Civil court: Woman moves court to stop husband’s second marriage

Says husband tricked her into signing agreement, kicked her out of house.

LAHORE:

A civil judge on Friday issued notice on a petition by a woman seeking an injunction restraining her husband from marrying a second time, saying he had tricked her into signing papers purporting to show her consent for the marriage.

Yasmin Kousar, 40, petitioned Civil Judge Waseem Ahmed to stop Nasir Mehmood, 45, from marrying Nida Bibi, saying he could not get a second wife without the approval of his first wife. She said that her family had helped Mehmood set up a business. They had been married for 13 years and had an adopted daughter aged 4.

Kousar said that she had bought a 10-marla property, three marlas of which were in her husband’s name. Last April, her husband told her that he wanted to transfer the three marlas to her name. He then had her sign blank stamp paper, she said, which he used to draw up an agreement, dated May 29, stating that Kousar had consented to Mehmood’s second marriage to Nida.

She said that Mehmood later kicked her and their daughter out of the house.

She said members of her family had tried to persuade Mehmood to give up the idea of getting a second wife, but he had refused.

She urged the court to declare the ‘fraudulent’ agreement void and stop the wedding, which was due to take place on October 8 (today) at Al Jannat Shadi Hall.

The judge issued notice to Mehmood and Nida, to the wedding hall through its manager, and to Abul Majeed, the administration chairman of the UC-48 Mughalpura Arbitration Council.

Later talking to The Express Tribune, Kousar’s lawyer Advocate Ferhad Ali Shah said that they would also apply for a stay order on the nikah registration of Mehmood and Nida to District and Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem Ahmed.

Kousar said that after her wedding, her parents had given Mehmood a naan shop to run for which they paid rent.

“I helped him every day for thirteen years preparing atta and potatoes,” she said. “Now the business is established, he has decided to kick me out and get another wife.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2011.