New Delhi:
Shoaib Malik has admitted that he signed the nikahnama (marriage document) made public by Ayesha Siddiqui, who claims she was married to him in 2002.
Shoaib's lawyer Ramesh Gupta said that the signature on the nikahnama was indeed that of Shoaib's. "Shoaib told me that he signed the nikahnama, believing the girl to be the one whose photographs were sent to him," he said.
Gupta said Shoaib, while signing the nikahnama, did not know that the girl he was marrying was Ayesha Siddiqui, the daughter of M A Siddiqui.
Ayesha's family alleges that Shoaib married her over the phone but dumped her later due to her weight problems. Shoaib, however, insists that it was the Siddiquis who cheated him by using the photographs of another girl.
Gupta added that even if it was considered a valid marriage, it would pose no legal hurdles in his marriage to Sania Mirza. "In his community, a man can marry more than one wife without the consent of the first wife," said the lawyer.
The lawyer's startling revelation came on Saturday when Shoaib landed in Hyderabad to clear the air over his alleged first marriage. The Pakistani cricketer, remained closeted with Sania Mirza, her parents and other family members at their residence to chalk out his course of action.