Chandigarh, Feb 13: A 48-year-old Sikh woman from Kapurthala, who went missing during a religious pilgrimage to Pakistan, has reportedly secured legal permission to remain in the country after marrying a resident of Sheikhupura. Sarabjeet Kaur, now identified as Noor Hussain following her reported conversion to Islam, has faced sharp criticism from Sikh organizations on both sides of the border for the circumstances surrounding her stay.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has reacted strongly to the development, labeling the incident as a breach of trust. SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan noted that the religious body is considering stricter verification measures for future pilgrims to prevent similar occurrences.
“The actions are shameful, and we are taking stern measures to address the situation,” Mannan directly said.
“I feel helpless as she has managed to procure a legal nod to stay, which defames the concept of Sikh pilgrimage,” Ramesh Singh Arora, Pakistan’s Minister for Minorities Affairs, mentioned while condemning the move.
The woman had initially traveled to Pakistan as part of a nearly 2,000-member jatha in November 2025. Authorities noted that she disappeared shortly after crossing the border and was later apprehended in January after her pilgrimage visa expired. However, after a legal intervention through a Lahore court, she was released from a shelter home and permitted to stay with her new husband, Nasir Hussain.
While Kaur claimed in social media videos that she entered the marriage and conversion of her own free will, contradictory audio clips have surfaced suggesting she may have initially sought to return to India. Despite these conflicting reports, she has publicly expressed gratitude toward her legal team for her release.
The incident has prompted calls for a complete review of how pilgrimage visas are managed. Minister Arora noted that the use of a religious visa for the purpose of seeking asylum or changing residency hurts the sentiments of the entire community.
