Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has tied the knot with her partner Asser Malik whom she has been dating for a long time.
The campaigner for girls’ education who survived being shot aged 15 by a Taliban gunman in her native Pakistan in 2012, announced the news on social media on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old, who lives in Britain, said she and her husband, Asser Malik, had wed in the city of Birmingham and celebrated at home with their families.
“Today marks a precious day in my life. Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life,” she captioned a pair of wedding photos of the newlyweds on Instagram, adding four pictures to her post.
Yousafzai said they “celebrated a small nikkah ceremony,” a Muslim marriage ceremony, at their home in Birmingham, England surrounded by their families.
“Please send us your prayers,” Yousafzai added. “We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead.”
Malala gave no other information about her husband apart from his first name. Internet users identified him as Asser Malik, general manager of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s High-Performance Centre.
Malala is revered in many parts of the world, especially in Western countries, for her personal courage and her eloquence in advocating for the rights of girls and women. In Pakistan, her activism has divided public opinion.
As recently as July this year, Malala told British Vogue magazine that she was not sure if she would ever marry.
“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?” she was quoted as saying in a lengthy profile.
