Indian woman tells court she was forced to marry in Pakistan

Islamabad, May 19:  The Islamabad High Court continued hearing the case of Indian woman Uzma, who reiterated on Friday that she was "forced to marry" her Pakistani husband Tahir Ali, and requested the court to allow her to return to India.

First Secretary at the Indian High Commission Piyush Singh also was present at the High Court and their lawyer, Shahnawaz Noon, submitted a written reply to court with Uzma's version of events, Dawn newspaper reported.

Uzma had earlier said she was forced to marry Tahir Ali at gunpoint. She took refuge at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad earlier this month and asked to be repatriated to India after coming to know that Ali was already married and also had four children.

She said Ali had deceived her as he was already married, and that he stole her passport and other travel documents.

The claims were denied by Ali. 

"Threatened to kill, harassed and badly humiliated," Uzma said in her six-page reply to the court on Friday and repeated she was made to sign the nikkah document with a gun to her head.

But before she signed the document, Uzma said she was "mercilessly deadened, sedated through sleeping pills and sexually assaulted" at the Wagah Border. 

"When she regained consciousness, she claims she was in Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," Uzma's lawyer told the court.

Her lawyer aimed to get permission from Islamabad to allow her to return to India. Uzma's visa is said to expire on May 30.