Online Nikah Ceremony Unites BJP Neta’s Son and Pakistani Bride Amid Tensions | Lucknow News – Times of India

LUCKNOW: On Friday, groom Mohammad Abbas Haider was all smiles as he got ready in a white sherwani with a red ‘sehra’ and traditional imam zamin (colourful tag with the couple’s names wishing them a safe journey) tied around the upper arms. More than a thousand kilometres away, his bride Andleep Zahra also radiated in a red sharara paired with shimmering jewellery.The only thing amiss was the quintessential pomp and show of the nikah ceremony.
Amid strained relations between India and Pakistan, the elder son of Tahseen Shahid, a BJP corporator from Jaunpur, married a resident of Lahore in an online nikah following visa delay. In yet another example of cross-border love, Shahid had fixed the marriage of his son, employed with an Indian e-commerce company, with his elder sister’s daughter, a professor with a private university in Lahore. Despite applying for visa, Haider was heartbroken as he couldn’t obtain it due to the diplomatic deep freeze between the two nations.
The situation turned worse for the families when Zahra’s mother, Rana Yasmin Zaidi, was admitted to the ICU of a Pakistan hospital following health concerns. Left with no choice, Shahid had to conduct the ceremony online at an imambara on Oct 18. Shia religious leader Maulana Mahfoozul Hasan Khan officiated the nikah, with the bride present in Lahore saying “Qubool Hai” in a virtual ceremony. Both the families exchanged pleasantries through video conferencing. An LED screen with a laptop was also installed at the venue.
Maulana Mahfoozul Hasan Khan said virtual nikah is only possible when maulanas from both sides are able to conduct the ceremony together. Just like a traditional nikah, the woman’s consent is also essential for online ceremony.
Talking to TOI over phone, Shahid said: “My ‘phuphu’ (paternal aunty’s husband) shifted to Lahore during the Partition. In 1986, my elder sister got married to his son. To take the relation forward, I decided to marry my elder son to Zahra.”
Talking about the hostile relations between the two countries and no signs of a thaw in the strained ties, he said: “Our personal relations should not come in the way of cross-border tension.”
He said: “By applying for a visa with the Indian nikahnama, we hope to facilitate the process…. Allah is benevolent… We pray that my ‘bahu’ gets her Indian visa without any hassle.”
The groom said, “We will request the government to offer a hassle-free visa process. This will not only help people like us but also boost the tourism of both the countries.”
BJP MLC Brijesh Singh Prishu and other guests attended the wedding ceremony and congratulated the groom’s family.