Pakistani court allows Indian woman to return home

The Islamabad High Court today allowed an Indian woman, who has sought refuge at the Indian mission here after accusing a Pakistani man of forcibly marrying her, to return to India, a media report said.

Uzma, in her early 20s, had travelled to Pakistan earlier this month. She has said that Pakistani national Tahir Ali "forced" her to marry him at gun point.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani was hearing pleas filed by Uzma and Ali. While Uzma had requested to be repatriated to India, Ali had asked to be allowed to meet his wife.

The HC assured Uzma, who hails from New Delhi, that she was free to return to India at any point and would be escorted to the Wagah Border with police security, Dawn newspaper reported.

During the hearing, the judge asked Uzma if she wished to speak to her husband but she refused.

She has alleged that her travel documents were stolen by Ali.

Uzma had petitioned the court on May 12 with the request and had submitted a medical report, showing that her daughter was suffering from thalassemia -  an inherited blood disorder characterised by abnormal hemoglobin production - and she urgently needed to return to India.

Uzma and Ali reportedly met in Malaysia and fell in love, after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah Border. The two contracted nikkah (marriage) on May 3.