Sikh woman who married Sheikhupura man may be deported to India

An Indian Sikh pilgrim, who travelled to Pakistan for Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary celebrations, may be deported to India after overstaying her visa following her marriage to a Muslim man.

Sarbjit Kaur, 48, was among nearly 2,000 Sikh pilgrims who entered Pakistan through the Wagah border earlier this month to attend commemorations at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.

While the rest of the group returned to India on November 13, Kaur did not join them. It later emerged that she has married Nasser Hussain of Sheikhupura on November 4 — just a day after her arrival. She did not accompany the visiting pilgrims to Nankana Sahib that day and instead travelled to Sheikhupura with Hussain.

The woman would likely be sent back to India due to the expiry of her visa, after which she could return legally on a spouse visa, according to a report.

A police official said that Kaur married a local Muslim man and that both had gone into hiding, prompting a police search. He said there was no indication that any security agency had taken the couple into custody. Before the marriage, Kaur adopted the Muslim name “Noor.”

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A video circulating on social media shows Kaur stating she had known Hussain for nine years through social media. She said she was divorced and came to Pakistan intending to marry him.

Appearing before Magistrate Muhammad Khalid Mahmood Warraich, Kaur testified that she had not been abducted and had married of her own free will. She added that she brought nothing with her from India and alleged that unidentified individuals entered her husband’s home after the marriage and mistreated them. She appealed to the Pakistani authorities to ensure protection for her and her husband.

An official from the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) said the body’s policy does not permit single women to travel alone for pilgrimage, adding that Kaur came independently in violation of that policy. The official questioned why Indian authorities had allowed her to travel alone.