Man reportedly solemnises fifth marriage with stepdaughter in Haripur

PESHAWAR: A man has reportedly solemnised his fifth marriage with his 18-year-old stepdaughter in an area of Haripur, claimed the young woman’s mother.

While talking to Geo.tv, Sheherbano Qazmi said she widowed nine years back, after which she married a man called Waris Ali Shah.

Qazmi said she along with her four children — from her former husband — was living a stable life with Waris Ali for the first nine months of their marriage. The woman added she also used money left by her deceased husband to finance a business of spare automobile parts for Waris Ali.

After nine months of their marriage, she added, Waris Ali started demanding her to sell the house given to her by her deceased husband. When Qazmi refused, Waris Ali started physically abusing her.

On November 5, her eldest daughter went missing from their house. Qazmi said Waris Ali would accompany her to look for her daughter. 

On November 22, Waris Ali sent her a nikkah nama on messaging app Whatsapp, showing his marriage to the 18-year-old.

Qazmi said she approach the police station but the officials refused to help her. They only agreed and registered the case after she took to the local court under Section 22-A of Criminal Procedure Court, which is used when the police are not registering a criminal case.

In her efforts to find her daughter, the woman traced the registrar through the nikkah nama sent to her by Waris Ali, where she found out that the man had married five times, her daughter being his fifth wife.

“In this move, Waris Ali was helped by a man, who was our driver and had taken my children to for two years,” Qazmi told Geo.tv. “But even he did not inform me.”

Qazmi claims that after the incident, Waris Ali does not provide her with monthly expenses and has disallowed her from visiting his place of business, leaving her to struggle with her remaining three children – one daughter and two sons. 

“I cannot even pay their fees and I am myself not well these days.”

Even Waris Ali’s father was aware of his acts, Qazmi said. “But only to save Waris Ali, his father has publically disowned him from family property and issued the announcement in a newspaper.”