LHC bars police from harassing ex-Sikh pilgrim who married Pakistani man by choice

The Lahore High Court has restrained police officials from harassing Sarbjit Kaur - now Noor - a former Sikh woman who, after embracing Islam, married Nasir Hussain - a resident of Sheikhupura district. Justice Farooq Haider issued the order while hearing a petition filed by Noor and her husband.

In her petition, Noor alleged that police authorities, acting at the behest of respondent Riaz and members of the Sikh community in Nankana Sahib, raided their home and caused harassment. She stated that during the raid on November 8, she was pressured to dissolve her marriage, despite the couple marrying with full consent.

During the hearing, the petitioners’ counsel informed the court that the Indian citizen had arrived in Pakistan for religious rituals, later converted to Islam of her free will, and married Hussain. It must be noted that thousands of Sikh pilgrims had visited Pakistan this month to celebrate the 554th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Baba Guru Nanak.

The counsel further stressed that the police raid on November 8 was unlawful and that Noor had married entirely by choice, leaving authorities with no right to interfere in the couple’s personal life. The petitioners requested the court to prevent any further harassment. After hearing the arguments, the LHC directed police officials to refrain from harassing Noor or taking any coercive action against the couple.

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The woman had earlier informed a judicial magistrate of a local court in Sheikhupura that she had embraced Islam and married a Pakistani national, Hussain, without any pressure, while adding that she wished to live with her husband.

The statement had been submitted before Judicial Magistrate Shahbaz Hassan Rana through Advocate Ahmad Hassan Pasha. According to the court record, she had adopted the name Noor after conversion and maintained that she had faced no coercion at any stage. She said her marriage had taken place on November 5 in the Farooqabad area of Sheikhupura district, with a dower amount of Rs10,000, already paid.

Kaur, whose marriage certificate record shows her as a divorced mother of two children, had arrived in Pakistan on November 4 as part of a Sikh pilgrims’ group. Although, after reaching Pakistan, she had separated from the group and married Hussain.

Following reports of her disappearance, which came to light when the Indian pilgrims were preparing to return on November 13 at the conclusion of their 10-day visit, the police and intelligence agencies began searching for her. Later, she appeared before the local magistrate in Sheikhupura to submit her sworn statement. Her visa had allegedly expired on November 13.