An Indian woman who has taken refuge in the Indian High Commission here after arriving in Pakistan to marry, on Friday petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for duplicate travel documents and provision of security for her journey back to India.
In her petition, the court has been requested to exempt Uzma from reporting to the police and be allowed to leave for India at the earliest so that she could reunite with her daughter back home, who was ill, Geo News reported.
"My five-year-old daughter Falak is ill, and I have to meet her," Uzma, 20, said in the petition.
Uzma's lawyer Malik Shah Nawaz Noon and First Secretary at the Indian High Commission Piyush Singh filed the petition on her behalf with the Islamabad High Court.
Singh, according to media reports, was spotted taking pictures with his mobile phone inside the courtroom. He was let off only after he offered verbal and written apologies.
He snapped three photos inside the court, including one of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.
More From This Section
The petition by Uzma stated that her Pakistani husband, Tahir Ali, had deceived her as he was already married, and that he stole her passport and other travel documents.
Uzma took refuge at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad last week and asked to be repatriated to India after coming to know that Tahir Ali, a resident of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa whom she married, was already married and also had four children.
On May 8, Uzma claimed that she was forced to marry Ali at gunpoint and was subsequently subjected to physical and sexual abuse. He also took away her travel documents, she claimed.
The claims were denied by Tahir.
The petition on Friday sought security for her journey back to India via the Wagah border and requested the court that her husband be restrained from harassing her.
"Tahir deceived me and forced me to marry him at gunpoint. He even stole my passport and travelling documents. I urge the court to ask the Foreign Office to issue duplicate travel documents so that I may travel back to India," the application stated.
The petition also urged the court for an immediate hearing in the matter.
Earlier this week, the Foreign Office (FO) said Uzma would only be repatriated back to India once all her legal requirements were completed.
Calling her husband and the Foreign Office as parties to the case, Uzma declared the Indian High Commission in Islamabad's diplomatic enclave as her residence.
--IANS
soni/vt