Inside Malala Yousafzai and Asser Malik's Elegant Wedding in Birmingham

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai tied the knot with Asser Malik on 9th November. The intimate nikah ceremony took place in Birmingham, England, in the presence of close friends and their respective families. The couple took to Twitter and Instagram to give us a sneak peek into their nuptials, seeking blessings for the beautiful journey that lies ahead. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Malala (@malala)

"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,"  wrote the 24-year-old activist in an Instagram post. 

Shortly after the announcement, congratulatory messages and good wishes began pouring in for the Pakistani couple. From renowned celebrities including Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Reese Witherspoon, and A.R Rahman to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, and comedian Lilly Singh, all wished the couple a happy married life. 

Photographer Malin Fezehai, who captured the intimate affair, also took to Instagram to share a series of pictures. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think our paths would cross and I would be photographing her wedding...It is my absolute honour to be here in Birmingham, at an intimate gathering of family and friends, celebrating Malala and Asser's union," she wrote. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Malin Fezehai (@malinfezehai)

While We All Know Malala, Who is Asser Malik?

Asser Malik is the General Manager High Performance at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He joined PCB in 2020 and has designed the player development program for Multan Sultans, a Pakistani professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team. He has completed his schooling at Atchinson College in Lahore, Pakistan, and graduated from Lahore University of Management Sciences. He has also worked with brands such as Coca Cola and FrieslandCampina, in the past.

Based on a report by Hollywood Life, the two have known each other since 2019 and have been private about their relationship on social media. On 23rd June, Asser Malik posted a photograph on Instagram along with Malala, former Pakistani cricketer Waqar Younis, and others at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. 

Asser Malik also Tweeted a picture of Malala and him cutting their wedding cake, going on to explain that it was the tradition of the cricket team to do a victory cake cutting. Penning a heartfelt note for his wife, he wrote, "In Malala, I found the most supportive friend, a beautiful and kind partner. I'm so excited to spend the rest of our life together. Thank you all for the wishes on our nikkah. In following our cricket team's tradition, we had to do a victory cake cutting."

Many netizens were left puzzled after these developments, sharing screenshots of Malala's interview with British Vogue back in June. Quoting the human rights activist, "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?"

Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen tweeted, "Quite shocked to learn Malala married a Pakistani guy. She is only 24. I thought she went to Oxford University for study, she would fall in love with a handsome progressive English man at Oxford, and then think of marrying not before the age of 30. But..."

Well, heartiest congratulations to the newlyweds!