Seema Haider pleads to PM Modi ‘please let me stay here…’ amid India-Pakistan tensions following Pahalgam terror attack

Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman who crossed borders to marry her Indian lover Sachin Meena, has once again drawn attention as she appeals to the Indian government to let her stay. In a video circulating on social media, Seema urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to allow her to remain in India, declaring herself now a “daughter-in-law of India”, reported the PTI.

Ms. Haider made headlines in 2023 when she left Karachi, Pakistan, with her four children to settle with Meena in India. Their relationship had begun years earlier in 2019 when they connected through online gaming platforms. To reach India, Seema traveled via Nepal, entering the country illegally. She was already married in Sindh province but chose to start a new life with Meena, adopting Hinduism after their marriage.

However, her future in India has become uncertain after the Pahalgam terror attack prompted India to take strong retaliatory steps. The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, announced the suspension of all visa services for Pakistani nationals on Wednesday.

 Additionally, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that all valid visas issued to Pakistanis would be cancelled effective April 27, while medical visas would remain valid only until April 29. Pakistani nationals currently in India have been instructed to leave before their visas expire.

In her emotional plea, Seema said, "I appeal to Modi ji and Yogi ji that I am in their refuge now. I was Pakistan’s daughter but now I’m the daughter-in-law of India. Let me stay here." She emphasized her unwillingness to return to Pakistan, expressing deep fear and concern over deportation.

Despite facing widespread backlash, Seema’s lawyer remains hopeful. He claims that Seema is no longer a Pakistani citizen, suggesting that her change of religion and marriage to an Indian citizen strengthen her case to remain.

In July 2023, Indian authorities discovered Seema living with Sachin Meena in the Rabupura area of Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district. Since then, the couple has been residing in Greater Noida.

Their case had sparked national debates on immigration laws, love, and cross-border tensions even then, and now it returns to the spotlight under far more strained political circumstances. The final decision regarding Seema’s stay in India is yet to be made.