Singer Asim Azhar and actor Merub Ali have officially ended their engagement, the couple confirmed via Instagram on Thursday.
In a heartfelt joint statement posted to his Instagram Stories, the Radd singer wrote: "We hope this message finds you well. We wanted to take a moment to share something personal, as we believe we owe that to those who have supported us — fans, friends, and well-wishers."
"After a great deal of thought and reflection," he continued, "Merub and I have chosen to move forward on separate paths peacefully and mutually. While we shared meaningful moments and genuinely hoped for a future together, life sometimes takes its own course."
Asim, who got engaged to the Sinfe Aahan actor in 2021, emphasised that the separation was amicable. "We have the utmost respect for each other and the families involved, and always will," he wrote, requesting fans and media for privacy during this period.
The announcement concluded with a note of gratitude: "Thank you for your continued support."
The pair had long kept their relationship largely private, occasionally sharing glimpses of their bond on social media. Even before they confirmed their relationship status in 2021, the duo had been fuelling the rumour mill for quite some time.
Shortly before the engagement announcement, Asim took to X to clarify that he had never labelled Merub as his "sister", as was allegedly being claimed by some based on a doctored screenshot.
He wrote, "To all reposting a screenshot of a 'news channel' that said I had labelled Merub as my sister [because] of a fake chat a fan had made, I clarified it a year ago." The singer continued, "Reminder, since this is a beautiful moment of my life that I want to cherish. Doosre ki khushi mai khush hona chahiye [You should be happy for others]."
He went on to add in a separate post, "Clarification was important because the narrative was disgusting. Anyways, baaki sab ko mithaai jald hi ghar pohanch jayegi [the mithai will reach everyone else's homes soon]. I love you guys. Thank you for the love and duas."
Merub also took to her Instagram story to request people to steer clear of spreading rumours for the sake of gossip. She wrote, "Please refrain from spreading false info, fake dates and especially refrain from bringing other humans down to celebrate us," in a possible nod to fans bullying actor Hania Aamir, whom Asim previously dated.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ