Lahore High Court Shields Interfaith Couple From Police Harassment

The Lahore High Court has directed police authorities to cease all forms of harassment against Sarabjeet Kaur, a 48-year-old Indian Sikh woman who converted to Islam and married a local Pakistani man during a religious pilgrimage.

The order, issued by Justice Farooq Haider on Tuesday, came in response to a petition filed by Kaur—now known as Noor—and her husband, Nasir Hussain, a resident of Sheikhupura district. The couple alleged that local police conducted an illegal raid on their home in Farooqabad and exerted undue pressure to dissolve their union, citing concerns over her sudden "disappearance" from the pilgrim group.

Kaur, hailing from Amanipur village in Punjab's Kapurthala district, arrived in Pakistan on November 4 as part of a 2,000-strong Sikh delegation celebrating Guru Nanak's birth anniversary. While the group proceeded to Nankana Sahib, Kaur instead traveled to Sheikhupura to wed Hussain, a man she had known for nine years through Facebook. In a video statement circulating on social media, she affirmed her decision: "I am a divorcee and wanted to marry Hussain; therefore, I came here for the purpose. I happily married Hussain."

The marriage, solemnized the same day under Islamic rites, sparked alarm when Kaur failed to rejoin the pilgrims for their return to India on November 13. Indian authorities launched an investigation into her whereabouts, while Pakistani police initially treated her as a missing person. However, the couple's public appearance before a magistrate in Sheikhupura last Saturday clarified the situation, with Kaur expressing her intent to extend her visa and apply for Pakistani nationality through the Indian mission.

The harassment escalated post-marriage, with the petition claiming a senior officer "caused undue harassment towards the couple and forced them to dissolve the marriage." This intervention by the high court not only halts such actions but also highlights the delicate balance between state security and individual rights in interfaith and cross-border relationships.

Kaur, a mother of two whose ex-husband resides abroad, has faced scrutiny back home in India, where her case has drawn media attention amid ongoing diplomatic sensitivities between the two nations. Her story echoes broader themes of love transcending borders, even as it navigates cultural and religious complexities.