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Thursday March 28, 2024

Did Vawda conceal his American nationality only?

By Fakhar Durrani
February 24, 2020

ISLAMABAD: That Faisal Vawda had concealed his US citizenship at the time of contesting elections has been now in public knowledge since revealed by The News. However, he didn't lie about his dual nationality only. His educational credentials are also doubtful. In the past, he claimed to be a graduate of an American university but his nomination papers show he did B.Com only.

Besides the doubtful educational credentials, the federal minister’s alleged ex-wife has levelled some serious allegations of producing fake and forged marriage deed (Nikahnama). Vawda was sent a detailed questionnaire about his bachelor’s degree, his tax record and the allegations of fake Nikahnama on February 17. He was repeatedly reminded about this questionnaire but he did not respond.

Coupled with the serious allegations of concealing his dual nationality and lying on oath about his American citizenship, Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda is facing the court cases under Article 63(1)(C) and 62(1)(F) in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The IHC will take up his dual nationality case today (Monday).

To know whether the concealment of dual nationality and lying on oath is the only devious act of Vawda, The News carried out a thorough investigation and found some startling contradictions about his educational degrees and his claims about income tax.

In a court case, Vawda claimed on oath that he has done his bachelor’s from the University of New Port, USA. However, his nomination papers show that he did B.Com. He claimed before the court that he paid Rs5.16 million tax in the year 2009. However, the online data of FBR shows no such record.

Similarly, Vawda has been facing some serious allegations by his alleged ex-wife who claimed she was never married to him and that he produced fake and forged Nikahnama to defame her.

To prove his claim, Vawda had produced the documentary evidences of his marriage with his alleged ex-wife before the family court. He presented the marriage dissolution certificate of the woman with her ex-husband and also the marriage deed (Nikahnama) between him and the concerned woman.

Vawda informed the Family Court that within a few months of marrying him, the concerned woman reunited with her ex-husband. However, there is no record of marriage dissolution or Khulla Decree between Faisal Vawda and his ex-wife. The question here arises how could she reunite with her ex-husband if Vawda did not dissolve the marriage by way of Khulla? Legally, can she reunite with her first husband without marriage dissolution certificate (Khulla) or divorce from second husband (Vawda)?

On February 02, 2011, Faisal Vawda filed a criminal bail application No143 before the Sindh High Court against the State. In his application, Vawda under oath stated that he is a highly educated person who has done his bachelor’s degree from New Port University, USA. The minister’s under-oath claim of foreign qualification is contradicted by himself. On June 11, 2018 he submitted his nomination papers before the Election Commission of Pakistan where he, under the education column, mentioned that he has done B.Com.

It is yet to be confirmed by Vawda whether the New Port University, USA, offers the B.Com degree or he was referring to some other bachelor’s degree from the American university. The question here arises why he hasn’t mentioned the degree which he obtained from the United States in his nomination papers? There is a contradiction regarding his qualification in the nomination papers and the affidavit which he submitted before the Sindh High Court.

The News had approached the minister to know why didn’t he declare his American degree before the ECP. Similarly, he was asked if the New Port University offers B.Com degrees to students. However, despite repeated reminders Vawda gave no reply.

Vawda in the same bail application presented himself as an ideal person in his business relationship with others. To prove himself as an ideal businessman, he claimed before the court of paying Rs5,169,308 on account of Income Tax alone in the year 2009. However, the online tax data with FBR shows no tax record of Faisal Vawda for the year 2009. Even the tax record of Faisal Vawda Construction shows zero tax during the year 2009. The News contacted and asked him about non-availability of his tax record during the corresponding period i.e. 2009. Vawda was asked to provide any documentary evidence in support of his claim that he paid Rs5.16 million tax in 2009. But despite regular reminders he gave no response.

More serious allegations against Faisal Vawda were levelled by none other than his alleged ex-wife who took it to the court and claimed that he produced a fake, forged and fabricated marriage deed (Nikahnama). The case was filed in a family court of Karachi and both the sides hurled serious allegations on each other. In the Family Suit No71 of 2011, Vawda claimed marrying the concerned woman on June 03, 2010. He annexed the Nikahnama as evidence in support of his claim. Vawda stated before the court on oath that he proposed to marry her in May 2010 as she felt difficult to live an honorable and secure life for herself and children. He got married to the concerned woman on June 03, 2010 in lieu of deferred dower amount of Rs51,000 and attached the Nikahnama as well as marriage dissolution certificate from the woman’s previous husband.

Vawda in his lawsuit further informed the court that he had always cared for the woman’s two daughters and provided all the comforts and luxuries of life. However, immediately after marriage in June 2010, he observed rudeness in behaviour of his alleged wife.

“All of a sudden in the month of August 2010, the defendant’s attitude further deteriorated towards plaintiff (Vawda) and caused bitterness day by day for no apparent reason. The defendant caused severe mental stress and torture to plaintiff when she all of a sudden announced to live separately and left the house of the plaintiff. Later, it has transpired upon the plaintiff (Vawda) that the defendant had started living with her ex-husband,” Vawda informed the court on oath.

However, the ex-wife in the Family Suit No123 of 2011 in the court of Civil and Family Judge (South) Karachi has levelled serious allegations on Vawda and belied his claims of marriage. “The defendant (Vawda) who has an evil mind started propagating against the plaintiff by spreading rumours that she is the legally wedded wife of defendant and he has got the documentary proof in the shape of Nikahnama etc., when in reality the plaintiff never married him as he was already married and has not obtained the consent for second marriage from his wife nor from the relevant authorities. The plaintiff could never imagine to live with him in a hateful union. The blank documents which the defendant got signed from the plaintiff in his office must have been forged by the defendant by filling up the same and the plaintiff apprehends that these papers might be blank Nikahnama which he must be trying to misuse after filling up and hence this suit,” stated the woman in her lawsuit before the family court.

She prayed before the court to pass the judgment and decree that the claim of the defendant (Vawda) is fabricated, false and fraudulent as the plaintiff was never the wife of the defendant but he is manipulating this story to blackmail and malign her in the eyes of public by producing false, forged and fabricated Nikahnama, etc. he be restrained from claiming the plaintiff to be his wife who cannot imagine to live with him in a hateful union.

Did the Family Court issue any decree of Khulla/ Divorce in the case of woman vs Faisal Vawda as it did in the case of the concerned woman vs ex-husband? In the concerned woman vs ex-husband Family Suit No06 of 2009, the family court gave verdict of dissolving the marriage and issued the decree of Khulla which later was released by a union council in Saddar Town, on November 01, 2009. However, in the case of Faisal Vawda vs the concerned woman, no such document is available in the court record. The non-availability of marriage dissolution (Khulla) between Vawda and the concerned woman raises serious question whether the allegations levelled by his alleged ex-wife of forged Nikahnama were right. These questions were asked from Federal Minister Faisal Vawda but he did not respond.