SHEIKHUPURA, Dec 19: A Canadian woman, who married a Pakistani National junior hockey team player last year, was allegedly kidnapped few days ago from the Allama Iqbal International Airport by her own family.

The motive behind keeping the woman away from her husband is said to be her family's wish to contract her second marriage. According to information gleaned by this correspondent, the woman went to the airport along with her husband Muhammad Naeem Khan, who had to pick up his cousin coming from abroad on Dec 14.

Naeem told mediamen at the press club on Sunday that he had contracted his Nikah telephonically with Tehreem Iqbal, a resident of 108 Oldham Street, Ontario (Canada), on Oct 19, 2003.

He said the copy of Nikahnama was duly attested by the Canadian authorities and the Pakistan Embassy, and registered with the sub-registrar concerned. He said he went to pick up his cousin when his in-laws forcibly tried to take her wife with them against her wishes. He said the family also tortured him.

Witnessing the situation, he said, the Airport Security Force personnel intervened and tried to resolve the issue but to no avail. The force, however, handed over the matter to the airport police, who later referred the case to the Sarwar Road police station at Lahore Cantonment.

Naeem said ASP Hamayun Bashir Tarar and SHO Mian Jasem got his Nikahnama verified and a written statement by Tehreem. Even then, he alleged, the police officials let the woman go with her parents and relatives after taking bribe.

He said his father-in-law Tariq Iqbal, mother-in-law Naseem Tariq and their relatives had confined her to an unknown place and wanted to marry her to another person.

Naeem said he knocked at the doors of law-enforcement agencies for help, but they refused to help him. Thereafter, he said, he filed a writ petition with the LHC through Syed Zahid Husain Bokhari advocate for the production of his wife. The court directed the SHO of the B-Division police (Sheikhupura) to produce his wife.

He said the Sheikhupura police had raided various places, but were yet to find any clue to the missing woman. He requested the Pakistani higher-ups and the Canadian authorities to intervene in the issue and ensure the recovery of his wife.