- Reham Khan dismisses Daily Mail’s claims that her ‘Broadcast Journalism’ course from North Lindsey College course does not exist, however changes credentials to ‘Broadcast Media’ diploma from Grimsby Institute
- Khan defends wife, says BBC would have fired her if her degree had been forged
Broadcast journalist and wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Reham Khan, on Wednesday changed her educational credentials on her personal website, dismissing British daily, Daily Mail, for calling into question a journalism course she was said to have registered for.
Reham categorically denied the allegations on her academic qualifications by the UK-based newspaper, terming it a story not based on facts and lacking legal reporting framework.
Social media was abuzz Wednesday morning when Daily Mail published a report which claimed that the ‘Broadcast Journalism’ course that Reham has made known as part of her education does not exist.
The report quoted from Reham’s personal website, which maintains that she clinched her post as BBC reporter after starting a postgraduate course in Broadcast Journalism from North Lindsey College in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.
However, officials at the institute have told Daily Mail it does not offer such a course nor has Reham’s name in its records. “We do not have anyone by those names or date of birth having attended this college,” said a spokesman. “We have never done a degree in broadcast journalism.”
Earlier Wednesday, PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq while speaking to news channels, said that this issue is Reham Khan’s “personal matter” and can only be clarified by her. He also said that on her website, Reham did not say anything related to the degree itself, nor did the Daily Mail say that Reham obtained her degree.
Later on, Reham Khan took to Twitter to say that she “never picked up the Daily Mail”, implying its lack of credibility. She also labelled the report “senseless propaganda” and said that a “select lobby will attack you” if one chooses to address certain issues in Pakistan through their work.
Reham also tweeted an image of the passage from her website which mentions her education and credentials, which mentions that she had “started” a postgraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism, but does not specify that she completed it.
Tweeting the hashtag “Educate Pakistan”, Reham said she would be “happy to help” those who are having trouble with reading.
In a media statement issued later in the day, Reham asserted she has never claimed to have a degree in broadcast journalism, as she has completed diploma in ‘broadcast media’ that she obtained from the Grimsby Institute Media Centre, North East Lincolnshire.
The change in her educational credentials on her website took place following the social media uproar on Daily Mail’s report.
In a series of new tweets, Reham referred to the revision as “additional” information. She also announced that an official statement will be out soon, which will have details regarding the course code and campus.
Reham went on to mention that she is a working parent without a PR company or a spokesperson at her disposal.
Reham Khan is a British Pakistani journalist who started her career in the BBC as a weather forecaster. Later she worked for the network as a broadcast journalist. She joined Pakistani news channel News One in 2013 and is currently working as an anchor at Dawn News.
KHAN FOR REHAM:
Late Wednesday, speaking during a private channel’s programme, PTI chief Imran Khan defended his wife, questioning the need behind the surfacing of such “propaganda”.
Khan said his spouse’s degree is legitimate and that the question has been raised over her postgraduate diploma. He said the questioning of the diploma would be valid only if Reham had used it to secure a job.
PTI chief said if Reham’s degree was forged then she would have been fired by her former employer British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
“There is a difference between being political and being in politics,” he said, clarifying that Reham did not even hold a PTI office.
Upon query, Khan established that he would not hold bias against anyone, even if he/she was his personal relation.
