Anam Mirza confirms sister Sania's divorce from Shoaib Malik
On Saturday afternoon, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik shocked everyone with the announcement of his wedding to Pakistani actor Sana Javed. This news came amidst the speculations of his separation from (his now former wife), Sania Mirza. While Mirza has kept mum on the matter, her sister Anam Mirza took to social media on Sunday and confirmed that Malik and Mirza have been divorced for some time now.
Malik and Mirza divorced a few months ago
In an Instagram post, Anam wrote, "Sania has always kept her personal life away from the public eyes. However, today the need has arisen for her to share that Shoaib and she have been divorced for a few months now. She wishes Shoaib well for his new journey ahead!" " "At this sensitive period of her life, we would like to refrain from indulging in any speculation and to respect her need for privacy."
Read her full post here
Mirza filed for separation through 'khula'
Before Anam's big reveal, her father Imran Mirza spoke to PTI on Saturday evening to clear the confusion regarding Mirza and Malik's separation. He disclosed that his daughter's divorce from Malik was through khula, which refers to Islamic divorce initiated by the wife. "It was a 'khula'. I do not wish to comment beyond this," PTI quoted him as saying.
What does 'khula' mean?
According to iPleaders, "Khula refers to divorce at the insistence of the wife upon the return of Mahr [money given by the groom to the bride] or any other conditions as may be prescribed." "The principle behind khula is to provide women with a way to dissolve marriage in case of an irreconcilable breakdown. It aims to safeguard women's rights and protect them from within the framework of Islamic law."
Malik's wedding with Javed
On Saturday, Malik and Javed posted two photos and wrote, "Alhamdullilah....and We created you in pairs." However, they faced a deluge of criticism in the comments, with several Indians and Pakistanis slamming Malik for "cheating on Mirza." Javed is a prominent Pakistani actor, known for projects such as Behadd, Shehr-e-Zaat, and Aye Musht-E-Khaak. Reportedly, this is Malik's third wedding; the first was with a Hyderabadi woman named Ayesha Siddiqui.
Malik and Mirza were married for over a decade
Malik and Mirza got married in 2010 in a traditional nikah ceremony in Hyderabad, India, followed by a walima event in Sialkot, Pakistan. The couple welcomed their first child, Izhaan, in 2018. Notably, the rumors of their separation briefly subsided when the couple celebrated their son's birthday in Dubai last year. They also co-hosted The Mirza Malik Show in 2022.
