Indian Pilgrim Surbjeet Kaur, Now Noor, Seeks Protection From Police Harassment After Marriage to Pakistani Citizen

Lahore – Nasser Hussain, the husband of Indian pilgrim Surbjeet Kaur—who converted to Islam and is now known as Noor—has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court through a local lawyer. The petition states that he is a Pakistani citizen and that he married 48-year-old Surbjeet Kaur out of love after converting her to Islam in accordance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). However, Punjab Police have allegedly been harassing him, forcing the couple to leave their home.
The petition names Punjab Inspector General of Police, Dr. Usman Anwar, as a respondent and requests the court to restrain the police from pursuing, harassing, or arresting the couple. During today’s hearing, the honorable judge of the Lahore High Court inquired about the absence of the petitioner, Nasser Hussain, and his wife Noor. The court was informed that they did not appear due to fear of arrest by the police.
The honorable court subsequently barred the police from taking any action against the recently married couple in this matter. However, according to legal experts, despite the court order, 43-year-old Nasser Hussain—already married, a father of three, and a resident of Farooqabad, District Sheikhupura—will still have to fight a legal battle to secure legal residence for his wife, Noor Hussain (formerly Surbjeet Kaur), in Pakistan.
According to reliable sources, Nasser Hussain must have his marriage documents verified by the Ministry of Interior and also approach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for her residential status—an almost impossible task under the current circumstances. Meanwhile, Punjab Police maintain that any foreign national who overstays their visa in Pakistan faces legal action.
Civil society circles note that under the new law, a person seeking religious conversion must undergo at least six months of basic religious study. Without fulfilling this requirement, the Government of Pakistan does not recognize the conversion. Responsible sources claim that if the controversial newlywed couple does not appear this week and approach the relevant institutions for legal residency, the court may issue formal arrest warrants and could even declare them absconders, leading to newspaper notices being published for their arrest.

For Nazarana Times – Ali Imran Chattha, Lahore