LAHORE – A British Pakistani businessman has initiated legal proceedings against his Lahore-based wife, alleging that she secretly planned to marry another man while still legally married to him, an accusation that the woman and her family have denied.
The complainant, Mohsin Shah, a British citizen originally from Lahore, claims that his wife, Zainab Abid Qureshi, became engaged in October 2025 to another Lahore-based businessman from a wealthy family, despite their marriage remaining legally and Islamically valid. According to the legal notice, preparations were allegedly underway for a wedding scheduled for January 2026.
Mr Shah has accused his wife and her father, Abid Qureshi, of misusing local police and state institutions to intimidate and harass him in order to prevent him from challenging the alleged second marriage. He maintains that these actions have caused severe distress to him and his family in Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Mr Qureshi is originally from Sialkot and currently resides in Lahore.
According to documents submitted to the court, Mr Shah and Ms Qureshi were married on Oct 5, 2024, in Malaysia while on holiday. The Nikah was conducted via video link, with a Qari officiating and witnesses participating remotely. The couple had reportedly been in a relationship for about five years prior to the marriage.
The petitioner has further alleged that during the course of their relationship and marriage, his wife became pregnant on eight occasions and that abortions were carried out each time without his consent. He claims to possess medical laboratory reports which, according to him, confirm the pregnancies during the relevant period.
In a complaint filed with Lahore police, Ms Qureshi reportedly stated that she met Mr Shah only twice. He disputes this, asserting that extensive evidence exists showing they met on numerous occasions over several years. He claims to have more than 8,000 messages and around 450 photographs documenting their relationship, travel and marriage.
The legal notice also states that the petitioner possesses audio recordings in which his wife allegedly acknowledges the marriage and the signing of Nikah documents. It further cites hotel receipts, flight records and statements from witnesses who were present at the Nikah and its registration, which, according to the petitioner, confirm the validity of the marriage.
Mr Shah has also filed a separate case in a Lahore court against the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment, his wife and his father-in-law, alleging that pressure was exerted on officials and coercive tactics were used to obtain false statements.
In response, Ms Qureshi’s father and her legal counsel have rejected the allegations, describing them as false and fabricated.
“All cases filed by him are baseless and founded on fictitious information,” the lawyer said, adding that the matters were pending before the courts and would be decided through due process.
While acknowledging that the two had known each other for several years, the lawyer denied the existence of a valid marriage, saying their association was linked to a jointly invested cryptocurrency venture. He added that legal proceedings against Mr Shah were expected to be initiated in London.
