Indian woman refuses to leave Pakistan without custody of her children

Islamabad: An Indian national in Pakistan says she will not return to her native country without the custody of her children claiming that their lives are in danger.

Hailing from Mumbai, Farzana Begum married a Pakistani citizen, Mirza Mubin Elahi, in Abu Dhabi in 2015 and went with him to Pakistan in 2018. They have two sons aged seven and six.

Farazana gained media attention following a property dispute with her husband and she allegedly tortured her husband, which she denied, according to NDTV.

Rejecting her husbands’ claim that he had divorced her, Farzana said "If he has divorced me, then there must be a certificate."

She reportedly said "Me and my children's lives are in danger in Pakistan over a property dispute’, adding that she was confined to her house in in Rehman Gardens, Lahore and her children suffer hunger.

Farzana, who refused to leave the country without her children, requested the Pakistan government to provide her with protection until the case is solved.

"There are some properties in Lahore which are in the name of my sons. My husband has possession of mine and my children's passports," she claimed.

Farzana, who is the second wife of Mubin Elahi, alleged that her husband’s first wife and children are planning to bully and threaten her to return to India.

She alleged that they tried to take control of the properties which she claimed belonging to her children.

"Mubin Elahi is spreading false rumours that Farzana's visa had expired even though her passport was in his possession," her lawyer Mohsin Abbas said.

Farzana who has no idea about the status of her visa made it clear that she will not leave without her sons.

"I would never return to India without my sons," Farzana was quoted as saying.

Rejecting Elahi’s charges that she had tortured him, Farzana said: ‘I know that Elahi is delaying the process to make sure my visa gets expired and I am forced to leave Pakistan. But I will not leave without my sons.’