Pakistan court allows Indian woman to return home

Islamabad, May 24

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday allowed an Indian woman, who has been staying at the Indian High Commission here after accusing a Pakistani man of marrying her at gunpoint, to return home and ordered the police to escort her to the Wagah Border.

Also read: Indian woman says was forced to marry Pak man at gunpoint

Uzma, who is in her early 20s, hails from New Delhi and had travelled to Pakistan earlier this month. She has said Tahir Ali, whom she reportedly met in Malaysia and fell in love with, forced her into marrying him in Pakistan on May 3.

Uzma petitioned the court on May 12 requesting it to allow her to return home urgently as her daughter from her first marriage in India suffered from thalassemia — a blood disorder characterised by abnormal hemoglobin production.

Ali had petitioned the court, requesting that he be allowed to meet his wife.

A single Bench of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard both the petitions today. After hearing their arguments, he allowed Uzma to return to India.

The court also returned her the immigration papers which she had said was taken away by Ali, who had submitted the documents yesterday after being told by the court to do so.

It’s not yet clear when she would leave for India.

Ali, dejected at the order, said that the high court allowed “his wife” to go back. “She has been allowed to return and I am unhappy because my point of view was not heard.” Justice Kayani also ordered the police to escort her to the Wagah Border crossing between India and Pakistan.

The judge asked Uzma if she wanted to meet Ali in his chamber but she refused.

“I had asked to meet her for two minutes but I was not allowed,” Ali added.

Some reports said Uzma once collapsed in the court during the hearing and paramedics were called in to treat her.

Uzma arrived in Pakistan on May 1 and travelled to the remote Buner district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province where she was married to Ali on May 3.

Later, she came to Islamabad and took refuge in the Indian High Commission, alleging she was forced to marry him at gunpoint.

Ali rejected the allegations and expressed his desire to work out their relationship. “She is still my wife. Neither she has asked for divorce nor I have divorced her.” According to the law in Pakistan, her lawyer can continue to represent her and she can come back to pursue the case. PTI