Seema Haider's Indian look was carefully planned, may have got training for language skills: Intel sources

Pakistani national Seema Haider dressed up to look like a rural Indian woman and sought the help of professionals in make-up, intelligence sources told India Today. Seema and her four children illegally entered India via Nepal to be with her lover Sachin Meena, who is based in Noida. She has come under the radar of intelligence agencies and the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrrorism Squad (UP ATS) for her possible links with Pakistan Army and its spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).  

The UP ATS questioned her and Sachin for hours on Monday. During the questioning, they found that Seema had approached multiple people from Delhi-NCR on PUBG. She was also asked to read a few lines in English. The way she read those lines was impeccable, UP ATS sources told India Today.

Now, intel sources say that she dressed to look like a rural Indian woman. They say that this method of dressing in a particular way is often employed by women involved in human trafficking, particularly those associated with domestic help or prostitution rings when crossing the Indo-Nepal border.

Apart from the appearance, investigation agencies have observed that Seema exhibits fluent language skills, training for which could have been provided by Pakistani handlers operating in Nepal. Such language training is given to women who are sent across the Nepal border to carry out illegal activities in India, sources told India Today.

Seema had entered India on a bus from Nepal in May. However, the central agencies have been unable to substantiate their claims of entering India on May 13 through the Indo-Nepal border. No information has emerged regarding the presence of a citizen from a third country in the Sunauli and Sitamarhi sectors of the Indo-Nepal border on that day, intelligence sources told India Today.

The agencies have examined records and CCTV footage, specifically looking into the bus routes along the border on May 13, as per the details provided by Seema and Sachin.

It has also been found that Seema's brother Asif and her uncle Ghulam Akbar are in the Pakistan Army. During her questioning by UP ATS, Seema revealed that her brother had joined the Pakistani Army but she wasn't sure if he was still serving or had left the military. India Today spoke to her husband Ghulam Haider, who confirmed that Seema's brother and her uncle Ghulam Akbar are in the Pakistan Army. Ghulam also said that Seema's brother Asif is posted in Karachi. Ghulam also said that Seema's uncle holds a high-ranking position in the Pakistan Army and is based in Islamabad.

(With inputs from Jitendra Bahadur Singh)