ISLAMABAD – A row has erupted between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairmanImran Khan’s former wife Reham Khan and his supporters, who are trying tostop the release of her autobiography ahead of the country’s generalelections.

Media reports say Reham Khan’s book is likely to release some time thismonth, with the elections scheduled for July. A promotional video of thebook stated that it would contain Reham’s life experiences as “a mother,wife, journalist and a warrior”.

Reham has alleged that the PTI has persistently threatened her, tweeting acopy of an email sent to her by actor and PTI supporter Hamza Ali Abbasi.The email tells Reham that her email has been “hacked” and warns her “to bevery careful in future”.

A social media war over the issue erupted on Friday after Abbasi tweeted a“summary” of the book. Reham then asked how it was possible for him to readthe manuscript of her book. “Only possible through fraud or theft,” shesaid.

In response, PTI claimed that Reham’s book was a ploy to demolish thecountry’s “only real opposition”. It also released what it termed “solidproof” of Reham’s alleged nexus with the PML-N leadership. The “evidence”was purported emails between Reham and former interior minister AhsanIqbal, in which he invited Reham to his residence for dinner with formerprime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz.

PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said that emails between Reham and Iqbalonly proved the former’s “heinous plan to malign the party chairman’scharacter and reputation”. Senior leader Syed Zulfiqar Bokhari announcedthat he would initiate litigation against Reham.

However, Iqbal rebutted PTI’s claims, saying that it was “shameful” thatthe party had resorted to “fabricating and distorting emails to defenditself”.

He tweeted: “Neither I ever met Reham Khan except for an interview in AajStudio (a private TV channel) before her marriage with IK (Imran Khan) norarranged her meeting with anyone. Pl don’t drag me in matters between exspouses (sic).”

Meanwhile, people on social media believe PTI’s “panic attack” hasconfirmed that Reham’s book has “some explosive stuff”. They also warnedthat “hacking someone’s conversation is a grave crime with internationalimplications”.

As the controversy deepened and #RehamKhan became top trend on Twitter,some social media users pointed out that the PTI had effectively providedReham much-needed publicity for her book before its launch.