“The moment I entered India…”: Pakistani woman to wed a resident of Kolkata

Javeria Khanum, a Pakistani from Dera Ismail, crossed the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar, Punjab, to finish her love story that had been waiting for a happy conclusion in Kolkata for the last five years. Ms. Khanum is ready to tie the knot in January with her fiancé, Kolkata resident Sameer Khan.

Sameer and Javeria first met in 2018, when he noticed Ms. Khanum’s photo on his mother’s phone while returning to Kolkata from Germany. That was five years ago. For him, it was love at first sight. He expressed his desire to wed his mother. The proposal was accepted by both families when Sameer’s mother delivered it to Javeria’s mother in Dera Ismail; nonetheless, there was still a difficult path ahead for this love tale.

To visit India, Javeria Khanum needed to apply for a visa. Her application was originally turned down twice by the Indian High Commission, and the Covid epidemic in 2020—a worldwide emergency—further delayed the development of their tale.

Relentlessly, Javeria Khanum reapplied, and their romance successfully navigated the most difficult hurdle of obtaining a visa. At the Attari-Wagah crossing in Amritsar, Ms. Khanum crossed the international border between India and Pakistan. Sameer held a flower and ‘dhol’ to greet his future bride Javeria at the border. In January, the pair will tie the knot.

“While we were attempting to get a visa, our families approved of the marriage. I am grateful to the Indian government for providing me with a 45-day visa. We have been dating for the last five years. I spent a long time trying to get a visa, and eventually, I was successful. Javeria told ANI, “Everyone back home was very happy.”

“I’m having a great time. Everyone in India greeted me with affection and congratulations the minute I arrived. Seeing how warmly I was welcomed made me glad. I’m still in shock about this,” she continued.

Sameer and Javeria repeatedly requested assistance from the Indian government to get their issue resolved quickly. Last month, Mr. Khan wrote on X that he had only had three opportunities to see Javeria in the previous five years. Her visa has been denied twice by India, once in Thailand and once in Dubai.

Both Javeria and Sameer were left questioning the truth of their upcoming marriage after their bizarre encounter at the border. “You can see it on my face that I am very happy and surprised to see her,” he stated in an interview with reporters. I express my gratitude to the Indian government and Mr. Maqbool for his assistance in obtaining a visa. Both nations greatly aided in our unification. There is no such thing as a boundary between affection and clear intentions, as this instance demonstrates.”

“I hope that both governments will provide a special visa to a married couple to support them. I acknowledge that security issues are significant, but I also think there ought to be a separate category,” he said.