Not a captive in Pakistan marriage: Bathinda woman

AMRITSAR: Has another cross-border India-Pakistan love match turned sour? Bathinda’s Tina Sharma, mother of two teenaged sons, who was battered for years by her husband, and who broke the shackles of matrimony on the strength of her blossoming love for a Muslim man to go to Pakistan in 2018, is said to be held in captivity by her husband.An Indian television news channel had recently reported that Tina, who had crossed over to Pakistan on a tourist visa on October 24, 2018, to marry a Pakistani national, was being held captive by her husband, and likened her case to that of another Indian woman Uzma. The latter had gone to Pakistan on May 1, 2017, where she was drugged by her friend Tahir Ali, who then married her forcibly two days later, and began assaulting her.She managed to return to India soon after due to efforts of the external ministry.Tina has applied for Pakistani citizenshipWhen TOI called up Tina, 37, in Pakistan on Monday, her husband Suleman, 32, who runs a service station in Gujranwala, took the call. After asking for the caller's identity, he said, “Please make a video call and see how happy this Indian woman is with her new family.” He then handed over the phone to Tina aka Aishya.Tina with Suleman and a member of his familyAishya said, “Every love story in Pakistan doesn’t have a bad end, I came here willingly and married Suleman. His two brothers, four sisters and mother have accepted me, and I have left my bitter past behind.”Mother of two teenaged sons, Aishya said it was not easy for her to make the decision to move to Pakistan and marry Suleman. “My husband in Bathinda used to hit me almost every day, denied me love, respect and even food,” she said.Tina had met Suleman while playing an online game in 2015 and the couple drew close. “On October 24, 2018, Tina came to Pakistan on a visitor’s visa and five days later, on October 29, we married in court,” said Suleman.When asked if she was in contact with her sons or parents in India, Tina replied, “Initially I used to call them, but nobody responded nicely or even tried to understand me.” Interrupting her, Suleman said, “I will be happy if her parents or sons remain in touch with her.”Tina’s husband termed stories about his wife being forcibly held in Pakistan as being falsehoods.Aishya is presently living in Pakistan on extended visa and has applied for Pakistani citizenship.On April 12, 2018, another married woman Kiran Bala of Garshankar in Punjab had gone to Pakistan with a Sikh jatha and tied the knot with one Muhammad Azan of Lahore whom she had befriended on Facebook. Kiran, a widow, left behind her three children, and changed her name to Amna Bibi after embracing Islam.According to MEA sources, the issue of Tina’s well-being has been taken up on several occasions in the past with Pakistan. However, so far there has been no response from Islamabad on requests for her location and subsequent repatriation.