Anju (Pakistan)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Anju

• Anju is an Indian woman who, in July 2023, travelled to Pakistan to meet her boyfriend, Nasrullah, when she was already married and had a husband and children back in India.

• In 2020, Anju and Nasrullah, a resident of the Kulsho village in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, connected as friends on the social networking website Facebook.

  

• Nasrullah, the youngest sibling among five brothers, is the son of Gulimula Khan. He successfully pursued a science degree from Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal. As their friendship blossomed, Anju’s fondness for Nasrullah, who is six years her junior, grew significantly. In July 2023, upon travelling to Pakistan, Anju openly conveyed her profound affection for him.

  

• In May 2023, she made arrangements to travel to Pakistan and applied for a visa, which was subsequently approved on 4 May 2023. The visa allowed her to enter the country within 90 days and permitted a 30-day stay. Commencing her journey on 20 July 2023, she left her hometown in Alwar and journeyed to Delhi. From there, she proceeded by bus to the Attari-Wagah border, crossing over to Pakistan. On 22 July 2023, she arrived in Lahore, where Nasrullah was waiting for her in Rawalpindi.

  

• According to Anju’s brother, David, she had informed her family that she was planning to visit her sister in Jaipur; however, she later revealed that she had instead travelled to Amritsar, and only after reaching there did she inform her family of the change in her plans. Subsequently, she continued her journey to Lahore, Pakistan, where she assured her family that she would return after a few days. He also disclosed that before her trip to Pakistan, Anju had also taken a leisure trip to her sister’s residence in Goa. ^[3]YouTube – Navbharat Times

• When news of her travel to Pakistan surfaced, speculation arose that she had gone there to marry her friend, Nasrullah; however, she refuted these rumours and clarified that her purpose was solely to meet him and admire the beauty of Pakistan. Nasrullah himself confirmed that their connection had no romantic angle, and she was residing safely in a separate female room at his house during her stay. ^[4]India Today

  

• Pakistan police officials thoroughly examined her visa application and verified that her travel was legal and in accordance with the approved visa conditions. According to them, she would return to India on 20 August 2023.

  

• On 25 July 2023, certain media reports started circulating, alleging that she had embraced Islam and adopted the name Fatima. These reports also claimed that she had married Nasrullah in a nikah ceremony and received gold jewellery worth Rs 22 lakhs ^[5]The Times of India; however, on the evening of 25 July 2023, several media outlets emerged with claims stating that she had not converted to Islam. These reports refuted the previous news about her alleged conversion and marriage, deeming them false and baseless. ^[6]Amar Ujala

  

• In a video released by Anju herself, she expressed contentment in Pakistan and requested the Indian media and people not to harass her children and family. Upon hearing this news, her father made a striking statement, suggesting that Anju should not return and that he had no contact with her for the past two decades. Further videos showed Anju and Nasrullah visiting various places together, including the Lawari Tunnel, connecting the Dir Upper district with the Chitral district. ^[7]ABP News

  

• On 28 July 2023, another video surfaced, showing Anju dining with Nasrullah and his friends, wearing a burqa. Nasrullah openly spoke to an Indian reporter on the same day, asserting that he was married to Anju and had no intentions of leaving her. He claimed that Anju had been living separately from her husband for three years and had even filed a divorce petition before coming to Pakistan. Nasrullah stated that Anju would return to Pakistan and bring her children along with her. He further added that if she did not return, he would travel to India to bring her back. ^[8]ETV Bharat

  

• These claims were refuted by Anju’s husband, who asserted that they were still married. He also mentioned that their children did not wish for Anju to return and did not want to live with her.

• According to several Indian news reports, the Pakistan government made an announcement stating that if Anju chooses to live with Nasrullah in Pakistan, she would be offered a government job and a residence to stay in. ^[9]ABP News

• In an interview, Anju’s husband asserted that she frequently engaged in arguments with him over trivial matters and is a pathological liar. Despite their disagreements, he expressed surprise and disbelief that she would take such a drastic step as travelling to Pakistan. ^[10]ETV Bharat

• Anju’s decision to leave her family and travel to Pakistan has sparked strong reactions from both the Indian and Pakistani public. While some in India have expressed shame and disapproval of her actions, the Pakistani public has defended her by suggesting that she took this step because India is unsafe for women.

• Various songs have been released, some of which shame Anju and narrate her love story with Nasrullah. Some songs draw comparisons to Seema Haider, who also crossed over to India to be with her boyfriend, Sachin Meena.

  

• Numerous news reports have made claims asserting that Anju might have been ensnared by Pakistan’s intelligence department ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and could potentially face dire consequences, including the risk of harm or even death while in Pakistan. ^[11]YouTube – Aaj Tak

• On 27 July 2023, news reports emerged about a Chinese woman named Sun Gaofang, who also travelled to Islamabad with a similar intent to meet her lover, Javed, just like Anju.