Sarabjit Kaur’s story sounds like the script of a Bollywood film – love across the border, 8 years of friendship on social media and then a sudden marriage in Pakistan, but there is a twist in it – allegations of forced conversion, rape and legal complications. Kaur’s Indian husband Karnal Singh has filed a new petition in the Lahore High Court demanding annulment of the marriage. This matter is not only a war between two families, but is also raising questions on the Sharia laws of Pakistan. After all, how can a married non-Muslim woman marry a Muslim man? Why are such cases so rare?

Sarabjit had reached Pakistan with a group of pilgrims

Sarabjit Kaur, a 52-year-old Indian Sikh woman, had gone to Pakistan along with about 2,000 Sikh pilgrims to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev Prakash Parv in November 2025. On 13 November, all the passengers returned to India, but Kaur went missing. A few days later, news came that she had married Pakistani citizen Nasir Hussain, accepted Islam and changed her name to Noor Fatima. Whereas Kaur was already married.

Both of them met on social media 8 years ago. Kaur’s family claims that all this happened by force, while the Pakistani side is calling it a story of love.

Sarabjit’s first husband reached Lahore High Court

Kaur’s Indian husband Karnal Singh was shocked by this incident and approached the Lahore High Court. His petition claims that Kaur’s marriage is valid under Indian law and without ending it, a new marriage cannot take place in Pakistan.

Singh alleged that Kaur’s conversion was forced and Nasir Hussain knew that she was already married. The petition has also demanded that rape charges be leveled. But the most interesting thing is that Singh has based it on the principles of the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan.

What is the law of marrying a non-Muslim married woman in Pakistan?

Under Sharia laws in Pakistan, a married non-Muslim woman who wishes to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim man must go through a strict process. The Federal Shariat Court has made it clear in several decisions that the woman will first have to obtain judicial divorce as per the laws of her country.

Then, she must invite her non-Muslim husband to convert to Islam in the presence of two witnesses. If the husband refuses, it is necessary to observe the Iddat (waiting period) of 90 days. Only after this the first marriage is considered over and the new marriage becomes valid. Singh’s petition rests on the fact that Kaur did not take any of these steps.

Strict law on interfaith marriages in Pakistan

Experts say that such cases are rare in Pakistan, but when they happen, they create an uproar at the international level. There are complexities regarding interfaith marriages in Pakistani law. Under the Muslim Family Law Ordinance 1961 and Shariat Act 1980, a Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman, but if the woman is already married and is converting, the above mentioned process is mandatory.

If this does not happen, the marriage is considered illegal and the people involved may face charges of bigamy or rape. In the past years, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has shown strictness on forced marriages of minority girls.

For example, in 2023, the court asked the government for a report on such matters and directed to make new laws. But implementation is lacking. Sometimes courts rely on medical age test or conversion certificate, while families show documents like birth certificate.

What is India’s reaction on this matter?

This case has also affected India-Pakistan relations. The Indian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over Kaur’s safety, while Pakistan says it is a personal matter. Singh’s petition is set for hearing in the court and his lawyer Ali Changeji Sandhu has said that this is a direct violation of the principles of Sharia.

If the court approves the petition, it could set an example for interfaith marriages in Pakistan. But experts warn that social pressure and threats are common in such cases, making it difficult to get justice.

The government of Pakistan is not sending Sarabjit Kaur, a woman from Kapurthala, Punjab, who first went to Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan with a Sikh group on 4 November 2025 and then converted to religion by marrying a Muslim man, due to political reasons. This has been revealed by the letter of January 6 of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, obtained by ABP News, in which Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary, Director General of South Asia and SAARC countries in the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, informed that the Union Home Ministry of Pakistan had made an informal request to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry that due to the political viewpoint of Pakistan, Sarabjit Kaur should not be sent back from Pakistan to India. After which, on January 6, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry had banned the action of sending back Sarabjit Kaur from the Attari-Wagah border.

Actually, Sarabjit Kaur had gone to Pakistan with the Indian Sikh group on November 4 on a religious visa, under which no member of the group could go to any other place in Pakistan except Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, Gurdwara and Nankana Sahib Gurdwara. Doing so would be considered a violation of visa conditions, but despite this, when the group of Sikh pilgrims returned to India on November 14, Sarabjit was missing from it. According to sources, when Indian officials asked Pakistani officials for information about Sarabjit, they denied that Sarabjit was in Pakistan and said that perhaps she was lost somewhere in between.

Sarabjit married Nasir on 5 November

However, the next day, Pakistani media started publicizing Sarabjit’s video and pictures of her Nikahnama, in which it was reported that Sarabjit Kaur had married Nasir Hussain, resident of Sheikhpura district of Punjab province of Pakistan, on 5 November and had converted to Islam and changed her name to Noor Hussain. After which Indian agencies demanded Pakistan to deport Sarabjit back. According to sources, representatives of the Pakistani government had said that both Sarabjit and Nasir are absconding and the police of Pakistan’s Punjab province is searching for them.

Why did Pakistan suddenly change its decision?

However, on January 4, Pakistani agencies claimed to have found Sarabjit and informed that Sarabjit was in their custody. According to sources, during this time, officials of ISI and Pakistan’s domestic intelligence agency also interrogated Sarabjit. After which Indian officials were informed by Pakistani officials that the process of sending Sarabjit back to India has been started and since the visa he got was ‘religious visa’ and he has violated the visa rules, Sarabjit will be deported from Attari-Wagah border on the midnight of 5-6 January. Although Pakistan had stopped the action of sending Sarabjit Kaur back to India at the last moment and did not give any reason, but Pakistan had refused to send Sarabjit citing ‘political reasons’ of Mohsin Naqvi’s Home Ministry.

Sarabjit Kaur plucking guava for Rs 500

According to the information, Sarabjit Kaur is currently living in a government center located in Lahore city of Pakistan and the government of Punjab province of Pakistan is giving her 500 Pakistani rupees per day for plucking guavas. Also, in the audio recording that surfaced a few days ago, Sarabjit Kaur was heard saying that she wanted to come back to India and was living in Pakistan in a very bad condition and that she had come to Pakistan not to spy but to get her secret photos present in Nasir Hussain’s phone deleted. Also in the audio, Sarabjit is heard saying that she is being harassed in Pakistan and she has to beg for money.

Relations between India and Pakistan are considered sensitive. When any matter related to these two countries involves religion, cross-border love, marriage and visa rules, then it becomes even more serious. One such case is in discussion these days, in which an Indian Sikh woman Sarabjit Kaur went on a religious trip to Pakistan, but did not return back to India, later it was revealed that Sarabjit Kaur had married a Muslim man in Pakistan and had also converted to Islam. As soon as this matter came to light, there was a stir in social media, media and government agencies. Now the news is that Pakistan government is preparing to send Sarabjit Kaur back to India i.e. to deport her. But the question is who is Sarabjit Kaur, why did she do this and why is Pakistan sending her back now.

Who is Sarabjit Kaur?

Sarabjit Kaur is a resident of Kapurthala district of Punjab state of India. His age is said to be around 48 years. According to Indian media reports, Sarabjit has been divorced before and has two sons from his previous marriage.

In November 2025, she went to Pakistan with a group of about 2000 Sikh pilgrims. This journey was to visit the holy place of Sikhs, Nankana Sahib, which is the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism. Sarabjit Kaur had gone to Pakistan on a religious visa (Pilgrimage Visa). This visa is only for pilgrimage and has a fixed time limit. Sarabjit reached Pakistan on 4 November. His visa was valid till 13 November. The group returned to India on 13 November, but Sarabjit Kaur did not return. From here the matter became suspicious.

What was revealed after his sudden disappearance from the group?

When Sarabjit Kaur did not return to India, investigation began. A few days later, a video surfaced on social media, in which it was claimed that Sarabjit Kaur had converted to Islam. Has changed her name to Noor. Married to Nasir Hussain, a resident of Pakistan. As soon as this video surfaced, the matter became more sensitive.

Who is Nasir Hussain?

Nasir Hussain is a resident of Sheikhupura district of Punjab province of Pakistan. He is said to be a landlord by profession and is already married. Investigation revealed that Sarabjit and Nasir were identified through social media in 2016. Both were in contact for the last 9 years. They had tried several times before to get visas to visit each other’s country, but were not approved.

Why is Pakistan deporting Sarabjit?

Pakistan’s Minority Affairs Minister Ramesh Singh Arora has clearly said that Sarabjit Kaur has not been arrested, but is being deported due to visa violation. According to Pakistani law, a foreign national who remains in the country even after the expiry of the visa period is sent back. Now the process of sending Sarabjit Kaur to India through Attari-Wagah border is going on. The Government of Pakistan says that getting married on a religious visa is a violation of visa rules. It is illegal to stay in Pakistan even after the visa period expires. For this reason, Pakistani police and intelligence agencies: detained Sarabjit Kaur and Nasir Hussain, interrogated both of them and sent Nasir’s mobile for forensic examination.

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Pakistan has stopped the process of sending Sarabjit Kaur, a 48-year-old Sikh woman from Punjab back to India, at the last moment. Sarabjit Kaur was found to be living illegally in Pakistan after marrying her lover, but despite the completion of preparations for deportation, Sarabjit has been detained in Pakistan.

Sarabjit went missing after reaching Pakistan on 4th November

Sarabjit Kaur went to Pakistan on 4 November 2025 with a large group of Indian Sikh pilgrims. She had reached Nankana Sahib to participate in the celebrations of the 556th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji. But when the group returned to India after completing the pilgrimage, Sarabjit was not with them. She had disappeared in Pakistan itself.

Accepted Islam for Pakistani lover

The next day i.e. on 5 November 2025, Sarabjit accepted Islam and married her lover Nasir Hussain (who is a Pakistani citizen). After marriage, she changed her name to Noor Hussain. Both remained hidden for several days.

Meanwhile, Sardar Mohinderpal Singh, former chairman of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, stating that Sarabjit Kaur’s visa had expired in November 2025. That’s why they are living illegally in Pakistan.

Pakistani court asked for report

Sardar Mohinderpal Singh’s petition demanded the deportation of Sarabjit Kaur to India under the Foreigners Act 1946 and the rules of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The court has sought reports from the Cabinet Division, Police Chief and other officials.

It is reported that Sarabjit Kaur and Nasir Hussain were arrested on January 4, 2026 by a joint team of police and intelligence agencies from Pehrewali village near Nankana Sahib.

Why did Pakistan ban deportation?

Petitioner’s lawyer Ali Changezi Sindhu said that the police and officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board had handed over Sarabjit Kaur and Nasir Hussain to the FIA. Preparations for deportation were completed at Wagah Border on the evening of 5 January 2026, but at that very moment the process was stopped. Pakistani officials have not given any reason for stopping the deportation.

Special things related to Sarabjit Kaur case

• Sarabjit Kaur was named in some fraud cases in India, but she has been acquitted in all the cases.
• This matter is much discussed in both India and Pakistan and now it has become an issue between the two countries.
• Currently Sarabjit Kaur and her husband are in FIA custody. Hearing is going on in Lahore High Court.

This incident has been in the news due to the marriage and religious conversion that took place during the Gurudwara Yatra. The further situation will depend on the court proceedings.

A High Court of Pakistan on Tuesday (November 18) ordered the police to stop harassing an Indian Sikh woman. Sarabjit Kaur, 48, was among the 2,000 Sikh pilgrims who crossed into Pakistan from India via the Wagah border earlier this month to celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti. All the other pilgrims returned home to India on 13 November, but Kaur was found missing.

A senior police officer in Lahore later said that Kaur married Nasir Hussain of Sheikhpura district, about 50 kilometers from Lahore, a day after reaching Pakistan on November 4. On the same day, when the pilgrims went to Nankana Sahib, Kaur left everyone and reached Sheikhpura with Hussain.

Police accused of pressurizing to break marriage

Kaur and Hussain filed a petition in the Lahore High Court on Tuesday complaining that the police illegally raided their house in Farooqabad, Sheikhupura and pressurized them to end their marriage. Lahore High Court Justice Farooq Haider ordered the police to stop harassing the petitioners.

Sarabjit Kaur’s new name is Noor

In the petition, Kaur (who has now become Noor) said that a police officer is harassing her and forcing her to break the marriage. She said her husband is a citizen of Pakistan and has approached the Indian Mission to extend his visa and obtain Pakistani citizenship.

‘Got to Pakistan to marry Hussain’

According to a video viral on social media, Sarabjit Kaur has known Hussain through Facebook for the last 9 years. She said, “I am a divorcee and wanted to marry Hussain, so I have come to Pakistan for this purpose.” She further said that she and her husband are being harassed by the police and unknown people.

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