Tale of romance, marriage

LONDON: A British Pakistani bride has appealed to British High Commission and Pakistani authorities to save her husband’s life who lives in hiding after a fake case of kidnapping was registered against him by the bride’s family in Lahore after the couple got married in April.

Afshah Sanam, 19, from Stockton, got married to Saul Steve, 27, at a ceremony in Lahore on 20/04/19 and their marriage was registered legally. They got married after Steve converted to Islam from Christianity.

Afshah’s father Khalid Hussain, a Stockton taxi driver originally from Mirpur and rest of the family members were opposed to British born Afshah’s marriage to Saul Steve. There is no independent verification of this but Afshah claims that PTI’s Azad Kashmir leader has used his influence with the PTI government in Punjab to use police to run campaign of terror against her husband and his Christian parents.

The couple got married after a whirlwind romance. They fell in love after meeting each on a social media site and talked to each other for hours on WhatsApp. This year in February, Afshah travelled to Pakistan to meet Steve in Lahore. It was clear immediately that they wanted to marry each other. Afshah returned to her home in Stockton and then returned in April to get married. She asked her father twice for permission to get married but he refused. Afshah left for Pakistan without telling her family.

She told Geo News: “I asked my dad if I could get married to Steve three times. My father initially said no and then issued threats. I went to Pakistan with just two pairs of clothes. I left the UK on the 18/04/19 and reached Pakistan on the 19/04/19. I rang my dad and told him I am in Pakistan. He threatened to kill me and my husband when I told him I am safe.”

She alleges her father reached Pakistan the following day and reached at the house of her in-laws. The family showed him nikkah nama and he went into a rage. My dad bribed the police and got a fake case registered against the poor family of my husband. Since they are a Christian family, the police raided instantly and my husband and his family ran away to escape arrest. The police arrested my husband’s aunt who had helped us to get married. They took her away by putting black fabric around her eyes. She was also told that the man who stood in front of her is the Lahore Model Town SP. They kept her in the police station for two months for no reason. I want the IG of Punjab to know this as it is absolutely wrong.”

Afshah approached the Lahore High Court against the fake FIR but she says the court didn’t take much notice. “My father went to the extreme of influencing our lawyer who asked to go to Mirpur, Kashmir, I got really scared at the suggestion. My husband told me to return back to the UK as he wanted me to be safe but he said he will hide and try to keep himself safe by hiding here and there.”

Afhsah left Pakistan on 07/05/19 and on the same day her in-law’s residence was raided. “The police asked the family of my husband to convince him to give me divorce. I request the IG of Punjab and Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of what the Punjab police have been doing to myself and my husband. My in-laws need help and protection.”

In a statement, Saul Steve told Geo News from a secret hideout in Lahore: “Afshah married on her own free will. I didn’t kidnap her as alleged in the fake FIR. She’s now in the UK and she confirms that the case is fake. My wife’s father came to Lahore and gave money to people to find me. He told my wife I am a gangster but I am not. He planned to kill us by luring us to go to Kashmir. He used Mirpur police to come to my home and threaten my family to get Afshah divorced. My aunt was slapped and spat on. My family has been chased and harassed daily. I am in hiding and I ask Pakistani government to give me safety and justice.”