NEW DELHI: An Indian woman who said she was forced to marry a Pakistani man at gunpoint returned to India on Thursday after a court ordered her release.
Uzma Ahmad was reunited with her family at the Wagah border crossing near Amritsar in northern Punjab state before heading to New Delhi where she called on Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.
The case became a national rallying cry against arch-rival Pakistan with Swaraj calling Ahmad "India's daughter" and leaving no stone unturned for her release.
"I want to thank the foreign ministry and the home ministry of Pakistan. If Uzma is with us today, they have a role too," Swaraj told reporters in Delhi in a rare display of amity between the foes.
Ahmad, who is in her early 20s, met Tahir Ali in Malaysia, according to Indian media.
She told the Islamabad high court that Tahir Ali forced her to marry him at gunpoint on May 3 when she was visiting Pakistan.
Ahmad has made headlines in India since making her plea to the court on May 12 to be allowed to return.
Ahmad had been staying at the Indian mission in Islamabad since making the accusation.
The Islamabad court ordered Tahir Ali to return the woman's immigration documents so she could leave.
Ahmad fought back tears as she recalled Swaraj ringing to assure her everything was being done to bring her home.
"For the first time I felt as if my life too has a value," Ahmad said after touching Swaraj's feet, a traditional gesture of respect in India.
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