Alleged bigamy, threats, police pressure: British Pakistani man takes wife to court

A British Pakistani businessman has filed legal proceedings against his wife in Lahore, alleging that she was making arrangements to marry another man while their marriage remains legally valid, according to multiple media reports. 

The case involves allegations of bigamy, intimidation, misuse of police authority, and unlawful termination of pregnancies, and could result in criminal proceedings under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The businessman Mohsin Shah, a British citizen originally from Lahore, claims that his wife Zainab Abid Qureshi has become engaged to a Lahore-based businessman from a rich family in October 2025 while their marriage is still legally and Islamically valid.

He alleges that the engagement took place in October 2025 with a planning to get married in January 2026. The British Pakistani businessman says that the engagement has been carried out secretly, which he says constitutes a clear violation of legal, ethical, and moral standards.

He has accused his wife Zainab Abid Qureshi and his father-in-law of using local police and other state authorities to intimidate, torture and threaten him in an effort to silence him and prevent him from raising objections to the alleged second marriage.

According to the businessman, these actions have caused serious distress to him and his family in both Pakistan and the United Kingdom. The girl’s father Abid Qureshi is originally from Sialkot but resides in Lahore.

According to the legal notice and the documentary evidence, the businessman married Zainab Abid Qureshi on 5 October 2024 in Malaysia when the couple were on holidays. The couple had been in a relationship for approximately five years prior to their marriage. Their Nikah was conducted via video call in Malaysia, with a Qari present to solemnise the marriage and witnesses participating in the process.

The husband alleges that during the course of their relationship and marriage, his wife became pregnant on eight occasions and that abortions were carried out each time. He claims to possess medical laboratory reports which, according to him, conclusively establish the pregnancies during the relevant period. He further alleges that these abortions were carried out without his consent.

In a complaint lodged with the Lahore police, the woman reportedly claimed that she met the UK-based businessman only twice but the husband strongly disputes this assertion, stating that extensive evidence demonstrates they met on hundreds of occasions over a five-year period. He claims to be in possession of more than 8,000 messages and approximately 450 photographs documenting their relationship, travel, and marriage.

The legal notice states that the businessman has confession audio recordings in which his wife allegedly admits to marrying him and signing the Nikah documents. It further claims that hotel receipts, flight records, and other documents bearing both parties’ names corroborate the legitimacy of the marriage and their frequent travel together.

Statements have also been obtained from individuals who signed the Nikah and were present at its registration, all of whom, according to the notice, confirm that the marriage was lawful and valid, according to media reports.

The legal notice states that the girl and his father applied pressure on two officials and used torture tactics to get fake statements. A case has been filed in a Lahore court against the Punjab Anti-Corruption team, the girl’s father and the girl for being involved in the alleged illegal activities.

In a statement, the girl’s father and the lawyer said that the allegations are “false and fabricated”.

They said: “All cases filed by him are baseless, founded on fictitious information, and are currently pending before the courts. We are actively defending these matters, and the outcomes of these cases will be determined in due course.”

The lawyer said that the relationship stretching over five years is accepted but “not the marriage”.

“The couple invested jointly in a Crypto venture and that’s how they know each other,” said the lawyer, adding they will soon initiate a case in London against the man.