Who is Seema Haider: Cross-border lover or Pakistani spy?

Pakistani national Seema Haider and Indian Sachin Meena's unconventional ‘love story’ has sparked fascination.

The Uttar Pradesh Anti Terror Squad (ATS) detained Seema Haider, a Pakistani national, along with her partner Sachin Meena and his father Netrapal Singh on Monday. Haider had been arrested earlier this month for illegally entering India, along with her four children, while Meena and his father were arrested for providing them shelter.

Manzoor Hussain, the landlord of Seema Haider, who left for India to be with her partner Sachin Meena, shows her picture he found in the luggage after she departed in Dhani Bakhsh village in eastern Karachi. (AFP)

Seema Haider's unnoticed entry into India and her unconventional love affair have sparked fascination among many. Here, we bring you all the details about the ‘love story’ of the couple from arch-rival countries.

Who is Seema Haider? 5 points

1. Seema Haider, a 27-year-old married mother of four from Sindh, Pakistan, connected with Sachin Meena, a 22-year-old unmarried shopkeeping assistant from India while playing the online shooting game PUBG during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the couple say.

2. Seema, along with her children, allegedly left Pakistan and smuggled herself into India. They met in Nepal first time in March. And in May Seema and her children came to Noida via Dubai, Nepal. Sachin received them and they were living in a rented apartment in the village of Rabupura, in Greater Noida, about 55 km from New Delhi. The couple says they have married and want to remain together in India.

3. A first information report has been filed at Rabupura police station, invoking provisions of the Foreigners Act, the Passport (Entry into India) Act, as well as sections 120B (party to criminal conspiracy) and 34 (act done by several people with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. This has sparked a debate among the public, questioning how she managed to enter the country without detection. Concerns about her potential threat to national security are being raised as well.

4. Seema's estranged husband, Ghulam Haider, who works abroad in Saudi Arabia, desires to be reunited with his wife and children. He appealed to Indian and Pakistani authorities for their return.

5. Seema's decision to stay with Sachin, a Hindu, has angered her tribe in Pakistan. Seema's home in Pakistan is located in Bhittaiabad, a Katchi Abadi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. It consists of a three-room portion in a building without paint and is situated in a narrow lane full of garbage and overflowing sewerage.

(Input from wires)