'Welcome Home, India's Daughter': Woman Forced To Marry Pak Man Returns

New Delhi: An Indian woman who said she was forced by a Pakistani man to marry him at gunpoint returned to India this morning, a day after the Islamabad High Court allowed her deportation. Uzma, who sought refuge at the Indian High Commission in Pakistan capital came back via Wagah border, escorted by the officials of the Indian High Commission.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a tweet, welcomed Uzma. "Welcome home India's daughter. I am sorry for all that you have gone through," Ms Swaraj tweeted.

Uzma was escorted by Pakistani security personnel till the Wagah border crossing where Indian officials debriefed her for a while. She was likely to be brought to Delhi, her native place, later today.
 Uzma, who is in her early 20s, had travelled to Pakistan earlier this month on vacation, her family said. Tahir Ali, whom she reportedly met in Malaysia and fell in love with, forced her into marrying him in Pakistan on May 3.

She had appealed to a court in Pakistan on May 12, alleging that Tahir Ali had married her at gunpoint. In the days after their marriage, he had harassed and intimidated her and taken away her travel papers to force her to stay, she told the court.
 Requesting the court  to allow her to return to India urgently, Uzma said that she had been "terribly beaten... tortured physically and mentally and forced to sign the nikahnama" by Ali. 
Her husband Ali rejected the allegations and said, "she is still my wife. Neither she has asked for divorce nor I have divorced her." She also told the court that her daughter from first marriage in India suffered from thalassemia - a blood disorder characterised by abnormal hemoglobin production.

Islamabad High Court on Wednesday ruled in her favour and allowed her to return to India. The court also returned her the immigration papers which she said was taken away by Ali, who had submitted the documents after being told by the court to do so.

During the hearing, the court had asked Uzma if she wanted to meet her husband in the chamber but she refused the offer, saying she did not want to talk to him.

Acknowledging the government's efforts, Uzma's brother Wasim Ahmed said, "Want to thank government, they thoroughly helped us. Sushma Swaraj ji always kept us updated, made me speak to her (Uzma) once."

According to the law in Pakistan, her lawyer can continue to represent her and she can come back to pursue the case.

(with inputs from agencies)