HYDERABAD, April 14: A US citizen of Pakistani origin, Zunera Zahoor, who has married a resident of Hyderabad after developing an internet-based friendship with him, has sought help from the Citizens Police Liaison Committee against police harassment.

It is learnt that Zunera Zahoor, 18, married Tahir, son of Abdul Hameed, who deals in the mineral water business, after he had asked her to come to Pakistan. The woman's family is settled in Sargodha. According to the A-section investigation police, Zunera has married Tahir of her own free will and has sent her statement through her Karachi-based counsel.

Official-in-charge investigation Ibrahim Shah told Dawn that the counsel had also submitted a copy of her nikahnama as well as a copy of a letter that the advocate had written to the CPLC, Karachi, requesting it to restrain police from harassing the woman.

In her free will statement before justice of peace Chaudhry Abdul Ghani, Zunera said that she had come from Virginia on April 11 and had married Tahir of her free will. However, her family told the police that she was being held in wrongful detention by Tahir and his family.

Her uncle, Saleem, a resident of Sargodha, lodged a case under section 364 of the PPC against Tahir, his mother, a brother and a brother-in-law. He said that the girl had arrived from the US and had gone missing with Tahir from Karachi airport, along with gold ornaments and cash.

Ever since the police picked up Tahir's mother and released her after interrogation on Tuesday night, the entire family has left the house fearing that they would be picked up again.

The wife of Tahir's cousin is living there and claims that she knows nothing about the family and Tahir. The father of the girl is reported to have made a telephonic call at Tahir's home and threatened his family.