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Malik threatens litigation over marriage allegations

Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik threatened to sue an Indian family for alleging he married their daughter in a ceremony conducted over the telephone five years ago.

A family in the Indian city of Hyderabad last week claimed the marriage took place in June 2002 after a two-month courtship with witnesses on both sides.

The Times of India quoted Mohammed Ahmed Siddiqui, the father of the woman, Ayesha, as saying Malik should acknowledge the marriage took place and divorce his daughter. He also threatened legal action.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, the Pakistani captain denied the ceremony took place.

"I can claim with authority that no nikkah [Muslim marriage ceremony] has ever been performed [by me] with a girl having a name of Ayesha," Malik said.

"This is an accusation against me, and I will take legal action, both in India and in Pakistan," he said.

Malik's brother-in-law, Imran Zafar, acknowledged that the 26-year-old cricketer had been talking on the telephone and chatting on the Internet with a girl named Ayesha since 2001. They had also exchanged photographs via e-mail.

"[Malik] developed a friendship with her, but there was no marriage ceremony ever performed," Zafar said.

Zafar said he went to meet with the family in 2004, but never had the chance to meet Ayesha.

"They told me that the girl had gone to Saudi Arabia," he said.

Then in 2005, Zafar said they learned that a teacher in Saudi Arabia was claiming to be Malik's wife.

When they investigated and obtained a photo of the teacher, they found she wasn't the woman Malik had been talking with, he said.

"From then on, Malik had no contact with that girl," Zafar said.

Zafar said he plans to travel to India to see how he can file a legal suit against the Siddiquis.
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