Few takers for Sania-Shoaib wedding in Pakistan

Islamabad: Most Pakistanis think cross-border marriages may be the perfect way to bridge the great divide between their country and India, but they are not giving the Sania Mirza-Shoaib Malik wedding much of a chance.

"I think Sania Mirza is too good for Shoaib Malik. It`s a bad bargain," Ayesha Ansari (name changed), the retired headmistress of an elite school in Pakistan, said.

Ansari claimed she isn`t the only one who thinks like that.

"A lot of Pakistanis I know feel this marriage will not work. It`s a tough one," she said.

However, Ansari is all for Indo-Pakistan marriages. "Such marriages are a good thing. Good for both countries. They explode myths, remove phobias and bring people together."

For most Pakistanis, marriage by itself is a tricky proposition and the Indo-Pakistan situation compounds issues further.

"Mutual attraction, marriage is a good thing. But what happens if the marriage does not last?" asked Sadia Khan, an IT professional.

Ansari herself crossed the border from India many years ago to marry a Pakistani.

Unfortunately her marriage did not last long. Neither did the marriage of her daughter, who decided to settle down with an Indian.

Though Ansari was allowed to live in India on a special visa for several years, she had to eventually return to Pakistan and live the rest of her life as a Pakistani.

"Such marriages are not wrong. The political situation is. Why can`t they offer dual citizenship to people who decide to marry on either side?" Ansari suggested.

"A lot of my Pakistani students are from broken homes. So it`s not that the problem is with Indo-Pakistan marriages alone. Marriages are tricky everywhere," she said.

The "third country solution” in Sania and Shoaib`s case the decision to live in Dubai after the wedding also does not work, according to Ansari.

"You are away from your respective families. I am not sure if that works," she said.

Under the circumstances, several Pakistanis believe Sania`s marriage stands little chance.

The controversy over Shoaib`s reported marriage to Ayesha Siddiqui too has complicated the situation, Ansari said.