Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on Tuesday tied the knot with her longtime partner Asser Malik in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Malala announced their wedding on social media today.
Who is Asser Malik?
Malik is a graduate of Aitchison College, Lahore. A cricket enthusiast, he worked for an amateur cricket league called the LMS – Last Man Stands.
Given his cricketing acumen, Malik was appointed manager, special projects for Multan Sultans, one of the franchise teams in the Pakistan Super League. Later he moved to the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Malik has been tirelessly working to improve cricket at the grassroots level in low-income areas of southern Punjab.
“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,” Malala tweeted.
Born in Pakistan, Malala was shot at by TTP in 2012 when she was only 11 for speaking out publicly on behalf of girls and their right to learn, which made her a target in Pakistan, where, in her own words, “welcoming a baby girl is not always cause for celebration.”
She was taken to a hospital in Birmingham, where she recovered and later continued her activism for education for the girl child.
In 2014, after months of surgeries and rehabilitation, she joined her family in their new home in the UK. With her father’s help, she set up Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to giving every girl an opportunity to achieve a future she chooses.
In recognition of her work, she received the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2014 and became the youngest-ever to receive this honor. She went on to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the University of Oxford and graduated in 2020.
Earlier this year, her remarks on marriage shocked her home country. In an interview with Vogue, Malala had said: “I still don’t understand why people have to get married. If you want to have a person in your life, why do you have to sign marriage papers, why can’t it just be a partnership?”
Since the announcement of her wedding, congratulatory messages are flooding social media with who-is-who of the world blessing the couple. “Congratulations, Malala and Asser! Sophie and I hope you enjoyed your special day – we’re wishing you a lifetime of happiness together,” tweeted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
British politician Nick Gibb tweeted: “Congratulations! What wonderful news.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote: “Congratulations to you and Asser! Wishing you all the best as you begin your new life together.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith offered her best wishes: “Congratulations and mashallah”.
