Pakistan's historic cricket tour of India, a sign of growing warmth between the rivals, has helped reunite cricketer Shoaib Malik with the Indian wife he married over the telephone.Malik fell in love with Ayesha Siddiqui, from Hyderabad in south India, five years ago.
The two secretly married in 2002, exchanging vows over the telephone amid political hostility between the two neighbouring countries and doubts whether their marriage would receive parental approval.
Islamic Sharia laws recognise the exchange of marriage vows over the telephone.
"We first met at Sharjah. Shoaib brought my hotel keys which I had forgotten at a coffee shop," said Ayesha, recalling their first meeting.
Though both families later accepted the alliance, the marriage remained under wraps as Malik and Ayesha, working at a school in Saudi Arabia, were mostly forced to stay apart.
The couple finally went public during the current cricket tour by Pakistan, their first full series in India since 1999.
Ayesha's parents hosted a dinner in Hyderabad on Tuesday for the entire Pakistan team to formally receive their son-in-law.
Farookh Sultana, Malik's mother accompanying her son on the tour, expressed her delight.
"We're more than pleased. I wanted to get an Indian bride for him," she was quoted as saying by Hyderabad newspapers.
"Ayesha fits the bill more than anything we expected. We knew about them, but waited till the children were bold enough to inform us. We will have a formal wedding soon in India itself," she said.
Ties between India and Pakistan have been frosty for most of the nearly 60 years since Pakistan was created after the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.
The neighbours have fought three wars, two of them over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, the issue almost triggering a fourth war in 2002.
Ties have since warmed and a cricket tour last year, the first by India to Pakistan for 14 years, reminded both sides how much they shared in terms of culture, history and outlook.
Ayesha's mother Farissa said: "I am glad my daughter fell for a bright and sweet boy."
Ayesha hopes to join Malik in his hometown, Sialkot, in August, family members said.
Thousands of Pakistan fans have used the opportunity of the cricket series to visit India, meeting long-lost relatives or visiting what had been ancestral homes.
Thousands of families have relatives on either side of the border, many linked by marriage, but visa restrictions make travel difficult.
you look very cute shoaib! pls dont marry!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so pathetic Shoaib. You are doing this only because you want a life long visa to India. Then why did you create the godforsaken Pakistan in the first place.
ReplyDeleteAlso to the Indian Muslim family, why don't you take you filthy self to Pakistan if you want to have relation with them. Please get out of India.
Well ,,,what's goin on dude!!! Are you normal to marry this one person with that kind of Father or What ever.....Think Dude/.///...For Your Own Good...Lots Of Crazy and Sexy Lady are there..waiting...
ReplyDeletewhetever!!!i dont believe on ayesha siddiqui bcoz he is a celebrity and each and every news of such pple are on media so it is not possible that he has done something wrong bcoz ita a matter og his and his family inmage and malik is very innocent .......so ayesha is a bif fraud
ReplyDeleteazka
This whole scandal is nothing but an indian family trying to gain attention by trapping a Cricket Hero. The family is only playing games to throw some dirt on Shoaib, but everyone knows the difference between Bullshit and Truth. Nice Try by self proclaimed wife!! If you have the gutts then come up with your real picture.!!!
ReplyDelete@ Sachin
ReplyDeleteBelieve me asswhole there are a lot better places than India, on this planet, where Shoaib would like to go with a visa. What made you think that he wana get a life long visa jerk. Go get a life asswhole and think in a better way.
Alveena,
ReplyDelete___Agree with Shane!
Sachin, you are out of your mind man! who on earth or why on earth would Shoaib want a dumb card visa!
Thank God, india got lucky that Ayesha entrapped a Pakistani guy coz even no one, even any indian would standby a mere telephonic conversation.....India's really got lucky here!
Just wondering: Is Ayesha that girl with glasses, and kinda fat? I really wonder what a guy like Shoaib,( concerning the fact he is a cricket player and the captain of the Pakistani team) sees in a girl like her? No offense, but she is not pretty at all. Shoaib needs to get his eyes checked.. But then I guess, love makes you blind :/ ?
ReplyDeletei dont know why all indians always try to devalue shoaib malik. rubish people .indians listen, you have many options like Dhoni(fool) sachin(dog)and others. U guys have no rights to say any thing abt him on his own fan club . got it U idots and rascals (ayesha)
ReplyDeletesachin why would shoaib want a LIFE LONG VISA TO INDIA.seriously r u out of ur mind or something.why would he want a stupid dump visa for a country full of rascals like you.how about telling all the hindu families to get out of pakistan.
ReplyDeletepeople need to mind their language
ReplyDeletev dont give a shit about shoaib malik.... u bitch ayesha.... dont ever compare sanchin with him..... sachin is the god of cricket.. ne1 who understands cric will agree
ReplyDeletehalf girl is equal to one man in pakistan. so dont belive pakistans
ReplyDeleteabe pakistani choduon saalon gandun bhosdi walo haram ke pillo itni baar chud kar bhi sharam nhi aayi kya har vakt maa chudate ho.abe chutiyon tumhara koi imaan dharam hai bhi ya nhi randi ke pille sale katue chutad .abe bina cheating ke koi match jeeta hai saalo tumhara bas chale to paise ke liye apni maa ko bhi bech to chakkon.......
ReplyDeleteyu guys r GAY! Leave peeps and their lives alone, yur jus some bloody screwed up low lives.
ReplyDeleteMeredith
wow people need a life o.O
ReplyDeletehaha calm down its not you getting married ^^
take a chill pill people
WE all know Ayesha was a fraud