Imran, Reham Khan tie the knot in Bani Gala

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and television journalist Reham Khan's nikkah ceremony took place on Thursday at the politician's residence in Bani Gala. The nikkah, which was a low-key affair, was conducted by Mufi Saeed and was followed by a photo session of the newlyweds. During the ceremony, the Haq Mehr was set at one lakh rupees.

"We are praying for Imran Khan's success," said Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq, adding that the country was facing a very tense situation and therefore the happy news was welcomed.

The party's central information secretary had earlier said on Thursday that the wedding will be a low-key affair. Dismissing reports that the wedding would be a fundraising event for Imran's Shaukat Khanum Cancer Memorial Hospital, Shireen Mazari told Dawn: "As far as I know, it is an extremely private affair. There are no such ticketed cards and no grand function."

"Imran is in no mood to celebrate after the Peshawar tragedy," Mazari added. "This is not a time to celebrate." Mazari hinted that a nikah ceremony was likely to take place "today or this week" and that a purported marriage document doing the rounds on Twitter was "absolutely fake".

She added that Imran has been cautious about the announcement as he wanted to inform his children first. "He was not going to do anything until he spoke to his sons first."

Another Lahore-based senior party leader on condition of anonymity said he was not aware of any grand event for the wedding and has not been invited for a ceremony. "I am told there will be some distribution of food to the needy," the party member said.

Days after the British press broke the news of Imran's alleged marriage to broadcast journalist Reham Khan, the former cricketer on Tuesday hinted that an official announcement was in the offing. "Marriage is not a crime," Imran had said at a press conference in Islamabad after his return from London.