Islamabad: Indian Sikh woman Kiran Bala, who converted to Islam and married a Pakistani man during her visit to Lahore to attend Baisakhi mela has been granted a six-month extension of the visa extension by Pakistani authorities.
32-year-old Kiran Bala from Punjab daughter of Manohar Lal had written a letter to Pakistani foreign minister in which she stated that she embraced Islam with her wish and own consent on April 16, 2018 at Jamia Nayeemia in Lahore. Her Islamic name is Amena Bibi. In her letter she has sought an extension of her visa, claiming that she has converted to Islam and married a Lahore resident named Mohammad Azam at the Jamia Naeemia seminary in Lahore on April 16. According to letter Amena Bibi’s life may be in danger. The letter stated, “Now in the given circumstances, the undersigned could not return back to India and the undersigned has received life threats of assassination, therefore, the undersigned intends to extend her visa.”.
Secretary Jamia Nayeemia Lahore Maulana Raghib Nayeemi had confirmed that Kiran Bala had accepted Islam and her new name is Amena Bibi. According to him Kiran Bala arrived at Madrasa Jamia Nayeemia along with 4 men and embraced Islam on the hands of Maulana Qari Mubashir. Qari Mubashir made her recite the kalima after going through all the legal documents.
Kiran Bala’s family had claimed that ISI trapped her but her mother from Punjab says she has married Lahore man.
Sources said Bala had gone to Pakistan on April 12 with a group of around 800 Sikh pilgrims, leaving behind a 12-year-old daughter and two sons aged eight and six. Over 1700 pilgrims had arrived in Pakistan from India on April 12 to attend Baisakhi festival.
Azam confirmed the news that his wife’s visa had been extended for six months. Kiran Bala has expressed hope that he would get Pakistani nationality too.