Indian woman in Pak: Friend says ‘no plan to marry’; father calls her ‘eccentric’

A 34-year-old married Indian woman, who travelled to a remote village in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to meet her Facebook friend, will return to India on August 20 when her visa expires, her Pakistani friend has said, dismissing reports of any love affair between them.

Nasrulla, 29, said he has no plan of marrying Anju, who was born in Kailor village in Uttar Pradesh and lived in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. Back home in India, Anju’s father has described her as mentally disturbed and eccentric and said she was not involved in any affair.

Nasrulla and Anju became friends on Facebook in 2019. “Anju is on a visit to Pakistan and we have no plan to marry,” Nasrulla told PTI over the phone from village Kulsho, some 300 km from Peshawar. “She will go back to her country on August 20 after her visa expires. Anju is living in a separate room in my home with the other female members of my family,” he said.

Reiterating Nasrulla’s point, Anju said she did not come to Pakistan to marry her Facebook friend and added that the media has created unnecessary hype. Anju has travelled to the Upper Dir district of Pakistan’s tribal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on a valid Pakistani visa to meet Nasrulla.

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“Mentally disturbed”

Speaking from a village in Madhya Pradesh, Anju’s father Gaya Prasad Thomas told reporters: “I came to know about it (Anju’s presence in Pakistan) just yesterday. My son informed me that his didi (sister) has gone there (Pakistan). But, I don’t know about it. I have had no contact with her for nearly 20 years after she got married and moved to Bhiwadi (in Alwar district of Rajasthan).”

“I am currently staying here (Bouna village) as my house remains vacant. I keep coming here (from Faridabad in Haryana where he is settled) from time to time,” he added. The village is near Tekanpur town in Gwalior district.

“She has not visited Tekanpur, as I never invited her. She is mentally disturbed,” he claimed. Thomas said Anju had been staying with her maternal uncle in Jalaun district in Uttar Pradesh since she was three years old and got married while residing there.

Husband hopeful

“It is wrong on her part to go to Pakistan without informing anyone. She has two children and they are with their father,” he said. “My son-in-law is a very simple person. She is eccentric but my daughter will not have any affair with her friend. She is of free nature, but she will never get into all this. I can guarantee this,” Thomas said.

He said Anju had studied till Class 12 and was doing a job in a company. “I left her because of her eccentric nature,” he claimed.

Anju’s husband Arvind, who is in Rajasthan, is also hopeful that his wife will return soon. They have a 15-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.

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“Will go back by August 20”

According to an official document of the Ministry of Interior sent to Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi, the chancery was informed that it had been decided to grant a 30-day visa to Anju, valid for Upper Dir only.

Nasrulla, a science graduate from a University in Sheringal, is the youngest among five brothers. He has given an affidavit to local authorities stating that there is no love angle to their friendship, and Anju will return to India on August 20. The affidavit also states that she will not move out of the Upper Dir district.

On being asked when she’ll return to India, Anju said, “Within the next two to four days, I will go back to my country.”

“She will definitely go back on August 20 as per her visa documents,” said Upper Dir District Police Officer (DPO) Mushtaq Khan. He interviewed Anju in his office on Sunday and checked her travel documents, based on which a no-objection certificate was issued to her.

“She’s safe and sound”

While Nasrulla has rejected any love angle to his friendship with Anju, police officer Khan said she came to Pakistan “for the sake of love”. “Anju has come to Pakistan from New Delhi for the sake of love and is living happily here,” Khan was quoted as saying by Geo News.

He said the investigations into Anju’s arrival in Pakistan have been completed. “She travelled to Pakistan on a month-long visit visa and all her travel documents are valid and complete. Locals are presenting gifts to Anju, she is happy here,” he said.

The DPO also stated that Anju does not want to interact with the media for any interview. According to the report, Anju told local journalists her friendship with Nasrulla began on Facebook and later blossomed into a love affair. She said she loved Nasrulla, which prompted her to travel to Pakistan.

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Nasrulla said they have been provided adequate security by the district administration and Anju is safe and sound with his family. The villagers, mostly Pashtuns who are very religious people, want Anju to return safely to India, as they do not want any bad name for their community due to this incident.

(With agency inputs)