Uzma Ahmed, who alleged that she was forced to marry a Pakistani man, returned home and grabbed headlines by calling ‘Pakistan a well of death’. Indian media took up these statements promptly, but no one tried to verify the truth behind the entire saga. Uzma Ahmed, who was married and mother to a daughter, fell in love with some Tahir of Pakistan on social media, they exchanged numbers, their communication began, and they fell in love. Both exchanged their past to each other, he told her that he is married and having wife and kids. She also told him that she has daughter from another man. Tahir works in Malaysia, Uzma managed to reach there and shared romantic moments with him. She could have easily returned from Malaysia to India, but she chose to go to Pakistan despite knowing about his marital status. In Pakistan, keeping two wives is common. He got married to her in court, they started living together. He was equally committed to his first wife and kids and that is what bothered Uzma. The disputes began; both were done with each other. The romance vanished and Uzma wanted to return to India. She was living in Buner. Uzma left her first husband for the sake of her own desires with a man in an opponent country. Now, she is bad mouthing her new husband just because she was unable to adjust there. The report does not give details about her gunpoint marriage. If both Uzma and Tahir had fallen in love with each other then why did he had to force her to marry him?
On the contrary, she made all mindless statements. At least, she should have credited Pakistan judiciary and legal system for her return. Otherwise like so many others, she would have been languishing in Pakistan. Such statements may jeopardise future of other Indians like her. Though, Indian external affairs ministry’s efforts are always praiseworthy in such cases, it shows that there are good people too in Pakistan like the lawyer who fought Uzma’s case and the judge who gave the judgement to return her with security. Peace is what both countries should embrace. We are just fighting without any reason, loosing so many precious lives of our jawans who are martyred every day across the border, and such cases and statements add fuel to the fire.
Meanwhile, Indian Muslims always think Pakistan is heaven and in India they are oppressed. They are equal citizens and Uzma incident should be an eye opener for them. No doubt, she is trying to play politics by using India-Pakistan card and trying to show disrepute to Pakistan. She said, in Pakistan in every house, there is more than one wife. Look at the irony, Uzma too went after knowing that Tahir is a married guy, she left her two husbands and young daughter at the mercy of her mother. You need to have that bad experience to understand the value of your own country.
Uzma Ahmed was already married and divorced twice in India. Uzma’s stay in Pakistan wasn’t a pleasant one and she said that many women like her, were living in terrible circumstances. She went on to add that women from East Asian countries like Philippines, Malaysia were lured into marriage and were kept in Pakistan where they were being tortured and harassed. Uzma filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court asking to allow her to leave the country as her daughter from her first marriage suffered from Thalassaemia and had to be treated urgently. Thalassemia is a health condition with a blood disorder where haemoglobin production is abnormal. The court ordered Tahir Ali to return her immigration papers immediately which were reportedly taken away from her. Ali then submitted her documents and allowed her to leave Pakistan.
Sushma Swaraj has audacity to thank the judiciary system for Uzma’s release on humanitarian grounds. In a press conference, Sushma thanked her lawyer Shahnawaz Noon, who fought the case like her father. She even thanked Pakistan’s foreign ministry for quick action on the serious situation.
As a citizen, I am happy to see Indian politicians like Sushma Swaraj are dedicated to serve the people of our nation and make us proud. Sushma’s dedication has made us realize that our politicians are really committed to the wellbeing of the Indian citizens and we hope that such efforts from other politicians follow. Uzma’s return was made possible through co-operation between the Indian high commission, whose efforts were led by deputy high commissioner J P Singh, and Pakistan’s foreign and interior ministries.
The actions of the Pakistani foreign ministry may also be seen as driven by the civilian government rather than the military as was the case with Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was tried and sentenced to death by a secret military court for allegedly being a spy.
Meanwhile, Tahir Ali was encountered by media; he said that the high court allowed “his wife” to go back. She has been allowed to return and he is heartbroken because his point of view was not heard. Uzma had arrived in Pakistan on May 1 and travelled to the remote Buner district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province where she got married to Ali on May 3. In the latest twist, Ali has sought the Islamabad High Court’s intervention to meet his wife in ‘free atmosphere’ claiming Uzma recorded her statement before a magistrate against him under “duress and pressure” by her brother through the officials of the Indian High Commission in Pakistan. The husband alleged that his wife has been illegally and unlawfully detained at the Indian High Commission and his right to meet her has been violated. Ali said that his first wife was aware of his second marriage and Uzma also knew about his first marriage. He claimed that he has Whatsapp messages where Uzma asked him not to disclose details of his first marriage and also to exaggerate details of his educational qualification when her brother asks.
Tahir Ali, feels cheated and Uzma thinks she has been victimised. This is the story of every broken marriage with in the national boundary, but when it goes cross border, such things grab headlines. Who is right or who is wrong only Allah and Uzma know? Anyway, finally she realised that India is incredible and there is no other place on earth like this.
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