Kashmiri women accuse five British-Pakistanis of marrying, leaving them

MIRPUR: Five women came forward Tuesday night in Azad Kashmir, accusing five men — belonging to the same family — of marrying them after luring them under a false pretense of taking them to the United Kingdom, Geo News reported.

Speaking at a press conference at the Azad Kashmir Press Club last night, Saima Kausar, Sameer Parveen, Sohnia Basheer, and Kiran told the media that a gang of five men — comprising Mumtaz Taja Pehlwan and four of his nephews, all of whom currently reside in Halifax, UK — have lured at least 20 women with the promise of a better life in Britain by marrying them, taking control of their dowry and jewellery, and leaving them.

According to the women, the gang was led by Pehlwan — who is married to seven women — and includes his nephew Muhammad Ali, who is married to three.

Nazar Ali, his other nephew, is married to five women, while Ghaznafar Mehmood is married to two. Another one, named Muhammad Bashir, is married to two women.

The women also revealed that Pehlwan spearheaded a drug-dealing gang and was a resident of Mirpur's New Abadi Sangoot area.

According to the women, the men accused them of stealing jewelry every time they tried asking for a divorce. During the press conference, they also showed a copy of their marriage certificates to the press.

According to Riyaz Haider Bukhari, the city's senior superintendent of police (SSP), the women did not contact authorities. However, Pehlwan has filed a complained citing the women’s accusations, calling them baseless.

The SSP, nevertheless, subsequently directed Chaudhry Ansar, the deputy superintendent of police (DSP), to conduct further investigations into the matter.