Jemima Goldsmith, Hamid Mir get into Twitter spat

Imran Khan's former wife says she and her children have nothing to do with politics in Pakistan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's first wife Jemina Goldsmith and renowned journalist Hamid Mir engaged in a rare public spat on Twitter on Friday with the former saying that she and her children have nothing to do with politics in Pakistan.

She said this in response to a tweet earlier posted by Mir. “PTI must stop protesting outside the house of Nawaz Sharif in London and PML-N should not do the same outside the house of Jemima Khan," the journalist had said.

He further said that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones on others. Mir’s tweet didn’t go down well with Jemima. “With respect, the difference is that I have got nothing to do with Pakistani politics and neither have my children. They are low- key private individuals who are not even on social media,” she wrote in response to Mir’s tweet.

With respect, The difference is that I have got nothing to do with Pakistani politics and neither have my children. They are low- key private individuals who are not even on social media. https://t.co/REB4u5ncqa

— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) April 15, 2022

Mir, in another tweet, replied to Jemima: "You have a point but 'polarised' people may not understand."

You have a point but “polarised” people may not understand. https://t.co/v7CiPpyqzT

— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) April 15, 2022

The journalist also pointed out that Sulaiman Khan, son of Imran Khan, campaigned for his uncle Zac Goldsmith against Sadiq Khan in UK but stayed away from Pakistani politics.

Sulaiman Khan Compaigned for his uncle @ZacGoldsmith against @SadiqKhan but stayed away from Pakistani politics https://t.co/7OE581DQpo

— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) April 15, 2022

To this, Jemima urged Mir to 'stop'. "This was his holiday job. He was a teenager," she added.

Please stop. This was his holiday job. He was a teenager.

— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) April 15, 2022

Earlier in the day, Jemima said that she was having a terrifying déjà vu as supporters of her former husband’s political rivals started targeting her children with anti-Semitic slurs.

Protests outside my house, targeting my children, antisemitic abuse on social media…. It’s almost like I’m back in 90s Lahore. #PuranaPakistan pic.twitter.com/0R2YOPcQrJ

— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) April 15, 2022

She recounted the anti-Semitic attacks she had faced during her stay in Pakistan as she shared the poster of a protest being planned outside her London residence on April 17.

Read more: It’s almost like I’m back in 90s Lahore, says Jemima

“Protest outside my house, targeting my children, anti-Semitic abuse on social media... It’s almost like I’m back in the 90s Lahore,” Jemima tweeted with #PuranaPakistan, in her first social media reaction after the toppling of Khan’s government.

Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State Foreign Commonwealth & Development Affairs, in the cabinet of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, sprang to her defence. “The right to protest is something we protect in the UK – but to target children and resort to anti-Semitic abuse is vile and unacceptable,” tweeted Lord Ahmad, who is also PM's envoy for preventing sexual violence.

The right to protest is something we protect in the UK - but to target children and resort to antisemitic abuse is vile and unacceptable. https://t.co/A3uOA47LCe

— Lord (Tariq)Ahmad of Wimbledon (@tariqahmadbt) April 15, 2022

“And posting a private home address on social media is surely not legal,” Jemima tweeted while acknowledging Lord Ahmad’s support. “Especially as I have an ongoing problem with stalkers (one arrested at my workplace last week and another who breached his restraining order & is being tried in a few weeks).”

Especially as I have an ongoing problem with stalkers (one arrested at my work place last week and another who breached his restraining order & is being tried in a few weeks)

— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) April 15, 2022

Imran Khan was married to Jemima from 1995 to 2004 and together they have two children, Qasim and Sulaiman. Jemima moved to London after her divorce from former premier where she has been living with her sons ever since.

Jemima, daughter of billionaire James Goldsmith, converted to Islam for her marriage to Imran Khan but “she was constantly attacked as an insincere Muslim, part because of her Jewish grandfather,” according to a 2004 account in The Guardian.