Jalandhar: In a cross-border unification, a woman from Pakistan, on Wednesday arrived in India via the Integrated Check-post in Attari to get married to a resident of Jalandhar. Shumaila, who is originally a resident of Lahore, is a relative of Kamal Kalyan. As per information, the two met at a wedding ceremony five years back.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Kalyan said their relationship grew stronger via social media and the two recently took the decision to get married. Shumaila, meanwhile, asserted that the situation between common citizens on both sides of the border was not that of enmity.
"I traveled here to get married," she said and added, "People there appreciate people living here and vice versa. But no one listens to the people, everyone is obsessed with politics," she also noted.
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"We met during the wedding of her brother. Afterward, the connection only grew thanks to social media. We sometimes also talked to each other via video call," Kalyan said. He added that despite wanting to travel cross-border, he was not able to do so, resulting in the bride and her family reaching Jalandhar with a 45-day VISA.
Speaking about the ceremony, Om Prakash, father of Kalyan, said the complicated verification process at the border prevented the groom's family to travel to Lahore. "Our Embassy helped us a lot. But the VISA process is quite complicated and we could not go there. We are happy, however, that Shumaila has come to India. They love each other and with the Grace of God, I hope they remain happy throughout their married life," he said.
Shumaila said that she had to apply two times before getting a VISA, adding that she was among a good number of people who wish to travel between the two countries but are hesitant due to the complicated documentation process and formalities.
