India ‘opens’ doors to PoK marriages
2 girls set to wed Muslim boys
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Poonch, January 14
It is said that marriages are made in heaven, but solemnised on earth. This saying has proved itself here as two girls from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) are all set to marry their paternal cousins on the Indian side.

Misbah Saiid and Zahida Parveen, daughters of Saiid Muhammad of Tata Pani in PoK, will marry their cousin brothers - Muhammad Arif and Mehmood Ahmed - of Potha in Surankote. Muhammad Arif and Mehmood Ahmed are the sons of Saiid’s brothers Kala Khan and Muhammad Ayub. Saiid got separated from his brothers during the Indo-Pak war of 1965. Later the hostility between the two countries prevented Saiid from returning to India and he secured Pakistani citizenship.

Now that the roads between the two countries have opened as part of confidence building measures (CBMs) between the two countries, Saiid along with his wife Riyaz Begum came back to his native village in Surankote on permit on December 3, 2007. His daughters Misbah and Zahida followed them on December 17.

Having all his relatives here, Saiid decided to marry off his daughters in this part of India. After getting his daughters’ consent, Saiid expressed his willingness to marry his daughters to his brother’s sons. Saiid's brothers accepted the proposal and all of them are now exploring various options for the marriage of their children.

“Yes, I wish to marry my daughters here. I am exploring the options available to us for their marriage and the return of my daughters to India”, said Saiid. “The boys along with their parents will cross over to Pakistan on visa and we will solemnise marriage. Then I will get visa for my daughters so that they can accompany them on their return to India”, he added. “My daughters can then apply for Indian citizenship”.

A senior officer in the district administration said the girls could acquire Indian citizenship after marriage since they would marry boys who were Indian citizens.