RAWALPINDI: An American woman, who was found roaming around Commercial Market Satellite Town a few days ago by the police, was offloaded from a Qatar Airways flight at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Sunday.

Elizabeth Maria Lancaster was taken to the airport by the police to deport her on Qatar Airways’ flight QR-633 via Doha. However, the airline sought a clarification from the government of Pakistani to take her to the US as a deportee.

After the expiry of Ms Lancaster’s visa, the interior ministry on Oct 19 had issued her a special exit permit for 15 days.

Ms Lancaster had a valid ticket for Qatar Airways flight QR-633 for October 24 but she refused to travel back to her country that day.

Qatar Airways wants clarification from govt about woman’s deportation

Later, she was produced before the court of a special magistrate by the police seeking permission to shift her to Darul Aman.

As she refused to stay in Darul Aman, she was kept with women police officials. The police said nobody was allowed to see her except her Pakistani husband.

After she refused to go to Darul Aman, the police contacted her husband Adnan Khan in Peshawar who came to Rawalpindi on Saturday.

Mr Khan, a civil engineer, told Dawn that he and Elizabeth became friends via Facebook. Before she decided to come to Pakistan she was told about Islam and the Pakistani culture. Ms Elizabeth reached Islamabad on April 14, 2016, leaving her parents behind, he added.

Mr Khan said she felt depressed on seeing people gazing at her when he took her to Faisal Masjid for Nikah.

“We got married three days after she arrived in Islamabad. She was impressed by Islamic teachings and was given the Islamic name Ayesha Ali Khan,” Mr Khan said and added: “I didn’t divorce her and she is still my wife.”

Earlier, the investigating officer had claimed that Mr Khan told the police that he had no relation to Ms Lancaster.

On Saturday night, Mr Khan was with Ms Elizabeth at the airport. She was asking him to accompany her to the United States.

“How can I leave my parents and family and go with her. Though I can visit her in the US after getting a visa, I can’t leave my parents who also love her and wanted her to live with them.”

Mr Khan said he was in contact with her parents as they were very nice people and never opposed her decision to marry a Pakistani man after embracing Islam. “She used to ask me why people dislike the Americans,” he added.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2017