LHC orders prompt decision on Sikh woman’s application

Lahore High Court directs Ministry of Foreign Affairs to decide nationality an application of Indian Sikh woman

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to decide, within three days, the applications for the visa extension and nationality of an Indian Sikh woman who married a Pakistani man after embracing Islam.

Kiran Bala, who now bears the Muslim name Amina, arrived in Lahore from Delhi on a valid visa to attend religious rituals at Gurdwara Punja Sahib. In Pakistan, she tied the knot with Muhammad Azam who she befriended on Facebook.

Advocate Ijaz Ahmad Khan represented Amina before the court and stated that the petitioner moved two separate applications to the ministry of Foreign Ministry of Pakistan. One was to obtain nationality and the other was to extend her visa which was going to expire on April 21.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2018.