Lockdown delays marriage of Pak bride and Indian groom

The wedding of a couple from India and Pakistan who were engaged in 2018 was shelved due to coronavirus-induced lockdown in the country. Pakistani bride Sumaila was scheduled to get married to her Indian groom Kamal in March but could not. She has now appealed to PM Modi to allow visas to her and her family so that they could visit India for the ceremony.

Jalandhar (Punjab): Pakistan-based Sumaila and a resident of Jalandhar Kamal Kalyan, who got engaged online in 2018, have sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in securing visas for Sumaila and her family members for their wedding.

The duo, scheduled to get married in March, had to delay the wedding in the wake of COVID-19 and lockdown. Now, Sumaila has urged Prime Minister Modi, through the media, to allow visas for her and her family members.

READ:|Plasma therapy given to two patients in Punjab

Sumaila wants to get married to Kalyan as soon as visas are granted by the Indian government. Speaking over the phone, Sumaila said: "Kalyan has prepared the papers for visa sponsorship. But he was unable to send these papers to Pakistan due to COVID-19 lockdown. I urge the Government of India that both countries should issue visas in the matter of marriage soon and open borders."

Meanwhile, Kamal Kalyan from Jalandhar, said: "I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant a visa to Sumaila so she can come to India and we can get married. I had completed the requisite paperwork but the process was stalled due to corona lockdown."

Kamal and Sumaila have not met each other so far. They have been communicating with each other over the phone. Their families agreed on the relationship on January 26, 2018, and they got engaged through a video call. Om Prakash, Kamal's father, said that Sumaila is the daughter of his cousin Asiya.

READ:|Galwan valley incident part of larger Chinese design says Capt Amarinder Singh at CWC virtual meet

"Sumaila is the daughter of my cousin Asiya so I decided to fix this relationship. My son got engaged but he could not get married due to lockdown," he said.

ANI