A prominent rights activist in Karachi revealed on Friday that the former husband of Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman who illegally crossed into India with her four children in 2023 to reunite with her lover, has enlisted the services of an Indian lawyer to assist in reclaiming custody of his underage children.
Haider traveled to India with her children
Seema Haider, originally from Jacobabad in Sindh province, departed from her home in Karachi in May of the previous year, taking her children with her on a journey to India via Nepal.
In July, she made headlines after Indian authorities discovered her residing with her current husband, Indian national Sachin Meena, in the Greater Noida area of Uttar Pradesh.
Reports indicate that she is now expecting a child with Meena.
Pak activist helping Haider's first husband to get back children
Ansar Burney, a top Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist, said that Ghulam Haider, Seema's Pakistani husband, had approached him for help in getting custody of his four children.
"After due process, we have hired an Indian lawyer, Ali Momin and have sent the power of attorney to start legal proceedings in Indian courts," Burney said.
Burney also manages a trust bearing his name, dedicated to locating missing and abducted children, and he has also provided legal representation to Indian prisoners incarcerated in Pakistan.
Seema-Sachin 'PUBG' love story
Seema's story gained widespread attention as she claimed to have developed feelings for Sachin through PUBG, a mobile game, and subsequently decided to travel to him.
At the time of her departure to India via the UAE and Nepal, her husband was employed in Saudi Arabia.
During an interview with BBC, Seema asserted that she had embraced Hinduism and expressed her refusal to return to Pakistan. She further claimed that her children had also embraced Hinduism.
Religious conversion of minors prohibited: Burney
Burney emphasised that Ghulam had a compelling case, noting that under international laws, the religious conversion of underage children is prohibited.
"This is not an open and shut case because even if she is settled there now, her children are Pakistani nationals and underage, the father has every right to them."
Burney stated that Ghulam was solely focused on reclaiming custody of his children in Pakistan and had no interest in reuniting with his wife.
In India, advocate A P Singh, the legal representative of Seema Haider and Sachin Meena, told PTI: "We are not aware of any such development. When we get to know of it officially, we will respond to it accordingly."
Haider's case being investigated by UP ATS
The case of Seema and Meena is currently being investigated by the Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Terrorist Squad, which picked up the couple for interrogation in July 2023, a couple of weeks after the local Noida Police arrested them.
She had come along with her four children - all below the age of 7 years - in May and lived in the Rabupura area in a rented accommodation secretly.
Seema and Meena were arrested on July 4 last year, but a local court granted them bail on July 7.
They have been living together ever since even as the local police and the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad continue separate investigations into the case.
(With inputs from PTI)
