Now I'm Indian: Pakistani woman who found love on PUBG
Pakistan's Seema Ghulam Haider and India's Sachin Meena—who fell in love with each other on the internet—walked out of prison on Saturday. "My husband is a Hindu, so I am a Hindu. I feel I am an Indian now," Haider told NDTV. She was arrested on Tuesday for illegally entering India with her four children, while Meena was held for sheltering them.
Why does this story matter?
Haider (30) reached Greater Noida on May 13 with her children via the Nepal route, where Meena (25) made arrangements for her to live without disclosing her identity. Notably, they got in touch during the COVID-19 pandemic while playing the online game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG). The couple got secretly married in Nepal in March this year on their first meeting.
Haider was 'very scared' while going to Nepal
While talking about her journey to Nepal in March, Haider said, "It was such a long and grueling journey. I was very scared too. I first went from Karachi to Dubai, where we waited for 11 hours and couldn't sleep." "We then flew to Nepal, before finally taking the road to Pokhara, where I met [Meena]," she added.
Haider and her children reached India in May
According to Haider, she returned to Karachi after tying the knot, while Meena came back to India. In Karachi, she sold a plot for PKR 12 lakh and arranged flight tickets for herself and her children to Nepal. She arrived in Pokhara via Dubai, took a bus from Kathmandu to Delhi, and finally reached Greater Noida on May 13 to live with Meena.
Will end life instead of returning to Pakistan: Haider
Speaking about future plans, Haider, who claimed discord with her Pakistani husband—away in Saudi Arabia for work—said she would focus on paperwork to make her move official. "I will end my life instead of going back to Pakistan," she said. Meanwhile, Meena—who works at a grocery store—said he wants to take a dip in the Ganga River with Haider to start a new life.
Police to file chargesheet soon
On Friday, a civil court in Jewar granted the couple bail. It also ordered that Haider would live with Meena and not change her residence as long as the case continued. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Saad Miya Khan said the police will file a chargesheet soon. To note, the police have also accused Meena's father of helping his son shelter illegal migrants.
Haider's husband asks Indian government to help
Following her move to India, Haider's husband of nine years, Ghulam Haider, has urged the Indian government to help him reunite with his wife. In a video message from Saudi Arabia, he said he got to know about his wife and children's presence in India through Indian media. However, Haider said she did not wish to return to Pakistan due to life threats.
