LHC seeks complete record in Sarabjeet Kaur marriage dispute case

2026-03-02 - 20:14

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the submission of the complete record of all petitions filed across Pakistan in connection with the ongoing legal dispute involving Sarabjeet Kaur and Nasir Hussain, in order to decide the matter strictly on merit and avoid conflicting judicial findings. During the hearing, Justice Farooq Haider called for copies of all petitions related to the case to be presented before the court by March 6, 2026. The direction came after detailed arguments were presented by Advocate Ali Changezi Sandhu on objections concerning the subsistence of Sarabjeet Kaur’s earlier marriage and the validity of her subsequent Pakistani Nikah. The case centers on a fresh petition filed by Karnal Singh, the Indian husband of Sarabjeet Kaur, seeking annulment of her alleged marriage to Nasir Hussain. The petitioner contends that Sarabjeet did not follow the due legal process required for a married non-Muslim woman to marry a Muslim man after conversion. Advocate Sandhu argued extensively on issues surrounding the execution of a Special Power of Attorney, referring to domestic legislation as well as international instruments including the Federal Shariat Court, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights. In response to the court’s query regarding the Special Power of Attorney Act 1882, Sandhu maintained that the law does not bar a foreign national from executing a special power of attorney in Pakistan. The court also questioned how multiple petitions had been filed in the LHC. Sandhu stated that Sarabjeet Kaur filed petitions through her purported Pakistani husband, Nasir Hussain, who is physically present in Pakistan and legally competent to institute proceedings. According to the petitioner’s counsel, constitutional courts of Pakistan, particularly the Federal Shariat Court, have laid down principles requiring a married non-Muslim woman to obtain judicial divorce under her personal law and to invite her non-Muslim husband to embrace Islam before contracting a valid Muslim marriage. The petition alleges that these conditions were not fulfilled, rendering the subsequent marriage void. The petitioner has further sought criminal proceedings against Nasir Hussain, deportation of Sarabjeet Kaur under the Foreigners Act 1946, and an investigation into allegations of forced conversion. Requests have also been made for forensic examination of call recordings and digital evidence.