Indian Woman Petitions Pakistani Court for Custody of Sons Taken to Gulf Country

A Pakistani court on Friday heard a petition from an Indian Muslim woman seeking custody of her two young sons. Her husband allegedly took them to a Gulf country without her consent. Farzana Begum, 45, informed the Lahore High Court that she could not return to India without her sons.

Farzana married Mirza Yousaf Elahi in 2015 in the UAE. The couple had two sons, Ibrahim and Ismail. In 2018, they moved to Lahore, where Elahi arranged separate accommodation for Farzana. It was then she discovered she was his fourth wife.

Legal Proceedings and Allegations

Farzana told the court that her husband tortured her and expelled her from their home, taking custody of their children. A government law officer confirmed that Elahi had taken the minors to the UAE. "LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq asked the petitioner’s counsel Bushra Qamar to assist the court as to how the minors could be brought back to Pakistan from the UAE," a court official said after the hearing.

The judge adjourned the hearing until next week. Earlier, Punjab police had filed charges against Elahi for allegedly torturing Farzana in Lahore. "We have registered an FIR against Mirza Yousuf Elahi on the complaint of his Indian wife Farzana Begum for allegedly torturing her, seizing her passport, hurling threats and illegal confinement," police officer Muhammad Abbas stated.

Background and Marriage Details

Farzana moved from Mumbai's Cheeta Camp to Abu Dhabi in 2006 for a job at a salon, earning 5,000 dirhams monthly. "In 2015, I met Mirza Yousuf Elahi during a get-together with friends. The same year, we decided to marry," Farzana said, noting both were divorcees.

Farzana had a son and daughter from her first marriage, while Elahi had six children from his previous marriages. For three years after their marriage, they lived in the UAE and had two children before moving to Lahore in late 2018.

Domestic Issues and Legal Complications

Their disputes began when Elahi bought a house and commercial plaza in Rehman Gardens Lahore in their children's names. His daughters from his first wife opposed this decision. Farzana said Elahi then started torturing her and asked her to return to India.

Elahi even reported to local police that Farzana was staying illegally. Policemen forcibly took her to Wagah Border for deportation. She protested, explaining that her children were still in Pakistan and that her husband wanted to get rid of her. A senior official intervened, allowing her to return home.

Farzana remains adamant about not returning to India without her children. The court will continue hearing the case next week as efforts are made to bring the minors back from the UAE.