According to the complaint, Zaman Awan, a retired education department officer, has been living alone since the death of his wife in 2015, while all his children are married and settled. He stated that he came into contact with a woman named Hina, who claimed to be a matchmaker. She introduced him to a woman named Shumaila, who allegedly lived near Emporium Shopping Centre and claimed to be divorced.
Before agreeing to marry, Shumaila requested Rs50,000 for clothes and other expenses, which the victim paid. On June 24, 2025, she visited his house and spent some time in his room. She promised to return the next day for the nikah ceremony.
On June 25, Shumaila returned and said her sister lived in Dhudial, where the marriage would take place. They set off in a car with two men who had arrived at her request. On the way, near Haraj, they stopped at a deserted spot where two more individuals were waiting. One of them, identifying himself as Shumaila’s brother, began shouting and threatening the victim at gunpoint.
The attackers forcibly took Rs40,000 from his pocket and coerced him into signing a cheque worth Rs600,000. The group then took him to a bank to cash the cheque. However, the bank staff informed them that Rs3.6 million had already been withdrawn from the victim’s account a day earlier and that only Rs300,000 remained.
When they left the bank, the victim found the car parked outside — but all the suspects had fled. Upon returning home, he discovered that a cheque was missing from his chequebook, along with a gold ring and Rs30,000 in cash from his drawer.
The retired officer alleged that the entire incident was the work of an organised fraud gang involving Shumaila and several others. He said he was not only deceived and robbed under false pretences but also threatened at gunpoint in a staged marriage scam.
An FIR has been registered, and initial investigations are underway at City Police Station. Sources claim that at least five such gangs are currently operating in Chakwal, with some allegedly enjoying backing from “influential figures.”