Pakistan has extended the visa of an Indian mother of two who entered the country in July, converted to Islam and married a local man last month.

Anju left her husband and two children in Rajasthan’s Alwar district to unite with her Pakistani lover Nasrullah in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They had met online.

After her conversion and marriage — which the couple denied while speaking to Indian news outlets but which was confirmed by local officials – Anju has received residential plots and money in gifts from Pakistani businessmen. She was given the Islamic name of Fatima after the conversion.

Anju was seen in Islamabad last week with Nasrullah despite her visa conditions limiting her travel to Upper Dir. Pakistan and India restrict the movement of visitors from each other country to the cities named on their visas. Anju was issued one month visa for Upper Dir only, according to the interior ministry documents.

However, Nasrullah revealed this week that the government has extended Anju’s visit by two months.

“Fatima’s visa has been initially extended for two months and it is expected that she will be given a one-year visa later. Then Fatima will plan to live here on a permanent basis,” Nasrullah told Urdu News.

Nasrullah also said that he wants the Indian government to allow Anju’s two children, both under 15, to travel to Pakistan and live with their mother.

Anju to follow local traditions

He ruled out the possibility of Anju returning to India and seeing her children there. “You should think for yourself what will be done with Anju if she goes back to India.”

Nasrallah said Fatima (Anju) will now live her life according to the local customs and traditions of Upper Dir and he has explained this to his wife.

However, he said Anju will be allowed to work and may join him at his company.

He said that Fatima is currently not talking to local media because it may cause problems, but she will speak to local journalists at a later stage.

Anju’s Indian husband Arvind has told journalists that Anju had only basic school education and was working as data entry operator at a local company.

Anju’s case is compared with Seema Haider’s, who left Pakistan to join her Indian lover Sachin Meena in UP’s Greater Noida.

Seema announced that she had converted to Hinduism and married Sachin according to Hindu customs. During interaction with journalists, she wore a saree and a bindi and offered tulsi pooja.

However, unlike Anju Seema entered the country illegally and now faces legal problems.