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Pak woman files plea before President Murmu
The petition said that Haider was “regularly joining” all the investigation as required by the investigating agency and obeying all the bail conditions
Greater Noida: Pakistani citizen Seema Haider, who is currently residing in Greater Noida’s Rabupura town submitted a mercy petition to the President’s secretariaton Friday, seeking Indian citizenship and permission to stay in the country with her husband Sachin Meena and four children.
Supreme Court lawyer AP Singh submitted the petition on Haider’s behalf at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. “The mercy petition has been submitted at a time when there are hectic efforts to deport her to Pakistan. In her petition, Haider has requested permission to stay in India as she is deeply influenced by Indian culture and traditions,” Singh said.
Haider met Meena on PubG, the online multiplayer game that became very popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. After chatting for some time, they reportedly fell in love. According to the duo, they first met in March in Nepal, where they got married.
Three months later, Haider left Pakistan with her four children and travelled to Nepal via Dubai. She reportedly slipped through India’s porous border with Nepal and came to Greater Noida.
She was arrested, along with Meena, by the Gautam Budh Nagar police on July 4, but was later released by a local court on July 8.
Indian authorities are conducting an investigation against Haider, including the possibility of whether she is a spy who poses a threat to national security. The Noida Police had indicated that it found no clear evidence of espionage. The probe was handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh Police at the request of Gautam Buddh Nagar police. The ATS officials have questioned Haider, her children, Meena and his family members in the case.
“Petitioner (Haider) has been divorced from her ex-husband Ghulam Haider who went to Saudi Arabia about four years back. Petitioner was the second wife of Haider, who already had another wife and two children from first marriage. After divorce, her ex-husband started living with his third wife,” the petition said. HT has a copy of the petition.
The petition said that Haider was “regularly joining” all the investigation as required by the investigating agency and obeying all the bail conditions.She claimed that she was ready to undergo a polygraph test, brain mapping test, lie detector test and as well as DNA test of her children.
Singh said the Haider and Meena’s family has “high hopes” from the government. “They are expecting a positive response to the mercy petition,” he said.
