‘Ours is both an arranged marriage and a love marriage. My wife fell in love, and then it became arranged’, says groom
“Age is just a number” — until it comes to marriage. The moment a younger man marries an older woman, or an older man chooses a younger partner, society suddenly starts counting the years.
That is exactly what happened this week when an elderly man tied the nuptial knot with a woman a quarter of his age — a union that instantly set off media frenzy. Headlines screamed, timelines exploded, and social media turned into a battleground of outrage, curiosity and judgment.
Sensing a viral moment, content creators descended on the residence of 70-year-old hakim Babar Ji, who had married a 22-year-old woman in Chakala Scheme-III, turning a private union into a public spectacle.
“Ours is both an arranged and a love marriage. We liked each other first — my wife fell in love — and then we formalised it by solemnising the nikah,” says Babar Ji in a short clip shot by a content creator, which has since gone viral on social media.
Standing next to him, his young spouse agreed, confirming that this is exactly how it happened.
انہیں LOVE ہوا پھر ہم نے ارینج میرج کی۔ عمر کو چھوڑیں دل جوان ہونا چاہیے۔ وہ طلاق یاقتہ تھیں اور اللہ کا حکم ہے کہ طلاق یافتہ سے نکاح کریں، جوان لڑکی سے شادی کرنے والے 60 سالہ حکیم بابر کا ویڈیو پیغام جاری pic.twitter.com/O6Q7RHYqxB
— Rizwan Ghilzai (Remembering Arshad Sharif) (@rizwanghilzai) February 24, 2026
“Age is just a number. One should be young at heart. She was a divorcee, and this is Allah’s command and the Prophet’s (PBUH) Sunnah. I acted upon it — so what wrong have I done?” said Babar Ji, his long white beard a striking reminder of the decades between the couple.
He added, “I did not commit adultery, so why are people making negative comments? In fact, those who criticise us are often the ones who have had girlfriends and unlawful relationships, yet refuse to marry — they flirt and deceive women instead.”
Babar Ji’s young wife echoed his sentiment, saying that age should not matter when there is genuine love, and that one should not delay marriage when they have found someone they truly care for.
The couple plans to perform Umrah after Eidul Fitr, followed by a trip to the Netherlands.
The reactions on social media seem to vary from concerns over the age gap between the couple to support for the marriage and condemnation of extramarital relationships.
