Indian Sikh Woman Pilgrim Goes Missing In Pakistan; Conversion, Nikahnama Documents Spark Probe

Sarabjit Kaur, an Indian Sikh pilgrim, vanished during a Pakistan trip. A disputed Urdu marriage certificate claims she converted to Islam.

A document has since emerged — a nikahnama written in Urdu — claiming that Kaur converted to Islam (Image for representation).

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The disappearance of an Indian Sikh woman during a religious pilgrimage to Pakistan has raised serious concerns for authorities on both sides of the border. Sarabjit Kaur, 52, from Kapurthala in Punjab, was part of a large delegation of nearly 2,000 Sikh pilgrims who crossed the Wagah-Attari border on November 4 to mark the 555th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

While the group returned to India on November 13 after visiting gurdwaras across Pakistan, Kaur did not come back. Her name was missing from both Pakistan’s exit records and India’s re-entry logs, prompting immediate concern, as per a report on NDTV.

Indian Sikh Woman Pilgrim Missing In Pakistan

A document has since emerged — a nikahnama written in Urdu — claiming that Kaur converted to Islam, adopted the name Noor, and married Nasir Hussain from Sheikhupura, near Lahore. The authenticity of this document has not been independently verified, leaving authorities cautious about drawing conclusions.

The case has prompted intelligence agencies in India and Pakistan to begin tracing her whereabouts. Officials confirmed that the Indian mission in Pakistan is coordinating closely with local authorities to verify the claims and ascertain her status. Kaur’s passport, issued in Muktsar district, had raised no prior alerts, but Indian immigration authorities quickly informed Punjab Police when she failed to return, reported News18. A preliminary report has already been shared with central agencies for further investigation.

Kaur, a divorced mother of two, had joined the pilgrimage despite earlier security warnings. Her case has intensified concerns within India’s security establishment, which suspects a recurring pattern of “pilgrim recruitment” allegedly linked to Pakistan’s intelligence network. According to intelligence sources, such efforts often target vulnerable visitors during shrine tours, employing methods including emotional grooming, religious pressure, and coerced marriage to influence and manipulate individuals.

Authorities are closely examining the nikahnama to determine its legitimacy and are coordinating diplomatic channels to resolve the matter.