In a surprising development, Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza has officially separated from her husband, Pakistani cricket star Shoaib Malik. Confirming the divorce, Sania’s father, Imran Mirza, revealed that the process of “khula,” allowing a Muslim woman to unilaterally divorce her husband under Sharia law, was undertaken.
The news comes shortly after Shoaib Malik’s marriage to popular Pakistani actress Sana Javed on Saturday, January 20. Shoaib Malik shared pictures from the wedding ceremony on social media, sparking rumors of his separation from Sania Mirza.
Shoaib Malik and Sana Javed had been romantically linked for a considerable time, evident from Malik’s birthday wishes to the Pakistani actress last year. The cricketer had posted a photo of them together on Instagram, captioned, “Happy Birthday Buddy.”
Previously, Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza’s union had been celebrated in 2010 with a traditional Muslim ceremony in Hyderabad, India, followed by a Walima ceremony in Sialkot, Pakistan. The couple welcomed their first child, Izhaan, in 2018.