Lahore: A fresh twist has emerged in the case of Indian national Sarbjeet Kaur, who travelled to Pakistan with a Sikh religious jatha and later married a Pakistani citizen after converting to Islam. Her first husband, Karnail Singh, has now approached the Lahore High Court seeking annulment of her marriage to Pakistani national Nasir Hussain.
Karnail Singh has claimed that the marriage in Pakistan was conducted without legally dissolving their earlier marriage in India.
Background of the case
The incident dates back to November 4 last year, when Sarbjeet Kaur travelled to Pakistan with over 2,000 Sikh pilgrims to mark Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth anniversary. While the group returned to India on November 13, she did not return.
During her stay in Pakistan, she converted to Islam, adopted the name Noor Fatima, and married Nasir Hussain, reportedly citing an eight-year-old social media connection. The development triggered legal and diplomatic scrutiny in both countries.
Petition details
The petition, filed through Advocate Ali Changezi Sandhu, states that under Indian law Sarbjeet Kaur remains legally married to Karnail Singh, as no divorce has been granted. The plea also alleges forced religious conversion and financial inducement.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, Pakistani legal principles require that a married non-Muslim woman who converts to Islam must first seek divorce under her country’s laws and invite her husband to accept Islam. The petition argues these conditions were not fulfilled and questions the legality of the subsequent marriage.
Karnail Singh has further alleged violations of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and raised concerns about the sharing of personal images and financial transactions.
Court proceedings
The petitioner has requested the court to place Sarbjeet Kaur in a women’s shelter home until the case is decided, facilitate communication with her children, and order forensic examination of call recordings.
Earlier, the court had sent her to a government shelter home, but on February 13 she reportedly returned to Nasir Hussain’s residence. Speaking to media, Sarbjeet Kaur alias Noor said she wishes to spend the rest of her life in Pakistan.
