019 that Bukhari was involved with a corrupt plan with the Prime Minister to sell or acquire the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. The hotel is a Pakistani property.

Bukhari objected to the allegations and served a libel case againstKhan, saying he was targeted and accused of corruption However, Reham maintained that the words do not amount to defamation and did not significantly damage Bukhari’s reputation as he has claimed.

Bukhari-Reham’s arguments

Bukhari in his claimed papers filed in July last at the London High Court claimed that Reham Khan specifically targeted him in reference to the sale of Roosevelt Hotel. 

In her defence, Reham Khan told the court that her December 6, 2019 Vlog was to raise an alert in the public interest about the government plans about the iconic Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.

She said her broadcast was based on the information that the Aviation Ministry had objected to the creation of a task force on Roosevelt. She maintained that she only wanted to save the Roosevelt Hotel and had the right to raise questions about the “performance or buffoonery of the government”.

Court’s order

The case was fought in the London High Court where the judge ruled out the verdict in favour of Bukhari. Now, according to court papers, Reham Khan has to pay the sum of £50,000 as a contribution towards Bukhari’s costs and damages. 

A Tomlin Order sealed by the High Court of Justice in London shows that Reham agreed to apologise and pay damages ahead of a full defamation trial in the case, following a determination at the same court in June this year when a judge found that the words uttered by her against Bukhari comprised chase level-1 defamation — the highest form of defamation which could be proven through facts only.

Why did Khan launch a smear campaign against Bukhari?

After losing the case to Bukhari, Khan not only formally apologised but also agreed to pay the Bukhari a sum of £50,000 as a contribution for damaging Bukhari’s reputation. But why a person like Khan, who had been a responsible former BBC reporter would harm a public figure.