The prevailing tension between India and Pakistan due the recent development in Jammu and Kashmir failed to spoil the party for a bride and groom from either side of the border.
The couple in question is Pakistani pacer Hasan Ali and Faridabad-based flight engineer Samiya Arzoo, who tied the knot on Tuesday, 20 August, in Dubai.
The 25-year-old Pakistani pacer met Samiya, who hails from Nuh in Haryana, in Dubai last year while Hasan was there for a tournament. The duo informed their families about the relationship earlier this year.
According to a Times of India report, Samiya’s family has been staying in Faridabad for more than 15 years now. Her father, Liyaqat Ali, was working with the Haryana government as Block Development Officer before retiring. Samiya grew up with six siblings and did her schooling from Faridabad. She went on to get a degree in aeronautical engineering from a private university in the city. In Dubai, she currently works for an airline.
The family made it clear that Hasan being a Pakistani was never a cause of concern for her and how they also have relatives based in Pakistan.
“We have family settled in Pakistan. My great grandfather’s brother had migrated to Pakistan during the partition and that side of the family has lived there since. We have stayed in touch with them over the years, so we know she has family there too,” said Samiya’s brother Akbar Ali to Times of India.
Hasan Ali is the fourth Pakistani cricketer to marry an Indian, after Zaheer Abbas, Mohsin Khan and Shoaib Malik.
The wedding has taken place at a time when the relationship between the neighbours is at an all-time low. But according to Samiya’s family, the political atmosphere has nothing to do with the marriage.
“It is a meeting of two families. These two have been friends for a while and now want to be life partners. We don’t want to comment on the politics between the two countries because the wedding is separate from that. We hope we can all co-exist peacefully,” said Samiya’s father.
The nikaah ceremony took place in Dubai on Tuesday, which was attended by friends and family from both sides, as well as a few leading cricketers from Pakistan. According to sources, Hasan had invited Indian cricketers such as Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, but all of them gave it a miss. Virat Kohli is currently in Caribbean for the tour of West Indies. Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh, who has retired from cricket recently, and MS Dhoni, who is not part of the Indian contingent touring West Indies, avoided the ceremony.
(With inputs from Times of India)
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