Aug 13, 2021: Zohaib Hassan, brother of legendary singer Nazia hassan, has levelled serious allegations against his former brother in law and prominent Karachi based industrialist Ishtiaq Baig, who denies the allegations, saying he will take Zohaib to court.

On August 13, it will be exactly 21 years since Nazia Hassan, often dubbed Queen of Pop, passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer. She was 35 at the time of her death in the United Kingdom.

In a rare television appearance, in an interview originally conducted by private media outlet SamaaTV, Zohaib Hassan says that 21 years after his sister’s death, he has decided it is time to share with the world the facts he knows surrounding Nazia Hassan’s divorce and her health. He said that after he has said what he needs to say, any speculation surrounding her death should forever be laid to rest.

Zohaib Hassan, her brother and music partner, Zohaib Hassan, has come forward with serious allegations against her husband Ishtiaq Baig. The allegations include arsenic poisoning and illegally detaining Nazia.

While talking to a private news outlet GeoTV, Zohaib Hassan said that whenever the birthday or death anniversary of Nazia Hassan is round the corner, her husband attempts to capitalize on her popularity and tries to amass sympathy by appearing on various media outlets and displaying the health records of Nazia Hassan. Zohaib alleges this is an attempt to garner sympathy and to cement his role as a grieving spouse who is deeply affected by the death of his wife.

In the conversation with GeoTv, Zohaib further states that these displays even after 21 years of her death, hurt her immediate family and that whatever her former husband says is to be taken with a pinch of salt. According to Zohaib, the divorce between Nazia and her husband was final before her death and so as per Shariah law, he shouldn’t be allowed to talk as if he is legally a widower.

Zohaib Hassan has further stated that in her hand written application to the Pakistan High Commission in UK, Nazia Hassan asked the authorities to grant her divorce from her husband. He says the documents are attested by relevant authorities and therefore have a legal standing.

Hassan who has lost his father nearly a year ago, says that while sorting through his father’s documents recently, he came across a court certified document that records Nazia’s testimony from the time before her death. Nazia, who was at the time terminally ill and hence could not herself appear in court to complete the divorce proceedings, instead had access to a court appointed solicitor who would appear in the court on the behalf of her client and kept records of a statement made by Nazia herself.

According to the official statement made under oath by Nazia, and what was submitted in the court by her solicitor on her behalf, it appears that Nazia alleges her husband was responsible for treating her poorly during their marriage and also says she feared she was being fed something by her husband that was designed to poison her.

Prior to the interview with GeoTV, Zohaib Hassan had also spoken to SamaaTV about the matter of his sister’s demise. Zohaib clarified that he had not in anyway accused Nazia’s ex-husband of anything. “I did not level any allegations. These are things Nazia wrote herself,” he said.

Zohaib explained that in the UK, when someone is not well enough to appear in court, a solicitor is appointed, to whom a statement is provided under oath. In his interview, Zohaib Hassan also showed SamaaTV a copy of the divorce deed Nazia submitted in the Pakistan High Commission.

The solicitor met Nazia and recorded a 10-page long testimony, Zohaib said.

“The testimony clearly states that the man had her eat or drink something and treated her very badly.

“We had not seen the court document earlier. I found it now because I was going through papers after my father passed away 10 months ago,” the singer added.

“Whenever the day comes, of either Nazia’s birthday or death anniversary, this man displays Nazia’s medical records on TV and provides false information that the divorce did not occur. Such things deeply hurt my mother and our family,” he said.

In an interview with Samaa TV earlier in the day, he said he feels his sister’s soul at least should be allowed to rest in peace. Zohaib shed light on how Nazia described her maltreatment by Baig. He says Nazia’s husband is responsible for a lot of heart ache in his family, including his father’s rapidly deteriorating health around the time of his daughter’s death.

He told Samaa TV that her testimony stated that she believes arsenic was being slipped into her food. Zohain Hassan also remembers Nazia telling him that her husband told her how her in her death she will become more valuable for him.

Zohaib told the news outlet that his sister first developed ovarian cancer, but got better after one ovary was removed and the cancer went into remission. “The doctors gave her an NOC, which I can show you,” he added.

“Then she went to Morocco and subsequently Thailand with him. Upon her return, she was coughing blood. It was discovered then that she had developed lung cancer,” he said, quoting the testimony.

Zohaib said that Nazia was detained in the UK by Baig and then even after she passed away, her body was withheld by Scotland Yard, who were probing the case.

“The biggest mistake we made was to give Nazia away to him,” Zohaib said.

During the interview, Zohaib Hassan also shared multiple documents with the SamaaTV correspondent, including statements under oath made by Nazia herself, her friends and her doctors.

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