Pakistani Nobel laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai tied the knot with Asser Malik in a small intimate nikkah ceremony in Birmingham.
Malala looked radiant in a mauve shalwar kameez on her big day. The ceremony was attended by Malala’s parents and close friends.
Malala’s dress was from Pakistani fashion brand Zaaviay. She opted for a raw-silk shalwar kameez, which is available for Rs Rs20,250 with detailed embroidery of kora, dabka, and zari, pairing it with a mauve organza dupatta.
Malala shared the pictures from the event with the caption, “Today marks a precious day in my life. Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life.”
“We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead,” she added.
In a personal essay written for British Vogue Nobel Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai talks about her marriage with Asser Malik, her comments about partnership vs. marriage and how she met the guy she married this week.
“In the summer of 2018, Asser was visiting friends at Oxford and we crossed paths. He worked in cricket, so I immediately had a lot to discuss with him. He liked my sense of humour. We became best friends. We found we had common values and enjoyed each other’s company. We stood by each other in moments of happiness and disappointment. Through our individual ups and downs, we talked and listened to each other. And when words failed, I sent him a link to our horoscope compatibility, hoping the stars could help reinforce our connection,” Malala writes in the article.
Addressing the controversy in an interview where Malala talks about a partnership instead of marriage, Malala says, “Knowing the dark reality many of my sisters face, I found it hard to think of the concept of marriage. I said what I had so often said before – that maybe it was possible that marriage was not for me.”
Malala Yousafzai at her Nikkah. Image Courtesy: British Vogue
Finding friendship and love in Asser, Malala, who says she did not expect to be married before she was 35-years-old, changed her mind. “With education, awareness and empowerment, we can start to redefine the concept of marriage and the structure of relationships, along with many other social norms and practices. Culture is made by people – and people can change it too. My conversations with my friends, mentors and my now partner Asser helped me consider how I could have a relationship – a marriage – and remain true to my values of equality, fairness and integrity.”
Discussing how the Nikkah took place, Malala says it was a wholly family affair. “It was a small affair and group effort. My mother and her friend got my wedding clothes from Lahore, Pakistan. Asser’s mother and sister gave me the jewellery I wore. My father booked the food and decorations. My assistants organised photographers and a make-up artist. My three best girlfriends from school and Oxford took off work and travelled to be there. I put henna on my hands myself, after discovering I was the only one of my family and friends who had the talent! Asser spent several hours in the mall with me the day before the ceremony, buying his pink tie and pocket square and my sandals. My little brothers even wore suits.”
Malala did her own mehndi for the event
And how does she feel about her future? Malala writes that, “In Asser, I found a best friend and companion. I still don’t have all the answers for the challenges facing women – but I believe that I can enjoy friendship, love and equality in marriage. “
Pakistani Nobel laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai tied the knot with Asser Malik in a small intimate nikkah ceremony. Soon after Malala shared the pictures on her public social media accounts, congratulatory messages started pouring in by transnational celebrities.
“Congratulations @malala Wishing you so much joy and happiness. You are an absolute vision!!”, wrote Priyanka Chopra on her Instagram story.
Bollywood star Katrina Kaif also left a message under Malala’s post.
Pakistani celebrities Zara Noor Abbas, Aima Baig, Meesha Sahafi, Adnan Malik and politician Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari also sent greetings to the newly weds.
On her special day, Malala looked radiant in a tea-pink shalwar kameez while Asser Malik wore a black suit with a matching tea-pink tie to compliment Malala’s dress.
Twitter users reminded the former wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Jemima Goldsmith, of her marriage with the PM after she congratulated Malala Yousafzai for getting married.
Jemima took to Twitter and wrote, “Congratulations and mashallah x.”
Earlier, Jemima asked Pakistani Twitter about a good Pakistani pop wedding song and people kept replying her with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political song.
I would like to present a best song that would play at wedding … it is not only Best song for Pakistani but it is very important and prominent for All world and every one in the world like this one … pic.twitter.com/azxs7bcejT
Malala looked radiant in a tea-pink shalwar kameez while Asser Malik wore a black suit with a matching tea-pink tie to compliment Malala’s dress.
July 12, 2021, Asser wished Malala on her 24th birthday by tweeting, “Happy Birthday to the most amazing @Malala. @iamsrk had to make a necessary cameo of course.”
June 23, 2019, AsserMalik shared a picture with Malala on his Instagram profile with the caption,” Best day at @homeofcricket with Waqar Younis, @aslitareen, and @malala #CWC19.”
Skilled in Sports Management and developing unique concepts and ideas, Asser brought the world’s largest amateur cricket league (LMS) in Pakistan.
He is currently serving as the General Manager High Performance at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
His formative education is from Aitchison College and then he went to Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) to pursue a bachelor’s in Economics and Political Science.
Pakistani Nobel laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai tied the knot with Asser Malik in a small intimate nikkah ceremony. Malala looked radiant in a tea-pink shalwar kameez on her special day. The ceremony was attended by Malala’s parents and close friends.
Malala took to Twitter to announce her nikkah along with the pictures from the event.
“Today marks a precious day in my life. Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life,” wrote Malala.
“We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead,” she added.
Today marks a precious day in my life. Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead. 📸: @malinfezehaipic.twitter.com/SNRgm3ufWP
Daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, congratulated the couple. “May you both find every joy together, and may your journey be blessed at every turn. Sending you love & duas.”
Congratulations! May you both find every joy together, and may your journey be blessed at every turn. Sending you love & duas 🤍✨
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai, during a conversation withDawn News programme, ‘Live with Adil Shahzeb’, said, “I wrote a letter to the prime minister about women’s rights in Afghanistan but so far have not received any response.”
Anchorperson Adil Shahzeb questioned Malala on girls’ education, a cause she has been advocating and supporting for years. Malala expressed her worry over the situation in Afghanistan.
“The current temporary restriction on girls’ education [in Afghanistan] shouldn’t turn out to be as long as in their (Taliban’s) first tenure [in the government], when the ban stretched for five years,” she said, adding that she feared something similar. “We don’t want a repeat of their previous rule.”
When asked about Pakistan’s role for girls’ education in Afghanistan, she said “I am very much hopeful that Prime Minister Imran Khan would … champion [the cause],” she said, urging him to push the Taliban to ensure female education and women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Speaking about the Taliban in general, the Nobel laureate said, “One should not differentiate between the good and bad [Taliban] as their thinking is the same — of repression [and] forcing their own laws,” further adding, “I do not see any justice system in their governance, but Islam is based on [the principles of] justice,” she said.
The British High Commission of Pakistan in London launched the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP), which includes graduate scholarships, visiting fellowships, and special lectures.
Founded by two Oxford alumni, Haroon Zaman and Talha Pirzada, this initiative aims to provide opportunities for bright students, academic and research scholarships for Pakistanis, reports Saama.
The head of the programme and Associate Professor at the University of Oxford Adeel Malik said in a tweet, “Oxford Pakistan Programme will generate scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students & consolidate Pakistan-related academic activities.”
Delighted to announce the launch of Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP), a major new initiative on education and public diplomacy at @UniofOxford
OPP will generate scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students & consolidate Pakistan-related academic activities @oxfordgivingpic.twitter.com/sy5FOqNmXz
An annual Sir Allama Muhammad Iqbal lecture on Eastern Philosophy has been announced under the OPP. The lecture will be delivered by a leading global intellectual every year.
Pakistanis in the United Kingdom (UK) have pledged over £500,000 for this programme.
The event launch of OPP was attended by a large number of Oxonians, senior Oxford academicians, scholars, and writers, including Malala Yousafzai.
Malala has also announced an additional scholarship under the OPP, which will allow one Pakistani girl from an underdeveloped background to study at Oxford every year.
Nobel Peace Prize Winner @Malala speaks at Pakistan High Commission London as part of Oxford University Pakistan student delegation pic.twitter.com/13lrgFIivl
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan participated in a Twitter space hosted by journalist Azaz Syed on Friday. In a video clip widely shared by social media users, Ehsan can be heard saying that he does not feel ashamed about taking the responsibility of the attack on Malala Yousafzai. He added that the attack on Malala was justified.
“Malala was part of war against Islam and Taliban thats why we attacked her.”
Ehsanullah is also a prime accused in the 2014 attack on Army Public School (APS) Peshawar.
In a separate development, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that if theTTP lay down their arms, “we can forgive them and they can become normal citizens”. PM Khan said this in an interview with journalist Ali Mustafa, which will air on TRT World Now.
Malala Yousafzai met American actor Angelina Jolie and praised her for writing a book on children’s rights. The book is about making children aware of the injustice around them and to teach them how to stand against injustice.
Malala, while sharing the pictures with Jolie, wrote, “I’m proud of my friend Angelina Jolie and Amnesty International for writing Know Your Rights, a book to give children the knowledge they need to stand up to injustice in their own lives and around the world.”
“To the children and young people who are reading this: You have rights that are equal in status to that of any adult”, she added.
Mala continued by saying, “No one has the right to harm you, to silence you, to tell you what to think or believe, to treat you as if you don’t matter, or to prevent you from participating fully in society.”
