The Shoaib Malik-Ayesha Siddiqui controversy took another turn on Friday when the Siddiqui family released, what they claimed, the marriage certificate of the Pakistani cricketer's 2002 'wedding' with the Hyderabad girl.
The marriage certificate (Nikahnama) was shown by several Pakistani television channels and apparently contained the signatures of Shoaib Malik on the column for the groom and the name of Maha Siddiqui on the column for the bride.
"I have released this marriage certificate because Shoaib and his family have constantly been denying this marriage," Ayesha told the Duniya channel from Hyderabad.
While the Siddiqui family claims Shoaib is married to their daughter Ayesha and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza would be his second wife if they go ahead with the marriage, the Pakistani cricketer and his family have constantly denied that he ever entered into any wedlock with Ayesha.
Muhammad Siddiqui, the girl's father, has threatened to sue Malik and also seek a fatwa against him from Ulemas.
Ayesha said that she had released the Nikahnama because it proved that the marriage did take place.
"They are signatures of witnesses on the certificate and Shoaib sent me a copy for signature and a Haq Mahar amount of Pakistani 500 rupees," she said.
She said that Shoaib had always been unhappy with her weight problems and for his sake, she had even gone and had an operation in New Delhi.
"But I am devastated the way he is constantly denying everything. I have nothing against Sania but the truth must come out," Ayesha said.
Imran Zafar Malik, Shoaib's brother-in-law, however, dismissed the marriage certificate as a fake and said when no Nikah ceremony ever took place the document had no value at all.
"I don't want to say anything more except that Ayesha is a very talented girl and she is being misguided by some people," he said.
Zafar also said that the Siddiqui family had left them no choice but to purse legal action against them in India.
