ISLAMABAD - Just days after the news of his alleged marriage with a woman from whom he had been seeking spiritual guidance made headlines, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Tuesday broke the silence saying that his only crime was that he wanted to get married.

At the same time, the cricketer-turned-politician accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of being behind a “vicious campaign’ against him.

In a serious of tweets, Khan said that his only crime was that he wanted to get married. Khan again showed his resolve that he was looking to find personal happiness after extending a proposal to his spiritual guide Bushra Maneka.

“For 3 days I have been wondering have I looted a bank; or money laundered bns (billions) in nation’s wealth; or ordered a model-town-like killing spree; or revealed state secrets to India? I have done none of these but discovered I have committed a bigger crime: wanting to get married,” Khan said in his first tweet.

At the same time, he also alleged that ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Jang and Geo Group Owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman were running “vicious” media campaign against him. “The vicious, gutter media campaign led by NS (Nawaz Sharif) & MSR mafia does not bother me as respect & humiliation comes from Allah Almighty,” he tweeted.

Khan went on to say that he was only concerned about “his children and the family of Bushra begum, all of whom have been subjected to this malicious campaign”.

“However, my concern is for my children & the very conservative family of Bushra begum, all of whom have been subjected to this malicious campaign by NS & MSR,” he said. Yet in another tweet, he said that “Nawaz Sharif and Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman should rest assure that their vicious campaign has only strengthened his resolve to fight them all the way”.

Khan further said that he knew a lot about the “sordid” lives of Sharif family but he would not go to the level of exposing them. “I have known the Sharifs for 40 years and I know all their sordid personal lives but I would never stoop to the level of exposing these sordid details.”

At the end, Khan made a passionate defence of his wish to get married. “All I ask of my well-wishers and supporters is that they pray I find personal happiness which, except for a few years, I have been deprived of.”

The news of the PTI chief’s marriage with his faith-healer made headlines on January 6. Khan, at first, avoided giving answer to questions of reporters about his marriage. On last Sunday, his spokesperson issued a statement and said that Khan had proposed Bushra Maneka and awaiting a response from her. The statement said that she will make a final decision after consulting her family, including her children.

IMRAN HAS TIED THE KNOT, CLAIMS MUFTI QAVI

INP adds: Cleric Mufti Abdul Qavi claimed on Tuesday that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has tied knot for the third time while a change has also occurred in his temperament.

He maintained that the silence of Khan, the woman and Nikah Khawan is a proof of the marriage.

Speaking in Multan, Qavi termed the wedding a good news and announced that he will hold a Walima ceremony for the couple after three days of Khan’s admission to marriage.