M A I N   N E W S

Love without borders
Married to Indian, Pak girl refuses to go back
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, October 31
A boy from India goes to Pakistan, falls in love with a Pakistani girl, marries her, comes back leaving his wife in that country. A year later, the wife of the Indian delivers a baby boy. A year later she applies for visa, gets it and arrives with her father and child to meet her husband. After meeting him, she refuses to go back to Pakistan. A perfect script for a Bollywood blockbuster. But it is a real-life incident with real-life characters.

In this case, Sajjad Ahmed Lone (a Rehber-e-Taleem teacher), son of Haji Abdul Ghani Lone of Buddal in this border district, went to Gujranwala in Pakistan on two-month visa in the latter half of 2005 to meet his relatives there. While staying with his relatives, he fell in love with Shabnum Kouser living in the neighbourhood and both sought the consent of elders of both families (the boy called up his father for his consent for marriage, which was given). The lovers married in Pakistan and before the visa of Sajjad was to expire, he got it extended by one month. However, soon his visa was over and he had to return to India, leaving his wife in Pakistan.

Although he returned to India, Sajjad says he tried best to get his wife here and get her Indian citizenship. "I approached the government to allow my wife to travel to India, but my request was turned down", says Sajjad. "Even the parents of my wife tried to get her visa to travel to India, but even they failed".

Sajjad adds in the meantime Shabnum gave birth to his son in October 2006. "Again she applied for visa and was granted permission to travel to India only recently", he says. "Shabnum accompanied by my father-in-law and my son came here in the third week of October on a 45-day visa".

Now, the lovers-turned-happily married couple say they will live together. "I will not let the government to separate my wife from us as we are married", Sajjad asserts. "So what if she is from Pakistan and I am an Indian. Love knows no borders. I will try my best to retain her here and also seek legal advice for getting her Indian citizenship".

"The high-profile people like politicians and celebrities marry in Pakistan and get their wives Indian citizenship. So why not us?” Sajjad asks.

Even Shabnum doesn't want to leave her husband and is no mood to return to her native country. "I want to live with my husband. Now wherever he lives, I will live with him", Shabnum asserts.

Deputy commissioner, Rajouri, Sheikh Rafiq said the district administration would have to look into the legalities of the matter.