A 52-year-old woman from Punjab, who triggered a diplomatic and social stir after marrying a Pakistani national during a religious visit, is scheduled to be deported back to India on Monday. Sarabjit Kaur is expected to cross over via the Attari-Wagah border, concluding a saga that began when she overstayed her visa following a Sikh pilgrimage.
From Pilgrimage to Marriage: The Sequence of Events
Sarabjit Kaur, a resident of Amanipur village in Kapurthala district, had travelled to Pakistan on November 4, 2025. She was part of a large group of 1,932 Sikh devotees visiting the country for the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. While the rest of the jatha returned to India on November 13, Kaur chose to remain in Pakistan.
Shortly after the group's departure, events took a dramatic turn. Kaur converted to Islam, adopting the new name Noor Hussain. She then married a man from Sheikhupura named Nasir Hussain on November 5. A nikahnama (Islamic marriage contract) and a video of the ceremony went viral on social media. In the video, Kaur claimed she had known Nasir for about nine years, having met him while she was working in Dubai. She also stated that she was divorced and had two sons from her previous marriage.
Arrest and Visa Violation
The situation came to a head on January 4, when Pakistani authorities arrested both Sarabjit Kaur and Nasir Hussain. The arrest was carried out by a joint team of Pakistan's Intelligence Bureau and local police in Pehre Wali village, located near Nankana Sahib.
The primary legal ground for her arrest and subsequent deportation was the expiration of her single-entry visa. Pakistani officials, after confirming her visa status, initiated the process to send her back to India. Ramesh Singh Arora, the president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and a provincial minister, publicly confirmed the arrests and the deportation preparations.
Investigations and Background Checks Raise Questions
Back in her village in Punjab, the case has raised several uncomfortable questions for Indian authorities. Residents described Kaur as a reclusive person who lived in a large house (haveli) and had limited social interactions. More critically, it was revealed that her family faced over 10 criminal cases in Sultanpur Lodhi, which reportedly included charges related to prostitution.
This background makes her acquisition of a visa for the pilgrimage particularly puzzling. Pilgrims with a criminal record are typically ineligible for such visas, which require police verification. The fact that she secured approval has prompted an internal investigation into how the clearance was granted.
Further complicating the matter were irregularities in her travel documents. It is alleged that Kaur left key fields, such as her nationality and passport number, blank on her Pakistan immigration form. This made it difficult for officials to track her after she disappeared with Nasir Hussain. Her name was absent from both Pakistan's exit records and India's entry logs, leading authorities to initially list her as a missing person until news of her marriage surfaced.
The deportation at the Attari-Wagah border marks the end of her unauthorized stay but is likely the beginning of further legal and investigative proceedings in India regarding the lapses in the visa approval process.
