Wife of Pakistan-American IT consultant complains of fraud

LAHORE: The wife of a Pakistan-American IT consultant, who is currently under arrest in the United States facing various charges including bank fraud, has also complained of deceit accusing that her husband remarried without her consent. 

Hina Alvi, through her counsel advocate Hafiz Ahsan-ul-Haq, filed an application in a local court that she married Imran Awan in 2005 and both lived in the United States. However, during her recent visit to Pakistan, she learnt that Awan has remarried secretly, fraudulently and without her consent with another woman named Sumaira Siddique.

Alvi said that she was completely unaware that her husband has remarried illegally and without justification and was not even registered in the union council. Therefore, she pleaded that Awan should be tried under marriage laws for contracting the second marriage without her permission. The court has recorded the testimonies of the applicant and other witnesses.

Imran Awan was arrested on July 24, 2017 by Federal Bureau of Investigations and US Capitol Police from the Washington Dulles International airport as he attempted to board a flight to Lahore.

He was indicted along with his wife, Hina Alvi, on four counts including charges of bank fraud, conspiracy, making false statements, and unlawful monetary transactions. On Sept 1, Awan pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Alvi was also stopped at Dulles airport on March 5 but was allowed to board a flight along with her three children, who were pulled out of school without the informing the Virgina school system. Both were alleged to be involved in a procurement scam along with Awan’s brothers and a close friend.

Awan worked as employee in the US House of Representatives, and had been working as an IT consultant in Congress for three years. He was employed by Democrat Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in an advisory role at the time of his arrest.