Indian mother of two marries Pakistani Facebook friend after converting to Islam

An Indian woman named Anju, who is a mother of two children, legally traveled to Pakistan and got married to her Pakistani Facebook friend, according to a senior police official. Anju, 34 years old, had been staying at her friend Nasrullah's home. The two had become friends on Facebook in 2019. The marriage took place in a local court in the presence of family members, police personnel, and lawyers after Anju converted to Islam, and a proper Nikah was performed.

"Nasrullah and Anju's marriage was solemnised today and proper a Nikah was performed after she converted to Islam," senior officer at Moharrar City Police Station in Upper Dir district Muhammad Wahab told PTI.

The Deputy Inspector General, Nasir Mehmood Satti, confirmed the Nikah between Anju and Nasrullah, stating that after her conversion to Islam, Anju has been given the name Fatima. She was taken from the court to Nasrullah's home under police security.

Earlier, the couple went on a sightseeing trip to the Lawari tunnel with tight security measures in place. Pictures of the couple at tourist spots showed them holding hands and enjoying their time together.

In a video, Anju expressed feeling safe in Pakistan and requested the media not to harass her relatives and children back in India. She is currently married to Arvind in Rajasthan and has a 15-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.

"I want to give this message to all that I have come here legally and with planning as it was not about two days that I came here all of a sudden, and I am safe here," she said in the video. "I request all the media persons not to harass my relatives and children," she added.

Anju's travel to Pakistan was legally done via the Wagah-Attari border. The Ministry of Interior granted her a 30-day visa valid for Upper Dir district only. Nasrullah, a science graduate, and the youngest among five brothers, gave an affidavit confirming that their friendship had no romantic angle and that Anju would return to India on August 20. The Indian woman's travel documents were found to be in order, and she has been allowed to stay with Nasrullah, with the instruction that he looks after her.

Anju's husband, Arvind, from Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, mentioned to the media that she had left home on the pretext of going to Jaipur but later the family discovered she was in Pakistan. Despite this, he remained hopeful that she would return home.

Anju's case is reminiscent of Seema Ghulam Haider's, a Pakistani mother of four who entered India to be with Sachin Meena, a Hindu man she got to know while playing PUBG in 2019. Seema and Sachin live in the Rabupura area of Greater Noida, near Delhi.