The father-in-law of a 32-year-old woman, Kiran Bala, who has reportedly remarried in Lahore, today sought the Centre's intervention for her safe return to the country.
Hoshiarpur-based Bala's father-in-law Tarsem Singh sought the Centre's interference fearing that she might have fallen into the hands of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and forced to convert into Islam and remarry there.
The woman had gone to Pakistan to attend the Baisakhi festival there as part of an SGPC Sikh 'jatha' (delegation).
"I had dropped Kiran Bala, who is my daughter-in-law, at Amritsar on April 10 for accompanying the Sikh jatha which was going to Pakistan to celebrate Baisakhi there. She was very happy at that time," said Tarsem.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), apex religious body of the Sikhs, had sent a Sikh 'jatha' to Pakistan to celebrate Baisakhi festival there.
A senior SGPC official told PTI that the Committee has sought a report under what circumstances the woman was separated from the 'jatha.'
"We have sought a report in this whole matter from the SGPC official who was leading the delegation to Pakistan. This matter may also figure in the executive committee meeting of the SGPC tomorrow," he said.
Tarsem Singh said he got a call from some foreign media journalists today telling him that his daughter-in-law had embraced Islam and remarried in Lahore.
Singh, a resident of Garhshankar here, however, said there was no official confirmation that her daughter-in-law embraced willfully and married a Lahore resident.
At the same time, the 70- year old man revealed his daughter-in law contacted her on April 16 over phone and told him that she had got married in Pakistan.
"But I thought she was joking and therefore did not take the matter seriously. Now, after I got the call from journalists of the foreign media that she had gone missing, I was shocked..," he said.
He suspected that she might have fallen into the hands of Paksitan's ISI.
"I suspect she may have fallen into the hands of ISI," he said, adding she could have also been in touch with some person through social media.
Singh urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to ensure safe return of his daughter-in-law.
He said the safety of the 'jatha' members was the responsibility of the SGPC.
Kiran Bala's husband Narinder Kumar had died in a road accident in 2013.
She has three children -- a 12-year-old daughter and two sons, respectively eight and six years old.
Tarsem said she had been leading a happy life here with her children and she loved them very much.
Bala has sought extension of her visa after marrying a man in Lahore and embracing Islam, media reports said today in Pakistan.
Kiran Bala reportedly wrote to the Pakistan Foreign Office that her visa should be extended as she has married one Mohammad Azam, resident of Lahore, during a ceremony held at Jamia Naeemia seminary in Lahore on April 16.
She also changed her name to Amna Bibi which she used to sign the letter addressed to the foreign ministry, the reports said.
She arrived in Pakistan on April 12 with other Sikh pilgrims to attend the festival in Gurdwara Panja Sahib located in Hasan Abdal near Islamabad. Her visa will expire on April 21.
Tarsem said he had told SGPC officials to ensure that she returned along with jatha.
(PTI)
