Sarabjeet Kaur case: Indian husband moves Lahore High Court to nullify her Pakistan marriage, cites Islamic law

Karnal Singh has petitioned Lahore High Court to annul his wife Sarabjeet Kaur’s marriage to Nasir Hussain, arguing it’s invalid under Indian law as no divorce occurred. Allegations include forced conversion, legal violations, and demands for deportation.

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In a fresh turn in the cross-border legal battle involving Indian national Sarabjeet Kaur, her husband Karnal Singh has approached the Lahore High Court, seeking annulment of her alleged marriage to Pakistani citizen Nasir Hussain.

Singh has argued that the marriage in Pakistan is legally invalid as Sarabjeet Kaur was never divorced under Indian law and therefore continued to be legally married to him at the time of the conversion and subsequent marriage.

Background: Pilgrimage that turned into cross-border dispute

The case dates back to November 4 last year, when Sarabjeet Kaur travelled to Pakistan as part of a jatha of over 2,000 Sikh pilgrims to mark Guru Nanak Dev Parkash Purv.

While the rest of the pilgrims returned to India on November 13, Kaur did not report for exit clearance and was later declared missing. It subsequently emerged that she had converted to Islam, adopted the name Noor Fatima, and married Nasir Hussain in Pakistan.

Kaur later claimed that the relationship with Hussain had begun nearly eight years earlier through social media, setting off legal, diplomatic and political scrutiny in both countries.

Petition claims no divorce under Indian law

In the latest petition filed through Advocate Ali Changezi Sandhu, Karnal Singh contends that Sarabjeet Kaur remains legally married to him under Indian law, as no divorce decree has ever been obtained.

The plea alleges that the marriage in Pakistan was contracted without fulfilling mandatory legal requirements and therefore has no legal standing.

Allegations of coercion and impropriety

The petition also raises serious allegations of forced conversion and financial inducements.

It claims that documentary evidence has been annexed in court, including material in which Nasir Hussain allegedly admits to sharing nude photographs and videos of Sarabjeet Kaur with her relatives.

On this basis, Singh has sought criminal action, arguing that the marriage was not only void but also exploitative.

Islamic legal principles cited in court

According to the petitioner’s counsel, Pakistan’s constitutional courts, including the Federal Shariat Court, have laid down clear principles governing cases where a married non-Muslim woman converts to Islam and seeks to marry a Muslim man.

Under these principles, such a woman must first obtain a judicial divorce in accordance with the laws of her country of origin. She must then formally invite her non-Muslim husband to embrace Islam in the presence of two witnesses.

If the husband refuses, a 90-day waiting period must be observed before the marriage can be treated as dissolved. Only after completing this process can the woman legally marry a Muslim man.

The petition argues that none of these steps were followed in the present case.

Demand for criminal proceedings and deportation

The plea further contends that any cohabitation or physical relationship during the subsistence of the first marriage would amount to “zina” under Islamic law. On this basis, the court has been requested to initiate criminal proceedings against Nasir Hussain.

Karnal Singh has also sought directions for Sarabjeet Kaur’s deportation, alleging violations of Islamic legal principles, the Foreigners Act 1946, and the conditions of her pilgrimage visa.

The petition additionally seeks registration of rape charges against Hussain, claiming that he knowingly entered into a marriage contract with a woman who was already married.

Requests for protective and forensic measures

The petitioner has asked the court to place Sarabjeet Kaur in a women’s shelter home until the case is decided, facilitate communication between her and her husband and sons, and order a voice forensic examination of call recordings submitted with the petition.

Parallel legal proceedings in Pakistan

Earlier, Sarabjeet Kaur and Nasir Hussain had approached the Lahore High Court, which directed authorities not to harass them. Despite this, the couple was later detained by Punjab Police, after which Kaur was shifted to a government-run shelter home in Lahore.

Separately, a petition was filed in a Lahore sessions court seeking registration of an FIR against both Kaur and Hussain for alleged violations of immigration laws. That plea was filed by Advocate Ali Changezi Sandhu on behalf of former Pakistani Sikh legislator Mahinder Pal Singh, invoking Sections 22-A and 22-B of Pakistan’s Criminal Procedure Code and seeking action by the Federal Investigation Agency.

In January 2026, the sessions court sought a report from the FIA on the matter.

Sarabjeet Kaur returns to husband’s home

On February 13, Sarabjeet Kaur, now using the name Noor Fatima, left the shelter home and returned to her husband’s residence in Pakistan.

She stated that her relationship with Nasir Hussain spans eight years and that she intends to spend the rest of her life there. This came despite a viral audio clip in which she had earlier expressed a desire to return to India and reunite with her first husband.

The case now sits at the intersection of personal choice, religious conversion, immigration law and cross-border legal jurisdiction, with proceedings continuing in multiple Pakistani courts.