Afshah Sanam, 19, from Stockton, a British Pakistani girl hailing from Mirpur, got married to Saul Steve, 27, at a ceremony in Lahore on 20/04/19 and their marriage was registered legally. They got married after Steve converted to Islam from Christianity.
Afshah’s father Khalid Hussain, a Stockton taxi driver did not approve their marriage and bride fears her dad will kill her new husband.
The couple fell in love after they got connected on social media and talked for several hours.This year in February, Afshah travelled to Pakistan to meet Steve in Lahore.
After meeting him, Afshah returned to her home in Stockton and asked her father thrice for permission to get married but he refused.
She returned to Pakistan in April to get married to her lover,without telling her family.
and then returned in April to get married. She asked her father thrice for permission to get married but he refused. Afshah left for Pakistan.
She rang her dad and told him that she safely reached in Pakistan and is getting married to her lover. But her dad threatened to kill her and her lover.
Her father reached Lahore, Pakistan the following day and reached at the house of her in-laws. “The family showed him ‘nikahnama (marriage document)’ and he went into a rage.
Afshah told media, “My dad bribed the police and got a fake case registered against the poor family of my husband. Since they are a Christian family, the police raided instantly and my husband and his family ran away to escape arrest. The police arrested my husband’s aunt who had helped us to get married.”
Afshah left Pakistan on May 7 on instruction of her husband, as he wanted me to be safe but he said he will hide and try to keep himself safe by hiding here and there.
After coming to Britain, Afshah reported her ordeal to the police in Clevland that her family could harm her. The police have taken her out of the city and placed her at a safe location where she currently lives hundreds of miles away from her family.
She has appealed to the IG of Punjab and Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the matter and help her.