A Pakistani court on Monday summoned cricketer Shoaib Malik to appear before it on May 3 in connection with a petition that alleged he had "sold" invitation cards for a reception to celebrate his wedding to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.
The additional sessions judge Malik Rafiq of the court in Lahore admitted the petition filed by a man named Safdar Ali, who alleged the cricketer was selling invitation cards for his 'walima' (reception) on April 27 for Rs 15,000 (about $200) each.
The judge listed the matter for hearing on May 3 and directed Shoaib to appear before him on that date. Ali, who described himself as a fan of Shoaib, said he had taken leave from work on April 27 to witness the walima.
"But then I found out that Shoaib is selling invitation cards for the event for Rs 15,000. He has hurt thousands of fans with his actions. He had made his wedding a business," Ali alleged. In a separate development, a man named Hasan Sheraz filed another petition in the Lahore High Court in which he alleged that Shoaib had violated a ban on serving more than one dish at marriage functions and the government’s order for such events to be concluded by 10 pm.
Sheraz further alleged that a ban on using decorative lights at wedding functions had also been violated during a reception hosted for Shoaib and Sania in the cricketer’s hometown of Sialkot last night.
"Cricketer Shaoib Malik has committed both violations. The reception in honour of the couple at Sialkot hockey stadium continued till midnight and decorative lights were used in abundance," Sheraz contended.
He asked the court to penalise Shoaib for flouting the government's orders. The government of Punjab province last year imposed a bar on serving more than one dish at wedding functions as part of a series of austerity measures. The federal government recently imposed strict restrictions of the use of electricity as the country is grappling with a crippling energy shortage.
Showing posts with label Shoaib Malik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shoaib Malik. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Shoaib asked Rs 3.5 cr for media rights
Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik has reportedly demanded a whopping Rs 3.5 crore for the rights to cover his reception and 'walima' ceremony in his hometown Sialkot after his wedding to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.
Shoaib asked his private security guards to keep the media away from both ceremonies as none of the TV news channels had agreed to cough up the huge amount demanded by the cricketer and any deal was not yet struck, 'Dunya News' channel reported.
The channel claimed it had obtained an invitation card for the 'walima' to be hosted by Shoaib in Lahore's Pearl Continental Hotel on April 27 by paying Rs 10,000 (about $125) to a relative of the cricketer.
On the other hand, the administration of Pearl Continental Hotel has asked journalists to leave the premises.
Dozens of reporters, especially those from TV news channels, have been thronging the hotel since the couple arrived there two days ago.
"The hotel administration took the step on behalf of Shoaib," journalist Hina Farooq claimed.
Shaoib has already requested the government of Punjab province to provide the couple and his guests from India "foolproof" security.
Shoaib and his brother-in-law Imran Zafar have criticised the media after Sania and her mother Nasima Mirza were jostled and pushed by an unruly crowd after reaching the Pearl Continental Hotel.
The incident brought tears to Sania's eyes.
"Please spare us," was the request from both Shoaib and Zafar.
"For God's sake, leave us alone. You are trying to fix cameras in our rooms," an angry Zafar shouted at the media.
Before leaving for Sialkot, Shoaib, Sania and her parents and relatives visited the shrine of Hazrat Ali Hajvary Data Ganj Bakhsh and offered prayers.
Meanwhile, Sialkot district police chief Waqar Ahmed Chohan said an official order on serving only one dish at wedding receptions will be enforced in letter and spirit.
"We will not allow even Shaoib to violate the ban," he said.
The Punjab government introduced the one-dish rule for weddings and receptions last year as part of a series of austerity measures.
Shoaib asked his private security guards to keep the media away from both ceremonies as none of the TV news channels had agreed to cough up the huge amount demanded by the cricketer and any deal was not yet struck, 'Dunya News' channel reported.
The channel claimed it had obtained an invitation card for the 'walima' to be hosted by Shoaib in Lahore's Pearl Continental Hotel on April 27 by paying Rs 10,000 (about $125) to a relative of the cricketer.
On the other hand, the administration of Pearl Continental Hotel has asked journalists to leave the premises.
Dozens of reporters, especially those from TV news channels, have been thronging the hotel since the couple arrived there two days ago.
"The hotel administration took the step on behalf of Shoaib," journalist Hina Farooq claimed.
Shaoib has already requested the government of Punjab province to provide the couple and his guests from India "foolproof" security.
Shoaib and his brother-in-law Imran Zafar have criticised the media after Sania and her mother Nasima Mirza were jostled and pushed by an unruly crowd after reaching the Pearl Continental Hotel.
The incident brought tears to Sania's eyes.
"Please spare us," was the request from both Shoaib and Zafar.
"For God's sake, leave us alone. You are trying to fix cameras in our rooms," an angry Zafar shouted at the media.
Before leaving for Sialkot, Shoaib, Sania and her parents and relatives visited the shrine of Hazrat Ali Hajvary Data Ganj Bakhsh and offered prayers.
Meanwhile, Sialkot district police chief Waqar Ahmed Chohan said an official order on serving only one dish at wedding receptions will be enforced in letter and spirit.
"We will not allow even Shaoib to violate the ban," he said.
The Punjab government introduced the one-dish rule for weddings and receptions last year as part of a series of austerity measures.
Friday, April 16, 2010
A fitting finale to the Sania saga
A fitting finale to the Sania saga
After all the cacophonic controversies, the feuding, the fanfare, the blame-games and peace offerings, Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik finally settled down and celebrated their union with an evening of splendour. A grand reception was held for a 1,200-strong guest list who were treated to a sumptuous Hyderabadi feast, under the glow of fairy lights and spectacular decor that transformed the hotel into an ethereal place as the groom and the gorgeous bride, resplendent in a Shantanu-Nikhil creation met their guests.
Unlike the nikah, mehendi and sangeet which were strictly for family and a few very close friends, the reception was inclusive and a grand affair. Held at a star hotel, the city’s who’s who made an appearance; Hyderabad’s page 3 crowd and personalities from the film industry and the sports fraternities. CM Rosaiah too attended the reception and blessed the couple. Amongst those who couldn’t attend, the Bachchans sent Sania a large bouquet and a card wishing her the very best. Malaika and Arbaaz Khan too could not make it as the latter was caught up with a shoot.
Seen at the do were Shoaib’s good friend Sohail Tanveer and the Pakistani minister Firdous Ashiq Awan who presented Sania a gold crown made specially for her. Among other guests spotted at the lavish affair were Raza Murad, Pakistani singer Warib Baig, Krishna Bhupati, designers Shantanu and Nikhil, Rhea Pillai, Kajal Anand, Hamed Saberi, Chamundeshwarnath, Lavraj Bhalerao, Niketan and Anil Kumar Yadav.
At the sangeet the previous day, Sania’s good friends Neha Dhupia and Rakshanda Khan danced to Desi Girl and Salam-e-Ishq respectively. Post dinner Sania’s uncle Talat Aziz performed a ghazal that he had composed especially for her. Hyderabadis agreed this is one wedding they will remember for a long time. Sania will now head for a reception to be held at Lahore.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Sania-Shoaib enter Mirza residence hand-in-hand
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her newly-wed Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik today entered the Mirza household for the first time after they tied the knot yesterday at a city hotel here.
Clad in a pink salwar kameez, Sania walked hand-in-and with Shoaib, who was wearing a green sherwani.
Sania’s father Imran Mirza embraced his son-in-law and other members of the family welcomed the newly-wed couple into the residence.
The high-profile wedding of the two sporting stars took place three days ahead of the original schedule to silence the controversy and drama surrounding their marriage.
The mehndi ceremony was observed today and Marfa band was organised as part of the marriage celebrations.
Sandhya and Bhavana, two of Hyderabad reputed mehndi designers, were called to apply mehndi to Sania, her spokesperson told reporters.
She said final rehearsals for the sangeet ceremony, scheduled to be held tomorrow, are in progress.
Shantanu and Nikhil-designed Sania’s outfit for the reception, to be held on Thursday, has arrived from Delhi.
Clad in a pink salwar kameez, Sania walked hand-in-and with Shoaib, who was wearing a green sherwani.
Sania’s father Imran Mirza embraced his son-in-law and other members of the family welcomed the newly-wed couple into the residence.
The high-profile wedding of the two sporting stars took place three days ahead of the original schedule to silence the controversy and drama surrounding their marriage.
The mehndi ceremony was observed today and Marfa band was organised as part of the marriage celebrations.
Sandhya and Bhavana, two of Hyderabad reputed mehndi designers, were called to apply mehndi to Sania, her spokesperson told reporters.
She said final rehearsals for the sangeet ceremony, scheduled to be held tomorrow, are in progress.
Shantanu and Nikhil-designed Sania’s outfit for the reception, to be held on Thursday, has arrived from Delhi.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Pak to send Sania gold crown
The Pakistan President, Mr Asif Ali Zardari, and the Prime Minister, Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani, are to send separate gifts plus greeting cards to Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza for their marriage.
“The President has also joined the Prime Minister in dispatching the gifts along with greeting cards to the couple,” an official at the presidency said.
He said a proposal was under consideration to confer on Sania Mirza a civilian award in the near future to firm up the position that Pakistan stands for promoting peace and establishing people-to-people contact.
“The President has issued directives to his principal secretary, Mr Salman Farooqi, to send a gift, salaami (cash) and a greeting card to both Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza,” the official at the presidency said.
Pakistan’s population welfare minister Ms Firdous Ashiq Awan said she would present Shoaib and Sania with gold crowns on their arrival in the country after their wedding.
Ms Awan, who represents Shoaib’s hometown of Sialkot in parliament, said she plans to attend the wedding on April 15.
“I am going to India on April 14 to attend Shoaib and Sania’s marriage,” she said, adding that the marriage will help improve relations between India and Pakistan and bring the people of both countries closer to each other.
“I will hold a ceremony in Sialkot to place gold crown on the heads of Shoaib and Sania,” she said.
Ms Awan said she would also present gifts on behalf of the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the couple.
Mr Gilani, who wanted a delegation of MPs to visit Hyderabad, thinks it is impossible to dispatch such a large number of persons in their official capacities due to security clearances with India.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan government on Sunday contacted its high commissioner to India, Mr Shahid Malik, directing him to ensure the recovery of cricketer Shoaib Malik’s passport from the Indian authorities after it was seized by the police when his ex-wife Ayesha Siddiqui filed a case against him in Hyderabad.
Interior minister Rehman Malik has contacted the Pakistan high commissioner in India on the phone to get back Shoaib Malik’s passport," an official statement issued here said. "The Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi has been directed to take immediate action to get back Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik’s passport, seized by the Indian police," it added.
Because of security concerns, senior Pakistan Punjab minister, Mr Raja Riaz has said the valima (feast) ceremony would be cerebrated at the Governor’s House in Lahore.
At the same time, several dozen MPs have expressed their desire to be part of an official delegation that would participate in the marriage ceremony.
“The President has also joined the Prime Minister in dispatching the gifts along with greeting cards to the couple,” an official at the presidency said.
He said a proposal was under consideration to confer on Sania Mirza a civilian award in the near future to firm up the position that Pakistan stands for promoting peace and establishing people-to-people contact.
“The President has issued directives to his principal secretary, Mr Salman Farooqi, to send a gift, salaami (cash) and a greeting card to both Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza,” the official at the presidency said.
Pakistan’s population welfare minister Ms Firdous Ashiq Awan said she would present Shoaib and Sania with gold crowns on their arrival in the country after their wedding.
Ms Awan, who represents Shoaib’s hometown of Sialkot in parliament, said she plans to attend the wedding on April 15.
“I am going to India on April 14 to attend Shoaib and Sania’s marriage,” she said, adding that the marriage will help improve relations between India and Pakistan and bring the people of both countries closer to each other.
“I will hold a ceremony in Sialkot to place gold crown on the heads of Shoaib and Sania,” she said.
Ms Awan said she would also present gifts on behalf of the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the couple.
Mr Gilani, who wanted a delegation of MPs to visit Hyderabad, thinks it is impossible to dispatch such a large number of persons in their official capacities due to security clearances with India.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan government on Sunday contacted its high commissioner to India, Mr Shahid Malik, directing him to ensure the recovery of cricketer Shoaib Malik’s passport from the Indian authorities after it was seized by the police when his ex-wife Ayesha Siddiqui filed a case against him in Hyderabad.
Interior minister Rehman Malik has contacted the Pakistan high commissioner in India on the phone to get back Shoaib Malik’s passport," an official statement issued here said. "The Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi has been directed to take immediate action to get back Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik’s passport, seized by the Indian police," it added.
Because of security concerns, senior Pakistan Punjab minister, Mr Raja Riaz has said the valima (feast) ceremony would be cerebrated at the Governor’s House in Lahore.
At the same time, several dozen MPs have expressed their desire to be part of an official delegation that would participate in the marriage ceremony.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Qazi triggers wedding rumour
The Sania Mirza-Shoaib Malik marriage thriller got one more unexpected twist with Qazi Azmatullah of Dar-Ul-Qazzat announcing that their wedding would be solemnised at 7.30 pm on Friday instead of April 15, as earlier announced.
However, Sania’s parents, Mr Imran Mirza and Ms Nasima Mirza, and her aunt, Ms Hameeda, denied the Qazi’s claim at around 8 pm and made it clear that both the nikah and reception would be held on April 15 as planned. “We have made all the arrangements to perform nikah at around 7.30 pm after the Maghrib prayers,” said Qazi Azmatullah at around 11 am on Friday. “The Mirzas have contacted us for this.”
Within an hour, a large number of mediapersons landed up in front of the residence of Sania Mirza in Jubilee Hills and by 7 pm, the road leading to the house was jampacked with hundreds of journalists and cameramen. Over a dozen OB vans were rushed to the spot by various news channels to catch the controversial nikah live.
Mr Imran Mirza finally stepped out and told journalists waiting outside his residence that the nikah would be held on the morning of April 15. “There are no plans to change the schedule,” he said.
The “cross border marriage” has generated several controversies since Shoaib made a sudden appearance at Sania’s residence on April 3. He got entangled in a police case over his earlier marriage with city girl Ayesha Siddiqui, issued a spree of denials, and finally divorced her on April 7.
It looked as if the dust had settled when the deputy qazi of Golconda, under whose jurisdiction Mirza residence comes, made the statement on Friday.
However, Sania’s parents, Mr Imran Mirza and Ms Nasima Mirza, and her aunt, Ms Hameeda, denied the Qazi’s claim at around 8 pm and made it clear that both the nikah and reception would be held on April 15 as planned. “We have made all the arrangements to perform nikah at around 7.30 pm after the Maghrib prayers,” said Qazi Azmatullah at around 11 am on Friday. “The Mirzas have contacted us for this.”
Within an hour, a large number of mediapersons landed up in front of the residence of Sania Mirza in Jubilee Hills and by 7 pm, the road leading to the house was jampacked with hundreds of journalists and cameramen. Over a dozen OB vans were rushed to the spot by various news channels to catch the controversial nikah live.
Mr Imran Mirza finally stepped out and told journalists waiting outside his residence that the nikah would be held on the morning of April 15. “There are no plans to change the schedule,” he said.
The “cross border marriage” has generated several controversies since Shoaib made a sudden appearance at Sania’s residence on April 3. He got entangled in a police case over his earlier marriage with city girl Ayesha Siddiqui, issued a spree of denials, and finally divorced her on April 7.
It looked as if the dust had settled when the deputy qazi of Golconda, under whose jurisdiction Mirza residence comes, made the statement on Friday.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Turns and twists continue in Sania-Shoaib marriage saga
In yet another twist to their controversial wedding build-up, Sania Mirza and Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik sought to reschedule their marriage to Friday evening but were forced to push it back to the original date of April 15 due to legal hassles.
The marriage, which was confirmed by the Quazi Azmatullah Jaffri of Dar-Ul-Qazzat earlier in the day, could not be performed as Shoaib reportedly could not submit necessary documents like passport and clearances with regard to closing of the criminal case filed against him.
The Hyderabad police took Shoaib’s passport after Ayesha Siddiqui, a Hyderabad girl whom he allegedly married in 2002, lodged an FIR against him for dumping her after the marriage.
Shoaib, being a foreign national, his passport was deposited in a local court as part of the police procedure.
A close relative of Sania said the marriage would be performed on the morning of April 15 and a grand reception is scheduled in the evening.
Sania’s aunt Hameeda Usman said, “There is no function today. It is scheduled to take place on April 15 according to the original plan.”
Quazi Jaffri earlier said that Friday, being an auspicious day, the nikah will be performed after Magrib prayers (evening prayers) on Friday.
When contacted, Narasimha Reddy, Additional Commissioner of Police told PTI that as far as police are concerned, the case is closed but Shoaib has to apply to the court to get back his passport.
A strong media contingent waited outside Sania’s house for most part of the day and new barricade were erected to keep the media at bay.
Close relatives of Sania kept visiting the family. Her father Imran emerged from the house but did not talk to the waiting media men.
Ever since they announced their wedding, the couple had been hounded by the media over Shoaib’s first marriage.
Ayesha had alleged that Shoaib married her over phone before dumping her without a divorce due to her weight problems.
Shoaib initially denied the allegations and claimed that Ayesha duped him into a phone marriage by sending photographs of a different woman. The all-rounder, however, finally agreed to divorce her after being pressurized by community leaders.
Ayesha had filed an FIR against Shoaib alleging fraud and criminal intimidation, which led to the cricketer’s passport being confiscated by the police.
The FIRs have been withdrawn after Shoaib agreed to divorce Ayesha.
The marriage, which was confirmed by the Quazi Azmatullah Jaffri of Dar-Ul-Qazzat earlier in the day, could not be performed as Shoaib reportedly could not submit necessary documents like passport and clearances with regard to closing of the criminal case filed against him.
The Hyderabad police took Shoaib’s passport after Ayesha Siddiqui, a Hyderabad girl whom he allegedly married in 2002, lodged an FIR against him for dumping her after the marriage.
Shoaib, being a foreign national, his passport was deposited in a local court as part of the police procedure.
A close relative of Sania said the marriage would be performed on the morning of April 15 and a grand reception is scheduled in the evening.
Sania’s aunt Hameeda Usman said, “There is no function today. It is scheduled to take place on April 15 according to the original plan.”
Quazi Jaffri earlier said that Friday, being an auspicious day, the nikah will be performed after Magrib prayers (evening prayers) on Friday.
When contacted, Narasimha Reddy, Additional Commissioner of Police told PTI that as far as police are concerned, the case is closed but Shoaib has to apply to the court to get back his passport.
A strong media contingent waited outside Sania’s house for most part of the day and new barricade were erected to keep the media at bay.
Close relatives of Sania kept visiting the family. Her father Imran emerged from the house but did not talk to the waiting media men.
Ever since they announced their wedding, the couple had been hounded by the media over Shoaib’s first marriage.
Ayesha had alleged that Shoaib married her over phone before dumping her without a divorce due to her weight problems.
Shoaib initially denied the allegations and claimed that Ayesha duped him into a phone marriage by sending photographs of a different woman. The all-rounder, however, finally agreed to divorce her after being pressurized by community leaders.
Ayesha had filed an FIR against Shoaib alleging fraud and criminal intimidation, which led to the cricketer’s passport being confiscated by the police.
The FIRs have been withdrawn after Shoaib agreed to divorce Ayesha.
Brand Sania takes a beating
When the girl next door fell in love with the boy from across the border, some people thought she’d gone too far, but with the events that have transpired in the last few days, Hyderabadi youngsters rue that this youth icon has compromised on ‘Brand Sania’. While the young woman with the exemplary personal and professional record ‘stood by her man’, her fans believe she has diluted her professional persona and garnered negative attention.
Sure, they say, everyone must accept a potential partner’s past but the current debacle only shows the need to draw a line in every relationship. Sania may have walked into this relationship with eyes open, but she has been dragged in willy-nilly to deal with Shoaib’s unkempt baggage.
Ashmita Das, a research scholar, says, “There is no reason for a girl as independent and respected as Sania to stand by meekly and watch the fiasco around her. It is not just her career or her flagging reputation that should make her take a stand but because as an individual she deserves more respect. Whether it’s her or anyone else, self-respect is crucial. She should ask herself whether the guy would have stood by her if the tables were turned and her past was so murky.”
“Carrying a partner’s emotional and psychological baggage is all right as long as there is complete honesty between the couple. If that is missing, no relationship is worth it,” says Deepti Kumar, who works in a publishing firm, “It is a fact that Sania is getting a raw deal from every quarter. How can any relationship be built on lies? Now it seems that Shoaib is hedging for too long. Sania should probably demand he come clean about all his past activities before agreeing to marry him.”
Dhruv Kapoor, a public relations professional, however, feels that it is a personal issue and should be left to the couple to sort out, “It is true that honesty is essential when it comes to any relationship. But in Sania and Shoaib’s case, you don’t know what went on behind closed doors. Sania probably knew of Shoaib’s past and stood by him to help him save face. Honestly, if it were up to me to accept my partner’s past, I don’t know how far I would go and how much would I be willing to accept until I was in the situation myself.”
Sure, they say, everyone must accept a potential partner’s past but the current debacle only shows the need to draw a line in every relationship. Sania may have walked into this relationship with eyes open, but she has been dragged in willy-nilly to deal with Shoaib’s unkempt baggage.
Ashmita Das, a research scholar, says, “There is no reason for a girl as independent and respected as Sania to stand by meekly and watch the fiasco around her. It is not just her career or her flagging reputation that should make her take a stand but because as an individual she deserves more respect. Whether it’s her or anyone else, self-respect is crucial. She should ask herself whether the guy would have stood by her if the tables were turned and her past was so murky.”
“Carrying a partner’s emotional and psychological baggage is all right as long as there is complete honesty between the couple. If that is missing, no relationship is worth it,” says Deepti Kumar, who works in a publishing firm, “It is a fact that Sania is getting a raw deal from every quarter. How can any relationship be built on lies? Now it seems that Shoaib is hedging for too long. Sania should probably demand he come clean about all his past activities before agreeing to marry him.”
Dhruv Kapoor, a public relations professional, however, feels that it is a personal issue and should be left to the couple to sort out, “It is true that honesty is essential when it comes to any relationship. But in Sania and Shoaib’s case, you don’t know what went on behind closed doors. Sania probably knew of Shoaib’s past and stood by him to help him save face. Honestly, if it were up to me to accept my partner’s past, I don’t know how far I would go and how much would I be willing to accept until I was in the situation myself.”
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Shoaib to divorce Ayesha, marry Sania
‘Compromise formula' worked out between cricketer and Ayesha Siddiqui
The controversy surrounding the wedding of tennis star Sania Mirza with Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik came to an end on Wednesday with a compromise worked out between the cricketer and Hyderabad woman Ayesha Siddiqui.
As per the agreement, Mr. Malik will divorce Ms. Siddiqui and she will withdraw the police complaint against him.
Mr. Malik is scheduled to marry Ms. Mirza here on April 15.
The ‘compromise formula' was thrashed out by a four-member committee headed by Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary Abid Rasool Khan.
The controversy arose after Ms. Siddiqui publicly demanded an apology and divorce from Mr. Malik after his engagement to Ms. Mirza was publicised. She approached the police with a complaint following which a criminal case was registered against the cricketer.
Mr. Khan told journalists on Wednesday that the whole community was terribly upset at the way things were turning uglier day-by-day.
“We have been working for this compromise for the last four to five days without making much noise. And on the advice of the elders in the community, both the families agreed to abide their viewpoint to ensure that things don't drift to a point of no return,” he said.
Besides a settlement of Rs. 15,000 for three months towards divorce settlement as per the Islamic Law, nothing else was debated during the talks. “There were no conditions set by either of the two families before arriving at this compromise,” Mr. Khan said.
“An application has been forwarded to the police for the withdrawal of the cases filed by Ms. Siddiqui's family against Mr. Malik. That process is already on and we are confident that it is only a question of completing a formality now.”
Maj. Quadri, president of Help Hyderabad organisation and member of the committee that ensured the compromise, said, “Yes, it is a fact that the families have been pressured for their own good, as too many inconsistencies are cropping up in their statements and also too many allegations and counter-allegations are being made ahead of the wedding.”
“There is no mala fide intention from either side. The two families are clearly happy with the end-result after the trauma they faced over the last few days. We believe this is the perfect solution and an honourable exit for both parties. We hope and pray both will have a peaceful life in the days to come,” he said.
Ms. Mirza's uncle Shaif Mohammad said the compromise formula should put to an end the “unnecessary acrimony.” “We are happy and so is Sania. I sincerely believe this is the end of it all.”
Ms. Siddiqui's mother Farisha Siddiqui said: “The divorce has been settled and done with. This has been decided by the elders in the interest of the two families and we are all happy. I believe justice has been done to my daughter and to our family finally.”
She, however, refused to take any questions on whether Mr. Malik spoken to her daughter and also to queries on the police complaints.
The controversy surrounding the wedding of tennis star Sania Mirza with Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik came to an end on Wednesday with a compromise worked out between the cricketer and Hyderabad woman Ayesha Siddiqui.
As per the agreement, Mr. Malik will divorce Ms. Siddiqui and she will withdraw the police complaint against him.
Mr. Malik is scheduled to marry Ms. Mirza here on April 15.
The ‘compromise formula' was thrashed out by a four-member committee headed by Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary Abid Rasool Khan.
The controversy arose after Ms. Siddiqui publicly demanded an apology and divorce from Mr. Malik after his engagement to Ms. Mirza was publicised. She approached the police with a complaint following which a criminal case was registered against the cricketer.
Mr. Khan told journalists on Wednesday that the whole community was terribly upset at the way things were turning uglier day-by-day.
“We have been working for this compromise for the last four to five days without making much noise. And on the advice of the elders in the community, both the families agreed to abide their viewpoint to ensure that things don't drift to a point of no return,” he said.
Besides a settlement of Rs. 15,000 for three months towards divorce settlement as per the Islamic Law, nothing else was debated during the talks. “There were no conditions set by either of the two families before arriving at this compromise,” Mr. Khan said.
“An application has been forwarded to the police for the withdrawal of the cases filed by Ms. Siddiqui's family against Mr. Malik. That process is already on and we are confident that it is only a question of completing a formality now.”
Maj. Quadri, president of Help Hyderabad organisation and member of the committee that ensured the compromise, said, “Yes, it is a fact that the families have been pressured for their own good, as too many inconsistencies are cropping up in their statements and also too many allegations and counter-allegations are being made ahead of the wedding.”
“There is no mala fide intention from either side. The two families are clearly happy with the end-result after the trauma they faced over the last few days. We believe this is the perfect solution and an honourable exit for both parties. We hope and pray both will have a peaceful life in the days to come,” he said.
Ms. Mirza's uncle Shaif Mohammad said the compromise formula should put to an end the “unnecessary acrimony.” “We are happy and so is Sania. I sincerely believe this is the end of it all.”
Ms. Siddiqui's mother Farisha Siddiqui said: “The divorce has been settled and done with. This has been decided by the elders in the interest of the two families and we are all happy. I believe justice has been done to my daughter and to our family finally.”
She, however, refused to take any questions on whether Mr. Malik spoken to her daughter and also to queries on the police complaints.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sania marriage may be put off
The marriage of Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza slated for April 15 is likely to be postponed with the controversy surrounding his earlier nikah getting murkier.
Friends and relatives are persuading the Mirza family to defer the marriage if the police investigation into the alleged marriage of Shoaib and Ayesha Siddiqui of the city is not over before April 15.
However, Mrs Naseema Mirza, mother of Sania, said the wedding would be held as scheduled.
Though relatives and friends of the Mirza family have advised them to put off the marriage until the din is over, they are continuing with the distribution of wedding invitation cards.
An advocate, Mr Srinivas Rao, lodged a police complaint demanding that all awards given to her be taken back.
The Women Development Front and the legal wing of All India Forward Block have extended their support to Ayesha Siddiqui.
“We will move the SHRC seeking directions to stop the proposed marriage,” said Ms Siraj Shareen Khan of WDF.
Ms Yasmin Abrar, member of the NCW said the online complaint on the issue would be forwarded to all members.
Ms Renuka Reddy, former member of AP State Women’s Commission, also said it would be better if the Shoaib-Sania wedding takes place only after all doubts were cleared.
The couple, meanwhile, took a break from the controversy, and went on a drive in the city late on Monday. They were spotted with friends having ice cream at a parlour in Jubilee Hills.
Friends and relatives are persuading the Mirza family to defer the marriage if the police investigation into the alleged marriage of Shoaib and Ayesha Siddiqui of the city is not over before April 15.
However, Mrs Naseema Mirza, mother of Sania, said the wedding would be held as scheduled.
Though relatives and friends of the Mirza family have advised them to put off the marriage until the din is over, they are continuing with the distribution of wedding invitation cards.
An advocate, Mr Srinivas Rao, lodged a police complaint demanding that all awards given to her be taken back.
The Women Development Front and the legal wing of All India Forward Block have extended their support to Ayesha Siddiqui.
“We will move the SHRC seeking directions to stop the proposed marriage,” said Ms Siraj Shareen Khan of WDF.
Ms Yasmin Abrar, member of the NCW said the online complaint on the issue would be forwarded to all members.
Ms Renuka Reddy, former member of AP State Women’s Commission, also said it would be better if the Shoaib-Sania wedding takes place only after all doubts were cleared.
The couple, meanwhile, took a break from the controversy, and went on a drive in the city late on Monday. They were spotted with friends having ice cream at a parlour in Jubilee Hills.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Police finds proof on Shoaib
The city police has found enough prima facie evidence to arrest Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik in the cheating and harassment case filed by his alleged wife, Ms Ayesha Siddiqui, but is yet to take a decision on affecting the arrest.
Police officers are in consultation with the state government which in turn is seeking the opinion of the Union ministries of home and external affairs before taking the next steps.
Highly placed sources said the officers are discussing the pros and cons as well as the legal implications of arresting the cricketer who is slated to marry tennis star Sania Mirza on April 15.
Earlier, the police had transferred the Shoaib-Ayesha investigation to the detective department of the Central Crime Station (CCS) after questioning both of them. While Shoaib restated his innocence, Ms Ayesha said she had undergone an abortion.
Police who grilled the Pakistani cricketer at the Jubilee Hills residence of tennis star Sania Mirza in crime number 391/2010 also seized his passport.
Sania was sitting near Shoaib during the one-and-a-half hour grilling. Shoaib told the police that Ms Ayesha’s family had duped him.
The additional commissioner of police (co-ordination), Mr D. Tirumala Rao, said, “Shoaib’s passport was seized for investigation. It has not been impounded.
CCS police will send the nikahnama furnished by Ms Ayesha to the AP Forensic Science Laboratory to verify the genuineness of Shoaib’s signature.
The APFSL was closed on Monday. The lab director, Mr O.N. Murthy said, “We can finalise the report in three to four days.”
Police also recorded the statement of Ms Ayesha Siddiqui at her residence. She told them that she had an intimate relationship with Shoaib and had to undergo abortion.
In the FIR, the police has named Shoaib as A-1. None of his family members has been named.
All the case documents have been handed over to the CCS, said the Banjara Hills assistant commissioner of police, Mr R. Ravinder Reddy, who lead the team that grilled Shoaib.
The additional commissioner of police (crimes), Mr Narasimha Reddy, is now monitoring the case.
Police officers are in consultation with the state government which in turn is seeking the opinion of the Union ministries of home and external affairs before taking the next steps.
Highly placed sources said the officers are discussing the pros and cons as well as the legal implications of arresting the cricketer who is slated to marry tennis star Sania Mirza on April 15.
Earlier, the police had transferred the Shoaib-Ayesha investigation to the detective department of the Central Crime Station (CCS) after questioning both of them. While Shoaib restated his innocence, Ms Ayesha said she had undergone an abortion.
Police who grilled the Pakistani cricketer at the Jubilee Hills residence of tennis star Sania Mirza in crime number 391/2010 also seized his passport.
Sania was sitting near Shoaib during the one-and-a-half hour grilling. Shoaib told the police that Ms Ayesha’s family had duped him.
The additional commissioner of police (co-ordination), Mr D. Tirumala Rao, said, “Shoaib’s passport was seized for investigation. It has not been impounded.
CCS police will send the nikahnama furnished by Ms Ayesha to the AP Forensic Science Laboratory to verify the genuineness of Shoaib’s signature.
The APFSL was closed on Monday. The lab director, Mr O.N. Murthy said, “We can finalise the report in three to four days.”
Police also recorded the statement of Ms Ayesha Siddiqui at her residence. She told them that she had an intimate relationship with Shoaib and had to undergo abortion.
In the FIR, the police has named Shoaib as A-1. None of his family members has been named.
All the case documents have been handed over to the CCS, said the Banjara Hills assistant commissioner of police, Mr R. Ravinder Reddy, who lead the team that grilled Shoaib.
The additional commissioner of police (crimes), Mr Narasimha Reddy, is now monitoring the case.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Criminal case booked against Shoaib Malik
The city police on Sunday booked a criminal case against Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. The case under Sections 420 (cheating), 498-A (harassment) and 506 (criminal intimidation) were booked against Shoaib based on a complaint lodged by Ayesha Siddiqui, who claimed to have married the cricketer.
“As there are legal complications in the case, we are taking the opinion of legal experts for initiating quick action against Malik,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Co-ordination) Dwaraka Tirumal Rao.
In the complaint, Ayesha alleged that Shoaib was threatening her to accept before the media that she was not married to him. She said Shoaib had married her but now claimed he did not, in order to marry tennis player Sania Mirza. Ayesha's father Mohammed Siddiqui lodged the complaint at Banjara Hills police station on behalf of his daughter.
The Additional Commissioner said: “If an Indian commits an offence abroad also, he is liable for punishment under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In this case, the offence was committed out of India by a foreigner. So we are taking legal opinion for necessary action.”
“As there are legal complications in the case, we are taking the opinion of legal experts for initiating quick action against Malik,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Co-ordination) Dwaraka Tirumal Rao.
In the complaint, Ayesha alleged that Shoaib was threatening her to accept before the media that she was not married to him. She said Shoaib had married her but now claimed he did not, in order to marry tennis player Sania Mirza. Ayesha's father Mohammed Siddiqui lodged the complaint at Banjara Hills police station on behalf of his daughter.
The Additional Commissioner said: “If an Indian commits an offence abroad also, he is liable for punishment under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In this case, the offence was committed out of India by a foreigner. So we are taking legal opinion for necessary action.”
Sania knows the truth: Shoaib
“Sania Mirza knows the truth and the family members from both sides are all happy about my wedding which is going to take place in Hyderabad on April 15,” said former Pakistani captain Shoaib Malik, who is in Hyderabad to get into the preparatory mode for the celebrity wedding.
In his first interaction with the media after arriving in Hyderabad last Friday night, a visibly relaxed Shoaib repeatedly stressed he was not going to discuss anything about his alleged marriage with another Hyderabad girl Ayesha Siddiqui earlier.
“The matter is sub-judice and my lawyer will answer any queries on the subject,” was all that he would say despite grilling by the crowded media.
However the two-page statement issued by him referred to the subject in detail.
The Pakistani cricketer also made it clear that Sania will continue to play for India and he will represent Pakistan. “We are delighted at the way preparations are going on. The list of invitees is not yet finalised and we are still in the process of doing so. Definitely, all my family members will be here for the wedding since both Sania and I have the blessings of everyone concerned,” he explained.
Saturday’s uneasy calm at Sania’s residence is slowly transforming into the preparatory mood with a discernible tinge of joy, 10 days ahead of the marriage. In fact, Malik landed in Hyderabad to the surprise of the media but not to Imran’s family. The cricketer arrived early to get the mandatory clearances from different government channels, it was learnt.
The invitation cards are ready and the distribution to the 500-odd ‘select’ guests will take place soon.
Sania’s family members staunchly believe that Malik is clean and that they are not naïve enough to gamble on such an important subject involving the wedding of their daughter. “We believe in the Almighty and in whatever we know about Malik. We are going ahead with the marriage plans. Whatever controversies have cropped up are not because of our making,” they insist.
Sania, for her part, re-asserts that she should know Malik better than anyone else since she decided on him to be her life-partner.
No nikah, says Malik
In the statement released by him, Malik, reiterated that there was no valid nikah because they (Ayesha’s family) pressurized him into it, with the intention to cheat. “In Islam, there can be a divorce, only if the nikah is valid. I was wrongly made to believe that the pictures Ayesha had sent me were of the girl I was marrying. I feel terrible about the mess, created by a family, that has caused great grief to my own people and the family of my bride-to-be,” Malik asserted.
The statement also includes the opinion on nikah by Mohammed Khader Ali, Sadar Qazi (chief Qazi) of Hyderabad and president of AP Association of Qazis on nikah and the Muslim Law.
“In Muslim Law, it is about the process, the procedure. There can be no tampering with that. Secondly, Meher (dowry or a specified sum of money), presence of two witnesses (one from the bride’s and one from the groom’s side), vakhil (guardian of the bride) and finally the bride and the groom, all these parties have to sign the nikahnama at the time of nikah,” the chief Qazi explains.
Significantly, the Sadar Qazi clarified that the telephone nikah is no longer valid. “This is because all parties, that I had earlier mentioned, cannot be at the same place to sign the nikahnama if the nikah is taking place over the telephone, with the bride and groom in different cities or countries,” he pointed out.
In his first interaction with the media after arriving in Hyderabad last Friday night, a visibly relaxed Shoaib repeatedly stressed he was not going to discuss anything about his alleged marriage with another Hyderabad girl Ayesha Siddiqui earlier.
“The matter is sub-judice and my lawyer will answer any queries on the subject,” was all that he would say despite grilling by the crowded media.
However the two-page statement issued by him referred to the subject in detail.
The Pakistani cricketer also made it clear that Sania will continue to play for India and he will represent Pakistan. “We are delighted at the way preparations are going on. The list of invitees is not yet finalised and we are still in the process of doing so. Definitely, all my family members will be here for the wedding since both Sania and I have the blessings of everyone concerned,” he explained.
Saturday’s uneasy calm at Sania’s residence is slowly transforming into the preparatory mood with a discernible tinge of joy, 10 days ahead of the marriage. In fact, Malik landed in Hyderabad to the surprise of the media but not to Imran’s family. The cricketer arrived early to get the mandatory clearances from different government channels, it was learnt.
The invitation cards are ready and the distribution to the 500-odd ‘select’ guests will take place soon.
Sania’s family members staunchly believe that Malik is clean and that they are not naïve enough to gamble on such an important subject involving the wedding of their daughter. “We believe in the Almighty and in whatever we know about Malik. We are going ahead with the marriage plans. Whatever controversies have cropped up are not because of our making,” they insist.
Sania, for her part, re-asserts that she should know Malik better than anyone else since she decided on him to be her life-partner.
No nikah, says Malik
In the statement released by him, Malik, reiterated that there was no valid nikah because they (Ayesha’s family) pressurized him into it, with the intention to cheat. “In Islam, there can be a divorce, only if the nikah is valid. I was wrongly made to believe that the pictures Ayesha had sent me were of the girl I was marrying. I feel terrible about the mess, created by a family, that has caused great grief to my own people and the family of my bride-to-be,” Malik asserted.
The statement also includes the opinion on nikah by Mohammed Khader Ali, Sadar Qazi (chief Qazi) of Hyderabad and president of AP Association of Qazis on nikah and the Muslim Law.
“In Muslim Law, it is about the process, the procedure. There can be no tampering with that. Secondly, Meher (dowry or a specified sum of money), presence of two witnesses (one from the bride’s and one from the groom’s side), vakhil (guardian of the bride) and finally the bride and the groom, all these parties have to sign the nikahnama at the time of nikah,” the chief Qazi explains.
Significantly, the Sadar Qazi clarified that the telephone nikah is no longer valid. “This is because all parties, that I had earlier mentioned, cannot be at the same place to sign the nikahnama if the nikah is taking place over the telephone, with the bride and groom in different cities or countries,” he pointed out.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Shoaib puts up defence
The Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik early on Sunday issued a statement giving his side of the story in the Ayesha Siddiqui affair.
We present the statement in its entirety. It reads as follows:
I want to clarify a few wrongly reported facts about me in some sections of the media, newspapers and television channels in India and Pakistan.
I want to make my position clear especially because I am to wed Sania Mirza in the near future.
Ayesha first started calling me on the telephone when I was in Sharjah with the Pakistan cricket team in 2001. On the phone, she introduced herself as my fan. She said, she was living in Saudi Arabia.
Gradually, we started speaking every day. Naturally, I wanted to meet her. Every time I brought up the topic of meeting she would send me a bunch of photographs. I was made to believe the girl in the photograph was the one I was speaking to.
The truth is, I haven’t, to this day, met the girl in the photographs Ayesha sent me.
We had become close, thanks to the telephone conversations. In 2002, I came to Hyderabad specifically to meet Ayesha. Just before I left Pakistan, she told me she had to rush to Saudi Arabia on urgent work and her cousins -- Reema and Maha apa (meaning older sister) -- would take me around. I waited in Hyderabad for five days, hoping she would return. I finally asked her family where she was and they said, that in the last year she had put on a lot of weight, because of which she didn’t want to meet me until she could shed some of that. I told them I had photographs of her and that she wasn’t fat, but they told me those were older photographs.
Ayesha wanted us to get married. She had been talking about it for some time, saying we would only meet at our shaadi. In 2002, she told me that people in Hyderabad were talking about our relationship, and it was putting her parents in an embarrassing position. She also told me she was feeling insecure. She wanted us to have a telephone Nikah to stop the talk. I knew that my parents wouldn’t agree to a telephone Nikah. They wanted to celebrate my wedding, and so did I.
I wanted to marry Ayesha, but I was too young, I was only 20 years then. There was a lot of pressure on me from Ayesha. I called her from a friend’s shop in June 2002. I got a nikahnama, signed it, thinking the girl I was marrying was the one in the photographs. I wasn’t happy doing this, because I hadn’t told my parents, and was emotionally forced to do it.
A year or so later, I travelled to Hyderabad in the hope of meeting her, but once again it was the same story. Ayesha told me on the phone that she still hadn’t lost the weight she put on so didn’t want to meet me. I was met by Maha apa and Reema, who took me around again.
In 2004, my brother-in-law travelled to Hyderabad to meet Ayesha and her family, and again the same story was repeated, so he returned without meeting Ayesha. At that point, I was a little flustered, because none of us were able to meet her. It was I who had requested my brother-in-law to travel to India and meet Ayesha and her family as I was keen to take the relationship forward, formally.
Later that year, I was here in Hyderabad with the Pakistan cricket team. Mr M.A. Siddiqui invited the team to his house for dinner. I was hoping to meet Ayesha there, but the girl in the photographs wasn’t at the dinner. The same story was told to me again. I just couldn’t understand what was happening.
In a practice game, the next day, I won the man-of-the-match award. Later, I said that I was happy this was happening in my wife’s city. Even though I hadn’t met her even once, we were constantly talking to each other over the telephone. I always wanted to support her. That was how I felt, despite everything.
We accidentally ran into the truth about who Ayesha was. It was the worst moment of my life. No one enjoys being made a fool of, and that was exactly how I was made to look. It happened in August 2005. My brother-in-law got a photograph of a teacher in Saudi Arabia, who was telling people around her that she was married to me. His nephews were studying in that school. I was aghast when he showed me the photograph of the teacher; the woman in it was the person I called Maha apa. I immediately confronted Maha apa. It was she who had been making a fool of me all these years, pretending to be the person whose pictures she had been sending me. I told her I didn’t ever want to speak to her again. At that point I wondered if I could ever trust anyone again.
I told Ayesha I was going to release the photographs she had been mailing me to the media. She apologised and told me that the other girl was married and that I would ruin her life if I released those pictures. I thought about it, whosoever is in that photograph, probably doesn’t even know about all this, and it wouldn’t be fair to release those pictures.
In 2008 my lawyer sent a legal notice to Mr M.A. Siddiqui, who had been feeding the media with false and fabricated stories about me. After that he stopped making false allegations against me, until of course, news of my marriage to Sania Mirza became public.
Now, they’re asking for a divorce. To begin with there was no nikah because they pressurised me into it, with the intention to cheat. In Islam, there can only be a divorce, if the nikah is valid. I was wrongly made to believe that the pictures Ayesha had sent me were of the girl I was marrying. I feel terrible about the mess, created by a family, that has caused great grief to my own people and the family of my bride to be.
I’m confident, however, that the truth will prevail.
This is the opinion of Mohammed Khader Ali, Sadar Qazi (chief Qazi) of Hyderabad, and president of the Andhra Pradesh Association of Qazis on nikah and the Muslim law.
Q: What is needed in a Nikahnama, to make it valid?
A: Firstly, in Muslim law, it is about the process, the procedure, there can be no tampering with that. Secondly, Meher (dower, or a specified sum of money), two witnesses (one from the bride’s and one from the groom's side), Vakil (guardian of the bride) and finally the bride and groom, all these parties have to sign the nikahnama at the time of the nikah.
Q: Is a telephone nikah valid?
A: Telephone nikah is no longer valid, simply because all parties, that I had earlier mentioned, cannot be at the same place to sign the nikahnama if the nikah is taking place over the telephone, with the bride and groom in different cities or countries.
Q: If either the bride or the groom marry without seeing each other, believing the person they are marrying to be someone else, is the nikah valid?
A: No. The intention has to be right. If a bride or groom is made to believe that the person he or she is marrying is not the same person as he or she believes him to be and the nikah is performed with another person without the knowledge or consent of either parties, the nikah isn’t valid and amounts to fraud.
We present the statement in its entirety. It reads as follows:
I want to clarify a few wrongly reported facts about me in some sections of the media, newspapers and television channels in India and Pakistan.
I want to make my position clear especially because I am to wed Sania Mirza in the near future.
Ayesha first started calling me on the telephone when I was in Sharjah with the Pakistan cricket team in 2001. On the phone, she introduced herself as my fan. She said, she was living in Saudi Arabia.
Gradually, we started speaking every day. Naturally, I wanted to meet her. Every time I brought up the topic of meeting she would send me a bunch of photographs. I was made to believe the girl in the photograph was the one I was speaking to.
The truth is, I haven’t, to this day, met the girl in the photographs Ayesha sent me.
We had become close, thanks to the telephone conversations. In 2002, I came to Hyderabad specifically to meet Ayesha. Just before I left Pakistan, she told me she had to rush to Saudi Arabia on urgent work and her cousins -- Reema and Maha apa (meaning older sister) -- would take me around. I waited in Hyderabad for five days, hoping she would return. I finally asked her family where she was and they said, that in the last year she had put on a lot of weight, because of which she didn’t want to meet me until she could shed some of that. I told them I had photographs of her and that she wasn’t fat, but they told me those were older photographs.
Ayesha wanted us to get married. She had been talking about it for some time, saying we would only meet at our shaadi. In 2002, she told me that people in Hyderabad were talking about our relationship, and it was putting her parents in an embarrassing position. She also told me she was feeling insecure. She wanted us to have a telephone Nikah to stop the talk. I knew that my parents wouldn’t agree to a telephone Nikah. They wanted to celebrate my wedding, and so did I.
I wanted to marry Ayesha, but I was too young, I was only 20 years then. There was a lot of pressure on me from Ayesha. I called her from a friend’s shop in June 2002. I got a nikahnama, signed it, thinking the girl I was marrying was the one in the photographs. I wasn’t happy doing this, because I hadn’t told my parents, and was emotionally forced to do it.
A year or so later, I travelled to Hyderabad in the hope of meeting her, but once again it was the same story. Ayesha told me on the phone that she still hadn’t lost the weight she put on so didn’t want to meet me. I was met by Maha apa and Reema, who took me around again.
In 2004, my brother-in-law travelled to Hyderabad to meet Ayesha and her family, and again the same story was repeated, so he returned without meeting Ayesha. At that point, I was a little flustered, because none of us were able to meet her. It was I who had requested my brother-in-law to travel to India and meet Ayesha and her family as I was keen to take the relationship forward, formally.
Later that year, I was here in Hyderabad with the Pakistan cricket team. Mr M.A. Siddiqui invited the team to his house for dinner. I was hoping to meet Ayesha there, but the girl in the photographs wasn’t at the dinner. The same story was told to me again. I just couldn’t understand what was happening.
In a practice game, the next day, I won the man-of-the-match award. Later, I said that I was happy this was happening in my wife’s city. Even though I hadn’t met her even once, we were constantly talking to each other over the telephone. I always wanted to support her. That was how I felt, despite everything.
We accidentally ran into the truth about who Ayesha was. It was the worst moment of my life. No one enjoys being made a fool of, and that was exactly how I was made to look. It happened in August 2005. My brother-in-law got a photograph of a teacher in Saudi Arabia, who was telling people around her that she was married to me. His nephews were studying in that school. I was aghast when he showed me the photograph of the teacher; the woman in it was the person I called Maha apa. I immediately confronted Maha apa. It was she who had been making a fool of me all these years, pretending to be the person whose pictures she had been sending me. I told her I didn’t ever want to speak to her again. At that point I wondered if I could ever trust anyone again.
I told Ayesha I was going to release the photographs she had been mailing me to the media. She apologised and told me that the other girl was married and that I would ruin her life if I released those pictures. I thought about it, whosoever is in that photograph, probably doesn’t even know about all this, and it wouldn’t be fair to release those pictures.
In 2008 my lawyer sent a legal notice to Mr M.A. Siddiqui, who had been feeding the media with false and fabricated stories about me. After that he stopped making false allegations against me, until of course, news of my marriage to Sania Mirza became public.
Now, they’re asking for a divorce. To begin with there was no nikah because they pressurised me into it, with the intention to cheat. In Islam, there can only be a divorce, if the nikah is valid. I was wrongly made to believe that the pictures Ayesha had sent me were of the girl I was marrying. I feel terrible about the mess, created by a family, that has caused great grief to my own people and the family of my bride to be.
I’m confident, however, that the truth will prevail.
This is the opinion of Mohammed Khader Ali, Sadar Qazi (chief Qazi) of Hyderabad, and president of the Andhra Pradesh Association of Qazis on nikah and the Muslim law.
Q: What is needed in a Nikahnama, to make it valid?
A: Firstly, in Muslim law, it is about the process, the procedure, there can be no tampering with that. Secondly, Meher (dower, or a specified sum of money), two witnesses (one from the bride’s and one from the groom's side), Vakil (guardian of the bride) and finally the bride and groom, all these parties have to sign the nikahnama at the time of the nikah.
Q: Is a telephone nikah valid?
A: Telephone nikah is no longer valid, simply because all parties, that I had earlier mentioned, cannot be at the same place to sign the nikahnama if the nikah is taking place over the telephone, with the bride and groom in different cities or countries.
Q: If either the bride or the groom marry without seeing each other, believing the person they are marrying to be someone else, is the nikah valid?
A: No. The intention has to be right. If a bride or groom is made to believe that the person he or she is marrying is not the same person as he or she believes him to be and the nikah is performed with another person without the knowledge or consent of either parties, the nikah isn’t valid and amounts to fraud.
Shoaib visits Sania
Shoaib, who reportedly reached Hyderabad late on Friday night, was spotted standing on the balcony of Sania's house
The former Pakistan cricket captain, Shoaib Malik, was spotted at the house of tennis star Sania Mirza here on Saturday morning.
The former Pakistan cricket captain, Shoaib Malik, was spotted at the house of tennis star Sania Mirza here on Saturday morning.
His marriage to Sania is scheduled on April 15. Sania's family members, however, chose to remain silent on his visit.
The wedding is likely to take place in Hyderabad. There was speculation in the Pakistani media that the venue may be shifted to Dubai.
Shoaib, who reportedly reached Hyderabad late on Friday night, was spotted standing on the balcony of Sania's house. He was speaking on his cell phone while Sania and her mother stood beside him talking to each other.
The controversy surrounding Shoaib's alleged earlier marriage to local girl Ayesha Siddiqui has been raging in the media in the last couple of days.
Sania's announcement to wed Shoaib also drew flak from various quarters, including the Shiv Sena. Tennis and cricket fans have been posting their views liberally on websites. While some voiced their support for Sania and her choice, others expressed their disappointment with her decision and the subsequent developments.
In reaction to this, the tennis star posted a tweet, thanking all the people, including the media, who have supported her and Shoaib.
“I and my family know what the truth is, we've known it all along and we have confidence in God's justice,” she wrote.
Later in the night, however, Sania's friend Anil Kumar Yadav said there was no change in the venue of the wedding.
The former Pakistan cricket captain, Shoaib Malik, was spotted at the house of tennis star Sania Mirza here on Saturday morning.
The former Pakistan cricket captain, Shoaib Malik, was spotted at the house of tennis star Sania Mirza here on Saturday morning.
His marriage to Sania is scheduled on April 15. Sania's family members, however, chose to remain silent on his visit.
The wedding is likely to take place in Hyderabad. There was speculation in the Pakistani media that the venue may be shifted to Dubai.
Shoaib, who reportedly reached Hyderabad late on Friday night, was spotted standing on the balcony of Sania's house. He was speaking on his cell phone while Sania and her mother stood beside him talking to each other.
The controversy surrounding Shoaib's alleged earlier marriage to local girl Ayesha Siddiqui has been raging in the media in the last couple of days.
Sania's announcement to wed Shoaib also drew flak from various quarters, including the Shiv Sena. Tennis and cricket fans have been posting their views liberally on websites. While some voiced their support for Sania and her choice, others expressed their disappointment with her decision and the subsequent developments.
In reaction to this, the tennis star posted a tweet, thanking all the people, including the media, who have supported her and Shoaib.
“I and my family know what the truth is, we've known it all along and we have confidence in God's justice,” she wrote.
Later in the night, however, Sania's friend Anil Kumar Yadav said there was no change in the venue of the wedding.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Ayesha releases Shoaib marriage proof
The Shoaib Malik-Ayesha Siddiqui controversy took another turn on Friday when the Siddiqui family released, what they claimed, the marriage certificate of the Pakistani cricketer's 2002 'wedding' with the Hyderabad girl.
The marriage certificate (Nikahnama) was shown by several Pakistani television channels and apparently contained the signatures of Shoaib Malik on the column for the groom and the name of Maha Siddiqui on the column for the bride.
"I have released this marriage certificate because Shoaib and his family have constantly been denying this marriage," Ayesha told the 'Duniya' channel from Hyderabad.
While the Siddiqui family claims Shoaib is married to their daughter Ayesha and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza would be his second wife if they go ahead with the marriage, the Pakistani cricketer and his family have constantly denied that he ever entered into any wedlock with Ayesha.
Muhammad Siddiqui, the girl's father, has threatened to sue Malik and also seek a fatwa against him from Ulemas.
Ayesha said that she had released the Nikahnama because it proved that the marriage did take place.
"They are signatures of witnesses on the certificate and Shoaib sent me a copy for signature and a Haq Mahar amount of Pakistani 500 rupees," she said.
She said that Shoaib had always been unhappy with her weight problems and for his sake, she had even gone and had an operation in New Delhi.
"But I am devastated the way he is constantly denying everything. I have nothing against Sania but the truth must come out," Ayesha said.
Imran Zafar Malik, Shoaib's brother-in-law, however, dismissed the marriage certificate as a fake and said when no Nikah ceremony ever took place the document had no value at all.
"I don't want to say anything more except that Ayesha is a very talented girl and she is being misguided by some people," he said.
Zafar also said that the Siddiqui family had left them no choice but to purse legal action against them in India.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Pak wants Sania to play for them
With less than two weeks to go for her wedding with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, it appears, will have more on her mind than her trousseau for the nuptials.
The Indian star may have sparked off a war of words between the Indian and Pakistan tennis federations. Reports that the Pakistan Tennis Federation chief, Mr Dilawar Abbas, was quoted as saying that Sania should represent Pakistan set the cat amongst the pigeons.
“It is great news for our tennis community that Sania Mirza is getting married to Shoaib Malik. We welcome her and hope that she would becomes a Pakistani national and plays for us in future,” Abbas reportedly said.
Enough to prompt a swift reaction from the All India Tennis Federation, who put their foot down saying she was committed to playing for India in global events!
“Sania Mirza and her parents have informed AITA that she will continue to play for India after her marriage. She has confirmed she will be part of the Indian team in the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi, Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, the 2011 Fed Cup and the 2012 Olympics at London,” the AITA secretary general, Mr Anil Khanna, said.
The PTF chief backtracked, saying that he had been misquoted. “How can she play for Pakistan when she is an Indian and wants to remain an Indian national?” Mr Abbas said.
The Indian star may have sparked off a war of words between the Indian and Pakistan tennis federations. Reports that the Pakistan Tennis Federation chief, Mr Dilawar Abbas, was quoted as saying that Sania should represent Pakistan set the cat amongst the pigeons.
“It is great news for our tennis community that Sania Mirza is getting married to Shoaib Malik. We welcome her and hope that she would becomes a Pakistani national and plays for us in future,” Abbas reportedly said.
Enough to prompt a swift reaction from the All India Tennis Federation, who put their foot down saying she was committed to playing for India in global events!
“Sania Mirza and her parents have informed AITA that she will continue to play for India after her marriage. She has confirmed she will be part of the Indian team in the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi, Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, the 2011 Fed Cup and the 2012 Olympics at London,” the AITA secretary general, Mr Anil Khanna, said.
The PTF chief backtracked, saying that he had been misquoted. “How can she play for Pakistan when she is an Indian and wants to remain an Indian national?” Mr Abbas said.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sania to wed Shoaib, settle in Dubai
India’s ace tennis player, Sania Mirza is to marry Shoaib Malik, the former cricket captain of Pakistan. The wedding has been scheduled within a month.
“The couple will be based in Dubai, where Shoaib is a resident and Sania will continue to play tennis once she recovers fully from the serious wrist injury,” Sania’s father, Mr Imran Mirza, told this newspaper on Monday.
Sania is understandably excited about her marriage. “My wedding is, Inshallah, going to be the biggest day of my life,” the 23-year-old said, adding, “I have been in constant glare for too long and would appreciate the privacy at this very personal moment in my life.”
In a statement, Shoaib vowed to support Sania in her career. “I fully understand what it takes to be an international sportsperson and I will support Sania in her career as long as she wishes to play,” the cricketer said, while confirming the news.
Sania recently broke off her engagement with Mr Sohrab Mirza, a childhood friend. Shoaib was involved in a controversy over marrying Ms Ayesha Siddiqui, a Hyderabadi. Ms Siddiqui is also known to Sania’s family.
“Representing India at the 2012 Olympics is very important for her and I will be the proudest husband if she can win a medal for her country,” Shoaib added.
Sania, a former top-30 player, is planning a comeback just before Wimbledon in June. “I hope to be fully fit to represent India in the Commonwealth and Asian Games that are scheduled for later this year,” she said.
Imran, who has coached Sania through her career, observed: “This is a unique case where the husband and wife will represent their respective countries in sport.”
Sania’s mother, Ms Nasima Mirza, was delighted. “Marriages are made in heaven,” she said.
“The couple will be based in Dubai, where Shoaib is a resident and Sania will continue to play tennis once she recovers fully from the serious wrist injury,” Sania’s father, Mr Imran Mirza, told this newspaper on Monday.
Sania is understandably excited about her marriage. “My wedding is, Inshallah, going to be the biggest day of my life,” the 23-year-old said, adding, “I have been in constant glare for too long and would appreciate the privacy at this very personal moment in my life.”
In a statement, Shoaib vowed to support Sania in her career. “I fully understand what it takes to be an international sportsperson and I will support Sania in her career as long as she wishes to play,” the cricketer said, while confirming the news.
Sania recently broke off her engagement with Mr Sohrab Mirza, a childhood friend. Shoaib was involved in a controversy over marrying Ms Ayesha Siddiqui, a Hyderabadi. Ms Siddiqui is also known to Sania’s family.
“Representing India at the 2012 Olympics is very important for her and I will be the proudest husband if she can win a medal for her country,” Shoaib added.
Sania, a former top-30 player, is planning a comeback just before Wimbledon in June. “I hope to be fully fit to represent India in the Commonwealth and Asian Games that are scheduled for later this year,” she said.
Imran, who has coached Sania through her career, observed: “This is a unique case where the husband and wife will represent their respective countries in sport.”
Sania’s mother, Ms Nasima Mirza, was delighted. “Marriages are made in heaven,” she said.
