BATALA: Hailing from Pakistan, Nusrat Jahan Begum, who is now an elected municipal councillor from Qadian in Gurdaspur district, is all set to raise the issue of other brides from her country waiting for grant of Indian citizenship, besides better sanitation in her ward.

Talking to TOI at Batala, where she had come to receive her election certificate from the office of the sub-divisional magistrate, Nusrat said, "When I was in Pakistan, I had never thought that I would become an elected representative in India. But today I am here to serve people who have not only showered immense love on me, but given me an all-new life."

Nusrat, a resident of Mohalankay Chatha village in Gujranwala district of Pakistan, married Chaudhary Abdul Wasay, an Ahmediyya Muslim, in 1987 and migrated to Qadian. In 2001, she was given Indian citizenship.

"Many Pakistani brides have been waiting for Indian citizenship for several years. I will approach the district administration to pursue their cases," she said, adding that she also wished for cordial relationships between India and Pakistan. "Our relatives are divided between the two countries. How could there be bitterness?" she said.

Nusrat, who was elected unopposed from ward number 7 in Qadian, is concerned about the poor sanitation system and lack of streetlights in her ward. "My husband is a two-time municipal councillor and I hence know the issues and how to raise and resolve them," she said.

One of the prominent community members, Chaudhary Maqbool Ahmad, whose wife, Tahira Zahur, is also from Faislabad in Pakistan, said, "It's indeed a matter of pride for Pakistani brides. I am happy that she has decided to take up the issue of citizenship." He said Nusrat's victory itself spoke for the strong democratic setup in India and would also help cement relations among both nations.

