A 20-year-old Indian woman on Monday approached the Indian High Commission in Islamabad with a request to repatriate her to India. The case took a new turn when she alleged that she was forced to marry a Pakistani citizen at gunpoint.
According to PTI, Uzma filed a plea with an Islamabad court against her husband Tahir Ali alleging that she was being harassed and intimidated by him. She also recorded her statement before a magistrate. “My immigration documents were snatched,” said Uzma in her statement.
Reportedly, Uzma said that she does not wish to leave the Indian High Commission premises till she could travel back to India safely.
According to reports, Uzma’s husband met her in the High Commission but was not present in the court. “The Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi said that the immigration documents state that Uzma obtained the visa under the visit category,” PTI reported.
Notably, the Pakistan authorities have said that when she applied for the visa, Uzma did not mention about her plans to marry in Pakistan, instead, she claimed to visit her relatives in Pakistan.
As per PTI’s report, Uzma had approached the Indian High Commission in Islamabad last week, with a request to repatriate her to India. But, her husband Ali, alleged that his wife had been detained by the mission.
On the other hand, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria, said in a statement that “the Indian High Commission informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that an Indian national, Ms Uzma, 20, had approached them with the request to be repatriated to India.”
Uzma and Ali reportedly met in Malaysia and fell in love. She eventually travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border. According to reports, their ‘nikah’ was solemnised on May 3.
Incidentally, Uzma alleged that post marriage, she came to know that Tahir was already married and has four children.
According to a source, the High Commission is providing necessary assistance to Uzma. “The High Commission is providing necessary consular assistance to her and is in touch with the Pakistan Foreign Office on the matter and the girl’s family in India,” said the source to PTI.
