Lahore is a lot alike Delhi: Sania Mirza reflects on her visit to Pakistan in resurfaced interview

Indian former tennis star used to visit ex-husband and cricketer Shoaib Malik’s family every year before divorce

In the aftermath of the recent confirmation of their divorce, former Indian tennis player Sania Mirza has resurfaced in an old interview with host Kamiya Jani, offering candid insights into her cross-border marriage with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. The interview, conducted in October 2022, sheds light on Sania’s experiences visiting Pakistan and the cultural dynamics that come with marrying across borders.

In response to a query on having visited Pakistan ever after marrying Shoaib, Sania shared, “I have. We go there actually once a year because Shoaib's family still lives there and obviously Izhan goes to meet them, and you know we do meet them every year, once a year, and they come here once a year.”

Delving into the differences and similarities between India and Pakistan, Sania acknowledged both aspects persist. Drawing on her South Indian background, she admitted feeling a cultural difference but highlighted the resemblance between Lahore and Delhi, especially since they're both “culturally Punjabi”.

Sania elaborated, “If I was from Delhi, I wouldn't feel that much of a culture shock. Because Lahore is a lot alike. It's very similar to Delhi. The way they speak, the way they eat, the things they eat, you know, all that kind of... Culturally, they're just Punjabis, right? So it's a little more similar.”

Despite the commonalities, she astutely pointed out, “But they are different in some ways also. You can tell, I mean, at least I can tell when there is a Pakistani speaking or an Indian person speaking...to another person, they might not be able to tell but I can tell the differences.”

In a surprising turn of events, the tennis player’s split with Shoaib was revealed when the cricketer announced his third marriage to Pakistani actor Sana Javed. The newlyweds took to social media to mark the joyous occasion, sharing two heartwarming pictures from their wedding ceremony. 

Shortly after, Indian news outlet PTI confirmed that the sports couple had called it quits long ago. Speaking with PTI, Sania's father Imran Mirza disclosed that Sania took a khula from Shoaib, officially confirming that the two are no longer a couple. 

Imran took to Instagram with a short note addressing speculation on his daughter’s marriage. “Sania has always kept her personal life away from the public eye,” began the tennis player’s father, stressing the need to respect privacy. “However, today the need has arisen for her to share that Shoaib and she have been divorced for a few months now.”

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