Fake FIR against British bride’s husband cancelled

LONDON: The Punjab police have assured that the fake case against the husband of 19-year-old British Pakistani bride has been cancelled by the Mirpur police after the harrowing story of Afshah Sanam was highlighted by The News and Geo on how a fake case of kidnapping was registered against her husband by her father using Mirpur and Punjab police.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari took the matter up with Punjab police after reading the story in The News and issued instructions to the police to listen to concerns of British Pakistani bride. Labour MP Naz Shah issued a statement in support of the girl and called on the Pakistani authorities to intervene in the matter.

On Monday, a senior officer of the Lahore police told the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis that he had talked to AJK inspector general and told him to cancel the FIR as Nikahnama has been presented to them. The senior police officer assured that he has contacted the family of the bride, assured them security. “The AJK police will not bother them again,” assured the police officer.

Naz Shah MP said she had spoken to Zulfi Bukhari and he assured her of help. She said she had been updated that the matter had been resolved and that the girl and her husband would not be blackmailed again.

“The fact is that they solemnised a proper Nikah and did nothing wrong. The Kashmir police must ask questions of the father for using a fake FIR against his daughter and her husband,” said the MP.

The Capital City Police Lahore on Sunday visited home of her husband Saul Steve, 27. Afshah Sanam had alleged that her husband’s house was raided by the police after the bride’s British Pakistani father registered a fake case of kidnapping against him through the police in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.

Afshah Sanam had alleged that her father Khalid Hussain, a Stockton taxi driver originally from Mirpur, had travelled to Lahore and Mirpur to get a case registered against her husband after she love-married to the professional photographer on her own free will.

Her family didn’t like her decision and used their connections with a PTI leader in Kashmir to pressurise the Christian family of Saul Steve to divorce his British wife. Afshah Sanam alleged that her husband’s aunt was arrested by the police and kept unlawfully in detention for two months to pressurise Steve to divorce her. After hearing the news on Monday, Afshah and Steve thanked Geo and The News for highlighting their case.

They said, “We would like to thank Geo News once again and also a special thanks to Zulfi Bukhari and Naz Shah for their help. The News reporter Murtaza Ali Shah helped us a lot through his reporting. If it had not been for him, no one would have listened to us as fast.”

Afshah said, “I really did love Pakistan and I wanted to settle my life there but I lost trust. I hope the Mirpur police would change the way they work and help those who are actually in danger. I will be going back to Pakistan soon.”