‘Anju is now dead to us’, says father

ISLAMABAD: The father of Anju, an Indian woman who married Pakistani man Nasrullah, has said that she was now “dead to their family.”

According to Hindustan Times, Anju’s father, Gya Prasad Thomas, spoke to reporters, stating that Anju ruined the future of her two children.

“The way she (Anju) left her two children and husband behind… she didn’t even care about her children. If she wanted to do this, she should have divorced her husband first. She is no longer a part of our lives.”

When asked if she had converted to Islam, he replied that he has no information about it.

He further added, “My prayer is that she dies there.”

On the question of whether they will appeal to the Indian government to bring Anju back, Gya Prasad said they will not do such a thing.

Authorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan have confirmed that Anju has married a Pakistani man named Nasrullah. However, despite the official confirmation from the government, Anju told BBC that there is no truth in the news of her marriage.

In an interview with BBC, Malik, the Regional Police Officer (RPO) of Malakand, Nasir Mahmood Satti, confirmed Anju’s marriage with Nasrullah . The cleric, Qari Shamroz Khan, said that he performed their marriage, against a dowry of Rs10,000 and ten tolas of gold.

Qari Shamroz said, “I was invited by Nasrullah to perform the marriage. We both belong to the same area. They are legally married now.”

Regarding her marriage, Anju said to BBC, “The news of my marriage is baseless, and I am preparing to return to India tomorrow (Tuesday).”

Local police have stated that on the occasion of verifying the marriage and obtaining her statement in court, “the newlywed couple” was provided complete security and their privacy was fully ensured.

It is worth noting that Anju had started communication through social media with Nasrullah, a resident of Upper Dir district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a few years ago, which turned into a friendship over time.

Following this, on July 21, Anju arrived in Pakistan to “meet” Nasrullah.

According to BBC Hindi, Anju was already married, and she was living with her husband and two children in the area of Bewar in the Alwar city of India.

Journalist Mohar Singh Meena, who was present in Bewar, spoke to BBC Hindi about Anju’s 40-year-old husband, Arvind. He said, “I am 40 years old, and Anju is around 35. We are both originally from Uttar Pradesh but have been living in Bewar for many years. We got married in 2007, and now we have two children. Our elder daughter is 15 years old, and we have a younger son, and they both go to school.”

He said that Anju had left home on July 21, saying that she would go to Jaipur. Since then, they were communicating via WhatsApp.

Read more: Indian woman Anju marries Pakistani youth Nasrullah

“On the evening of July 23, when our son fell sick, I asked Anju when she would return. She told me that she is in Pakistan and would return soon.”

Arvind said that he never had any doubt about Anju going to Pakistan and never checked her phone because “it ruins relationships.”

However, speaking via a video call to Indian TV channel Zee News on Monday, Anju said, “My husband was well aware that I was going out, and I thought I would tell him once I crossed the border. And I did tell him.”

She added, “I wanted to take my son with me to Pakistan, but I didn’t think he would need a passport for it.”

On Zee News’ anchor’s question of whether she has married Nasrullah in Pakistan, Anju replied that she did not come to Pakistan to marry Nasrullah .

“I have no intention like that. He is just my friend, and I came to meet him and explore Pakistan,” she said.

District Police Officer of Upper Dir, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, had told the press conference on Monday that Anju had arrived in Lahore via Wagah border and then traveled to Rawalpindi by bus.

In Rawalpindi, Nasrullah had welcomed Anju.

Nasrullah, 29, had told BBC a few days ago that he intended to officially propose to Anju within two to three days and that Anju would return to India around ten to twelve days later.

He had said, “After that, Anju will come back to Pakistan for the marriage. This is our personal life, and we don’t want any interference. We are trying to keep away from the media.”

This story closely resembles the recent case of Indian youth Sachin, who was arrested for illegally crossing into India to meet Pakistani woman Seema Hyder, except that Anju obtained a visa to come to Pakistan legally, while Seema reached India through Nepal using an illegal route.

Love stories between citizens of Pakistan and India are not new, but due to the strained relations between the two countries, both nations now grant each other minimal visas for their citizens.

Getting a visa for Anju was not easy, especially to reach Upper Dir, a remote and bordering district with Afghanistan.