Pak woman finally reaches husband’s home in India

HUBBALLI: It's celebration time for Daniel Henry Devanur and his family as his Pakistani wife Silvia Noreen finally reached Hubballi, his hometown, on Thursday, reports foreign media. 

Silvia was staying in Pakistan ever since the couple got married in Lahore last June owing to delay in getting a visa. She has been given a visa for three months and has been asked to keep extending it for the next two years with valid documents.

Daniel, an employee of a mobile firm and a resident of Basaveshwarnagar's Gudi plot, married his distant relative Silvia at a Pentecostal church in Lahore on June 25, 2016. The couple got their marriage registered at a Pakistani court.

A few days later, Daniel returned home to begin proceedings to bring her to India and had been struggling ever since. He had been running from pillar to post to get a sponsorship certificate signed by an Indian gazetted officer for Silvia. In a desperate attempt, he tweeted to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj seeking help, following which Silvia was given a visitor visa.

Silvia finally flew from Islamabad to New Delhi on April 19. She stayed in Delhi for a week with Daniel and his family members who had come to welcome her. "I'm lucky to have my wife back. We are together nine months after our marriage. I have been through a tough time in the past months," Daniel said.   

An elated Silvia said, "I stayed in Pakistan for nine months after our marriage as I couldn't get a visa. When I landed in Delhi, I was extremely happy to see Daniel and my in-laws. I was emotional when I reached Hubballi. I won't go back to Pakistan. I request the authorities to help me stay and spend rest of my life with my husband here."