Indian Husband Files Petition to Annul Wife's Marriage to Pakistani Man, Citing Violations of Islamic and Immigration Laws

Lahore, Pakistan – February 24, 2026

By Ali Imran Chattha, Lahore Nazrana Times
 

In a dramatic escalation of a cross-border marital dispute that has gripped public attention since late 2025, Colonel Karnail Singh, the Indian husband of Sarabjit Kaur (also known as Noor Hussain or Noor Fatima after her conversion to Islam), has filed a fresh petition in the Lahore High Court seeking to declare her marriage to Pakistani national Nasir Hussain (also spelled Naser or Naseer Hussain) null and void.

The petition, filed through advocate Ali Changezi Sandhu (also referred to as Ali Changizi Sindhu in court documents), alleges that Sarabjit Kaur failed to adhere to the strict legal protocols established by Pakistan's constitutional courts, including the Federal Shariat Court, for a married non-Muslim woman converting to Islam and entering into a new marriage with a Muslim man.
According to Advocate Ali Changezi Sandhu, Pakistan's apex courts have laid down clear principles in such sensitive cases. These include the mandatory requirement for the woman to obtain a judicial divorce under the laws of her home country (India) before remarrying. Additionally, she must extend a formal invitation to her non-Muslim husband to convert to Islam in the presence of two credible witnesses. If the husband refuses, a 90-day waiting period (iddat) must be observed before the previous marriage can be considered dissolved, allowing a lawful new union.
The petition contends that no such steps were followed in this case. Sarabjit Kaur's marriage to Colonel Karnail Singh remains legally valid in India, as no divorce has been obtained or recognized. Consequently, any physical relations during the subsequent marriage to Nasir Hussain constitute "zina" (adultery or fornication) under Islamic law. The filing calls for the immediate initiation of criminal proceedings against Nasir Hussain on charges of zina, and further alleges rape violations by breaching Islamic principles through an invalid marriage.
Colonel Singh is seeking multiple reliefs: the annulment of the nikah, the return of his wife to India, a court order for her deportation from Pakistan under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the commencement of rape charges against Nasir Hussain. The petition also accuses Sarabjit Kaur of blatant violations of Islamic laws, the terms of her Pilgrimage Visa (which expired around November 13, 2025), and immigration regulations by overstaying and engaging in unauthorized activities.
Adding layers of controversy, the petition includes serious allegations of forced conversion and coercion. It is supported by documentary evidence such as financial records, claims of blackmail through nude photographs and videos allegedly shared with Sarabjit's relatives in India, and an attached purported confession from Nasir Hussain admitting to circulating these explicit materials. The document urges a thorough judicial investigation into these elements of duress and coercion.

Further requests in the petition include transferring Sarabjit Kaur to a women's shelter (Dar-ul-Aman) or similar protective facility until the case is fully resolved, granting Colonel Singh and their sons permission to communicate with her via phone calls or other means, and conducting a forensic analysis of alleged linked call recordings to verify their authenticity and content.
Advocate Ali Changezi Sandhu stated that all supporting evidence has been duly appended to the petition, emphasizing the urgent need for judicial intervention to uphold both legal and religious standards in Pakistan.
 

Background of the Case
 

Sarabjit Kaur, approximately 48 years old from Kapurthala, Punjab, India, entered Pakistan on November 4, 2025, as part of a Sikh jatha (pilgrim group) for Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary celebrations at Nankana Sahib and other gurdwaras. She went missing from the group shortly after arrival and did not return with them when the pilgrimage concluded.
Pakistani authorities later confirmed that she converted to Islam on November 5, 2025, adopted the name Noor Hussain, and married Nasir Hussain the same day in Sheikhupura district (about 50-56 km from Lahore). A nikahnama (marriage contract) surfaced, and the couple appeared in media interviews, with Sarabjit stating before a magistrate that the conversion and marriage were voluntary and free of coercion.
Initial reports highlighted police raids and pressure on the couple to dissolve the marriage. In November 2025, Sarabjit and Nasir petitioned the Lahore High Court alleging harassment; Justice Farooq Haider ordered police to stop interfering. Subsequent filings, including by former Pakistani Sikh legislator Mahinder Pal Singh via the same advocate, sought FIRs for visa overstay under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and her deportation.
Deportation attempts in early January 2026 were halted multiple times due to pending cases in the Lahore High Court and Sessions Court. Sarabjit was briefly shifted to a women's shelter (Dar-ul-Aman) in Lahore but was reportedly released by mid-February 2026 and returned to live with Nasir Hussain. Recent videos show her expressing happiness and claiming an eight-year prior relationship with him, vowing to spend her life in Pakistan.
Her family in India has alleged coercion, blackmail (including threats and use of explicit materials), and possible involvement of external elements, though Pakistani court statements from Sarabjit have asserted her free will. Conflicting reports describe her as previously married (with children), though details vary.

This latest filing escalates the matter by directly challenging the marriage's validity on Islamic and procedural grounds, alongside immigration violations. It highlights ongoing tensions in interfaith and cross-border marriages involving conversion, visa compliance, and competing personal claims.
The Lahore High Court has yet to schedule a hearing on the petition. Attempts to reach Sarabjit Kaur (Noor Hussain) or Nasir Hussain for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The case continues to draw significant attention across borders and may set important precedents for handling similar disputes in Pakistan's judicial system amid India-Pakistan sensitivities.
Lahore Nazrana Times will provide updates as the hearing is scheduled or further developments emerge.