Islamabad — Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, a member of the cabinet of Pakistan, has finally tied the knot with opposition lawmaker Kashmala Tariq after months of speculation, revealed sources close to their families. The blushing brides were available for comment but requested the press and the public to respect their privacy and wait for the detailed story of their relationship till after their honeymoon in Gwader. They also requested the press to refrain from making a media circus out of this event as they had done with the cricket and tennis stars a while back.
According to close friends and family members the two had been seeing each other for the past three years. Their relationship was frowned upon by their family members because of different backgrounds. A close fried of Kashmala Tariq told the press that she is thankful that Pakistani society accepts same sex relationships even if it is opposed to marriages between people who speak different languages. If this were not the case, the relationship between Dr. Awan and Ms. Tariq would have been an incredibly rocky affair.
The brides told the press that the wedding was held on Sunday at the top of Margalla Hills in a small and basic ceremony according to the wishes of the couple. The theme of the wedding was pink and golden which all the attendees were required to wear and anyone who showed up without the proper attire was held under section 144. The stage was covered in imported flowers and tassles with a small water fountain to bring out the colour of the bridal dresses. Place settings were chosen by Dr. Awan and the stage was chosen by Ms. Tariq, “It was one of the many compromises that we had to make for the wedding function” chuckled a very glee Ms. Tariq as they shared a list of things that were divided to keep the peace.
The couple met three years ago in a parliamentary session in Islamabad. The two realized that they have a lot in common and they connected mentally since the beginning of the relationship. The relationship was based as much on mutual respect and personal attraction as it was on the shared belief in principles and the love of country. The couple said that their fondest memories were from Paris, their favourite quarterly retreat, in the words of Dr. Awan “How can one not like a city with so many clothing shops?” The couple said their favourite activity was clothes shopping, followed by shoe shopping and nagging.
The brides told the press that the relationship was not always on the up and up. There were ups and downs along the way. They even mentioned one particular incident when Dr. Awan and Ms. Tariq had stopped talking to each other for one month. Unfortunately they were invited on a local television talk-show together. They said that they ended up making a spectacle of themselves and said a lot of unfortunate and ugly things that they feel horrified of remembering now. Dr. Awan said that she should not have brought personal complaints out in the public. She said, “I guess I was just jealous that Kashmala was getting all the attention from everyone in the assembly. But she’s mine now… all mine.”
The couple advised that relationship are all about compromise and patience and anyone following these two rules will succeed. They have decided to settle down in Islamabad and raise a family there.
