Faha To Take Legal Action Against Facebook

Tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq's wife Faha Makhdoom has launched legal action against the social networking site Facebook for failing to close the fake account that has been used to spread "false news" on her behalf, creating confusion and rumours about the couple's marriage.

Currently visiting her parents in East Anglia, Faha Makhdoom decided to instruct her lawyers after the fake account – purporting to be her official page – had been used to transmit "malicious and disrespectful rumours" about the celebrity couple.

Dr Akmal Makhdoom, Faha's father, told The News on Thursday that false accusations about the "honourable name of the Qureshi family" is being spread in Faha's name. He said various accounts on her name were created as soon as she and Aisam got engaged. She personally approached the Facebook various time for action against these accounts but no action was taken, he said.

Now, the family has hired a solicitor to approach the social networking site to look into the serious concerns of the family as more than 8,000 people are following the account that purports to be Faha's official account. "I have nothing to do with this account. My real account is a private one which only my close friends and family know about," he quoted Faha as saying.

Dr Makhdoom told The News that the social media site's failure to close the fake account had serious effects on them. "This site is being used to abuse our families and its causing distress to us all, especially our daughter."

He added: "We request everyone to please report this account to Facebook as we have been doing for some months. We also ask people to consider what is said on it with contempt, by it's fake author. This fake Facebook account must not be given any credence."

On Sunday, Pakistani media reported that Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his wife Faha Makhdoom had decided to end their marriage after tying the knot on December 17, 2011. It was reported that Aisam had sent divorce papers to Faha after the couple failed to develop an understanding between them. But Faha's father Dr Akmal Makhdoom and Aisam's father categorically denied any such thing and said the rumours had nothing to do with reality.