The first husband of Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman who illegally crossed into India with her four children in 2023 to be with her lover whom she met online, has appealed to the Indian government to help him reunite with his children and gain their custody. Seema, 32, originally from Jacobabad in the Sindh province of Pakistan, left her home in Karachi in May 2023. She travelled to India via Nepal with her children. Haider made headlines in July when Indian authorities discovered her living with Indian national Sachin Meena, 27, in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The couple claims to have married and first connected in 2019 while playing the online game PUBG. Seema and Sachin were arrested in July 2023 but were later released on bail. Seema faced charges for illegally entering India, while Sachin was charged with sheltering an illegal immigrant. Seema’s first husband, Ghulam Haider, recently issued a video message appealing India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for "justice". According to a report by PTI, Haider stated that he has been attempting to gain custody of his children since late 2023 with assistance from prominent Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist Ansar Burney. In February last year, Burney confirmed that Haider had sought his help and had hired an Indian lawyer to initiate legal proceedings in Indian courts. “After due process, we have hired an Indian lawyer, Ali Momin, and have sent the power of attorney to start legal proceedings in Indian courts,” Burney had said. However, it remains unclear whether the case has been initiated. In his video message, quoted by PTI, Haider said: “It has been a year since the case is pending in court, and I have not seen my children since 2023. I appeal to the Indian minister, S Jaishankar, to give me justice.” Haider also alleged that his children are stuck in India because of their mother. "She is trying to change their names and religion forcibly," he claimed. At the time Seema left for India, Haider was working in Saudi Arabia. All four children were under the age of seven in May 2023. In a previous interview with the BBC, Seema stated that she had adopted Hinduism and refused to return to Pakistan. She also claimed her children had converted to Hinduism. Recently, in an Instagram post, Seema revealed that she is expecting a child with Sachin.
