Feb 24 • 14:47 UTC 🇮🇳 India Aaj Tak (Hindi)

'My wife was forcibly converted to Islam and married in Pakistan', Indian seeks petition in Lahore HC

An Indian citizen has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court to annul his wife’s alleged marriage in Pakistan, claiming her conversion to Islam was forced and that their marriage under Indian law still stands.

The legal case surrounding Sarabjit Kaur's alleged forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan has reached a new chapter as an Indian citizen, Colonel Singh, has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court. In his application, submitted through lawyer Ali Chengezi Sandhu, Colonel Singh contends that Sarabjit Kaur is still his legally wedded wife under Indian law since there has been no formal divorce between them. He is seeking to annul her marriage to Pakistani citizen Nasir Hussain, which he argues was conducted illegally without the dissolution of their first marriage.

Colonel Singh's attorney has put forth arguments that Pakistan's constitutional courts, particularly the Federal Shariat Court, have established clear principles regarding the conversion of non-Muslim married women and their subsequent marriage to Muslim men. According to these principles, the woman is required to obtain a judicial divorce according to her home country's laws and should formally convert in front of witnesses to validate her new marriage. This case thus raises complex issues about the intersections of religious law, personal rights, and international marriage norms between India and Pakistan, highlighting the legal challenges faced by individuals in cross-border marriages involving conversion to Islam.

The implications of this case extend beyond Colonel Singh and Sarabjit Kaur, as it touches upon broader concerns regarding the protection of individual rights in cases of forced conversion and marriage. It serves as a reminder of the cultural and legal complexities that individuals face when navigating different legal systems, particularly in instances where personal freedoms may be compromised. The Lahore High Court's upcoming decision will be significant, potentially shaping legal precedents for similar cases in the region.

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