A cross-border wedding has run into the headwinds of rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
Jodhpur resident Naresh Tewani and Karachi-based Priya Bachchani, who are planning to tie the knot exactly a month from now, are now facing anxious moments as the Indian embassy in Pakistan has not granted visas to the bride’s family and relatives.
According to the groom, despite having applied for visas in the prescribed time and format, no one from the bride’s side has been issued the documents so far. Seeing no headway in the process, Mr. Tewani has reached out to External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter for help.
“The applications for visas for the family of the bride were filed well in time about 3 months back. We assumed that the documents would be issued in time,” said Mr. Tewani.
The groom’s family says wedding preparations have come to a standstill as all their efforts are being directed towards ensuring that the bride’s family gets the documents.
“The Minister has been quite responsive to tweets by people in trouble and they have received aid from her. Seeing her willingness to resolve the troubles of those in need, we have knocked on her twitter account,” Mr. Tewani said.
The groom’s father Kanhaiya Lal said Priya’s family in Karachi has also been constantly in touch with elected representatives from their community, but nothing encouraging has happened so far.
“It was my long-cherished dream to have a Pakistani bride for my son since my visit to Pakistan in 2001, considering the resemblance in culture and traditions between the two countries. But given the circumstances, I think that the realisation of this dream might take longer,” he rued.
