In a case tangled in love, borders, and bureaucracy, the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has asked the Centre and the CRPF to break their silence on the dismissal of a constable who married a woman from Pakistan.
Munir Ahmed, a resident of Jammu and a CRPF constable since 2017, was sacked after officials claimed he failed to disclose his cross-border marriage. But Ahmed insists he followed all protocols—even securing pre-approval from CRPF headquarters before tying the knot with Minal Khan, a Pakistani citizen, via a video nikah on May 24, 2024.
Justice Javed Iqbal Wani has now issued formal notice to the government, giving it until June 30 to file its objections.
Ahmed’s story began with paperwork—not secrecy. According to his plea, he alerted the CRPF to his marriage plans as far back as December 2022, submitting affidavits from himself, his family, and local authorities. When Minal arrived in India on February 28, 2025, it was on a valid short-term visa. She applied for a long-term stay before the visa expired on March 22.
But then the political winds shifted. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian government abruptly canceled visas for Pakistani nationals—including Minal’s. She was ordered to leave. Instead, the couple turned to the High Court for relief.
The CRPF, however, paints a different picture. They allege Ahmed withheld critical information, especially regarding his wife’s presence in India after her visa lapsed. An internal inquiry accused him of misleading conduct, saying he jeopardized service rules and national security.
Ahmed, standing firm, has called his dismissal both arbitrary and unjust. For now, the courtroom becomes the battleground where duty and personal life collide—and where the Union must soon explain its side.
