Unravelling Seema’s suspicious shades through a probe may throw light on this much publicised cross border love story
Rohan Giri & Resham Natt
India and Pakistan are hogging headlines yet again. Surprisingly enough, this time, it’s not over Kashmir or terror modules that routinely try to cross over into India to create unrest. Blooming bond of togetherness between two distant lovers living in two conflicting nations has occupied media outlets overtime.
Seema Haider and Sachin Meena reportedly found true love while playing PUBG at a time when the whole world was trapped within confines of their homes during Covid- 19 Pandemic. Mesmerized and charmed by the way Sachin conversed, his accent, and way of playing, the couple soon began engaging in long talks via voice calls and video calls, which helped them discover, in early January, that they were meant to be together, leading them to hatch a perfect plan to be together in one nation, which was India.
Indians have however been pondering over two questions that in animated discussions that surround ethicality and security. These two prominent issues have attracted a great deal of attention to three very intriguing aspects, (A) Illegal arrival of Seema Haider with assistance from her lover, Sachin Meena, who is a resident of India in the Rabupura district of Uttar Pradesh, all the way from Nepal via Dubai without proper documents. (B) The discovery of her possible links to Intelligence services after she was adamant and expressed wish to stay in India and not be deported back and lastly (C) Over her decision to take her children to other side of the border against wishes of her so-called divorced husband, Ghulam Haider. But who is this fearless woman that dared to walk onto the most dangerous path in her quest to be united with her loved one?
Cross border love, prime mover?
Seema Ghulam Haider (once a famous tik tok star and popularly known as Seema Haider, Seema Rind and Seema Jhakrani) is a Pakistani citizen with roots in the Baloch Community, born on January 1, 2002 (as per her passport) who has spurred a discussion over her entry in India to meet her lover, along with her four children.
Earlier, she was married to Ghulam Haider, a Pakistani resident of Garhi Khairo Taluka of Jacobabad district in the Sindh Province, who currently resides in Saudi Arabia as a labourer. However, it is hard to comment on their current relationship and it is uncertain whether she is already divorced (a year ago using the conventional way of Triple Talaq on call), as she has stated in press interviews, or whether she is yet to divorce him (as stated by Ghulam himself that he hasn’t and will not give her a divorce).
Though Ghulam Haider presented some shocking revelations, denying and refuting Seema’s claims of marriage being that of a forced union and a simple one involving the signing of some papers in the court since she was already in love with someone in the village and that relationship was never recognized.
Though Seema claimed that her married life was certainly tough with rough patches, Ghulam has been in total agreement that their marriage was certainly a lovey dovey affair and that there was not even a single trace of domestic violence.
“Hindustan Zindabad, tha, hai aur Hamesha rahega,” is what Seema Haider has been saying at more than one or more forums. Seema claims that her profound love for Indian culture and traditions convinced her to change religion and gave her a new reason and hope to stay in India. Her four children, Farhan Ali, Farwa, Fariha Batool have also converted and expressed their happiness over the decision. The four children have also changed names to Raj, Priyanka, Munni, and Pari respectively.
But what is concerning here is that (A) Seema’s way of conversing nowhere reflects the Urdu accent though she claims that there have been significant changes in the way she speaks ever since she began staying with Sachin. (B) Seema’s over-exaggerated yet outpouring love for India and its culture as portrayed in her videos showing her without hijab, wearing a Radhe Radhe strap around her neck, vermilion on her forehead, the auspicious marriage thread around her neck, taking blessings from the elders in the good old Indian tradition of touching feet, engaging in Hindu prayers, worshiping the Tulsi plant and adopting a vegetarian lifestyle has consequently hinted at her ill motives.
This has sparked debate on her possible involvement with the Pakistan’s dirty tricks department, ISI and its agents. Hhow can someone so quickly get so attached, connected and become a ‘bhakt’ of a particular religion is the moot question? This suspicious involvement with ISI was reported after media investigations found her family including Seema’s brother Asif and her uncle Ghulam Akbar serving in the Pakistan Army and with linkages to spy agency, ISI.
One may be convinced that Seema who reportedly studied only till fifth grade has fluent yet evidently polished English -speaking skills, in-depth knowledge on computers usage, gaming and social media applications like Tik Tok and Instagram. This is quite surprising and very intriguing since she interacted with many users from Uttar Pradesh during PUBG.
Seema didn’t come with her children, plain and simple love bird. She also carried baggage full of questions, suspicion, and allegations that would put her in a tough spot, raising questions on her past which will decide her fate. Seema’s journey to India not only threatened her life, jeopardized her survival and opened up upon her possible deportation to Pakistan.
Ripples in Pakistan
Seema Haider seems to have taken the 2001 Bollywood Blockbuster movie, Gadar too seriously! The Seema Haider case (booked under sections pertaining to the Foreigners Act and The Passport (Entry into India) Act for her illegal entry into the country) has sparked a devastating chain reaction sending shockwaves through Hindu minorities in Pakistan’s Sindh region.
This appalling incident has set a vile horde of Muslim extremists hell-bent on terrorizing and attacking local Hindu community, leaving them paralyzed with fear, anger and disbelief.
These extremists have been spewing venomous threats, explicitly targeting the Hindu minority. Sickening warnings of rape, kidnappings and murder have been hurled at them demanding Haider’s return to Pakistan. This puts the vulnerable Hindu population on the edge, constantly fearing for their lives and living in absolute insecurity.
The aftermath of these chilling threats has witnessed a brutal onslaught on Hindu temples across Sindh. These places of worship have been attacked, vandalised, inflicting irreparable damage and sowing terror among peace-loving Hindu community. These acts of violent savagery and sacrilege only serve to deepen their profound shock, disbelief, and sense of vulnerability.
The repulsive response from Muslim extremists to Haider’s departure is beyond deplorable. Their threats against the Hindu community are nothing short of terrorism designed to crush their spirits and force them into submission.
As if that’s not enough, their despicable attacks on Hindu temples, sacred sanctuaries that hold immense religious significance, reek of a sinister attempt to eradicate Sanatan Dharma from the very fabric of Sindh.
Hindu community lives in a nightmare besieged by anguish, fear, and sheer disbelief. Families are trapped in perpetual state of terror with safety and security becoming a distant dream. Many are forced to consider abandoning their ancestral homes, desperately searching for a safer sanctuary.
The once harmonious fabric of Sindh province is being torn apart, replaced with an atmosphere of suspicion and outright hostility.
Probe & Reactions in India
As new revelations surface in the Seema Haider case, people’s reactions in India also have evolved. Like any complex and sensitive issue, outlook on the issue is varied.
Initially, certain human rights activists and liberals showed support, urging the government to consider granting Indian citizenship to Seema and her children. Security experts, however were unconvinced and expressed doubts regarding Seema’s mode of entry into India.
Seema Haider’s interrogation by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has undoubtedly been pivotal and highly sensitive aspect of the broader investigation into her case. As a woman seeking asylum after leaving Pakistan due to alleged threats to her life, the ATS’s interrogation is crucial in understanding threats she faced, possible involvement of extremist elements and implications for national security.
Thorough interrogation may help ATS piece together events leading up to her departure from Pakistan and assess credibility of her claims.
Given sensitivity of the case, ATS may have explored espionage angle and external involvement. As of now, whether Seema Haider is involved in espionage or not is uncertain. Intelligence agencies often delve into such aspects as part of their due diligence to ensure national security.
During interrogation of Seema Haider, several discrepancies have come to light. She avoided answering severe questions posed by the probe agency and failed to provide concrete answers regarding the money she received for her trip to India. Investigating agencies suspect Seema may have received outside support to enter India, which is currently under investigation.
Four mobile phones, two video cassettes, five Pakistan-authorized passports, one unused passport with incomplete name & address and one ID card were also recovered from the Seema.
Media reports suggested during investigation that Sachin used to send money to Seema while she was in Pakistan, although Seema could not clarify how Sachin sent her the money. When the ATS asked Seema who had booked her tickets for Nepal, she attempted to evade the question, claiming she did not remember the agent’s name.
As per claims, Seema sold her ancestral house to fund her trip on Dubai – Nepal – India route. It was from Nepal’s Pokhara in May 2023 that she entered India via the Khunwa Border. Traveling from Lucknow and Agra, she finally reached Gautam Buddha Nagar on May 13. As Seema narrates, the couple got married in Nepal at the Pashupatinath Temple in March this year as per Hindu customs and traditions. But this happiness was short-lived.
On July 17, both Seema and Sachin were separately interrogated by the ATS and brought together the next day. On July 18, both were questioned for nine hours and their answers contradicted. The investigation of the agencies is currently underway.
As the investigation unfolds, the national security implications remain at the forefront. Anti-Terrorism Squad’s interrogation of Seema Haider holds significant importance in uncovering the truth behind her claims and the circumstances under which she left Pakistan.
(Rohan is operations manager with CIHS, non-partisan think tank based in New Delhi. Resham, a student from Mumbai is interning with CIHS)
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