Eight Years of Love End in Marriage as Indian Woman Settles in Pakistan

By Sabeeh Zanair :

An Indian woman who travelled to Pakistan and later married a local man has said she wishes to spend the rest of her life happily in Pakistan and has no regrets about her decision.

Speaking to media at her lawyer Ahmad Hassan Pasha’s office in Sheikhupura, Sarbjit Kaur, who adopted the name Noor Fatima after converting to Islam, said that she and her husband, Nasir Hussain, had been in a relationship for eight years and believed they would eventually meet.

“We truly love each other. When love is real, you believe that one day you will meet. Even if I had grown old, I would still have come to Pakistan,” she said.

Sarbjit arrived in Pakistan on November 4 with a group of Sikh pilgrims and was initially staying on a religious visit visa. Instead of returning to India when her visa expired on November 13, she chose to remain in Pakistan, converted to Islam, and married Nasir Hussain, a resident of Sheikhupura district.

According to her lawyer, the Evacuee Trust Property Board allowed Sarbjit to return to her husband’s home, after which she was released from a women’s shelter in Lahore. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that she could not be deported on political grounds.

Sarbjit said she feels peaceful after embracing Islam and is happy with her new life. “I am content now. I accepted Islam willingly and recited the Islamic declaration of faith. I want to live the rest of my life with happiness and continue learning about my new faith,” she said.

Her husband Nasir Hussain also expressed satisfaction, saying he was happy with his marriage and that Pakistani institutions had treated them fairly.

Earlier this year, Sarbjit and her husband were briefly taken into custody in Nankana Sahib as authorities considered deporting her to India. However, she refused to return, citing humanitarian reasons and concerns about her situation in India.

Legal proceedings related to her stay are still ongoing in the Lahore High Court, where petitions have been filed both in support of and against her continued residence in Pakistan. The case has sparked debate over visa regulations, religious conversion, and cross-border marriages.

Despite the legal uncertainties, Sarbjit maintains that her decision was voluntary. “I was not kidnapped or forced. I chose this life myself,” she said, adding that she hopes to continue living in Pakistan with her husband.