"I still don't understand why people have to get married," these were the exact words by Pakistani Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai to Vogue magazine in June.
Cut to November 9, the 24-year-old shared a post on Twitter announcing that she was married in a small ceremony at her parents' home in England. It seems the cupid's arrow has finally hit Malala.
"Today marks a precious day in my life," she announced on social media, next to what appears to be a wedding photo with husband Asser Malik.
"Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead," Yousafzai posted on Twitter.
Wishes poured in from all around the world including Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, British screenwriter and Pakistan PM Imran Khan's ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple Vice President Lisa Jackson all congratulating the Nobel laureate.
Yousafzai known simply as Malala, is a global advocate for girls' rights and education.
She became a household name in 2012 when she was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for actively supporting girls right to education in Mingora, Swat Valley in northern Pakistan following which she left the country and shifted to Birmingham, UK.
In June last year, she graduated with honours from the University of Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
Yousafzai's marriage to Malik has also come as a surprise especially after her recent remarks questioning the institution of marriage for which she faced severe backlash from political and religious leaders in Pakistan.
"I still don't understand why people have to get married," she told Vogue, saying she wasn't sure she'd ever take the step herself.
"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 added.
The remarks immediately landed her in hot water in Pakistan, with lawmakers, clerics, academicians as well a section of the citizenry accusing her of peddling a western narrative.
Her mother disagreed, saying, "Don't you dare say anything like that! You have to get married, marriage is beautiful."
Pakistani netizens also pointed out discrepancies in Malala's remarks and actions.
[{001d281b-ade9-49ac-9a7e-5fc6d58688e4:intradmin/33.JPG}]
[{cd09d7e2-46f7-4d6a-9bdb-db35483cc6d6:intradmin/Capture_lvgVGTT.JPG}]
[{eba22d40-f529-4fcd-82d5-e4b9878c444b:intradmin/44_kbDBwZJ.JPG}]
[{4c9b37e7-0084-4b70-aa3c-307e6ad957bd:intradmin/11_1uFReJa.JPG}]
[{c3e9c706-6ba8-4017-87bb-0d6d682ac2c9:intradmin/22_EicK1md.JPG}]
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor