By News Desk

A Pakistani man has become the talk of the town after news about him marrying a Canadian woman who is much older than him came to light.

35-year-old Naeem Shahzad from Gujrat, met his wife, 70, on Facebook in 2017, and sparks flew almost instantly between the two. 

The woman, who remains unnamed, accepted his friend request after which they started talking to each other regularly. Soon, they became friends and eventually their friendship blossomed into love. 

Shahzad soon proposed to her, making his long-term commitment very clear. Several people who knew the couple questioned their unconventional relationship, but they chose to ignore the backlash. They got married after the woman travelled to Pakistan. 

He spoke of his intention to move to Canada with his wife, but his visa was rejected. After people started expressing their doubts, he stressed that he did not marry her just to be able to go abroad and will obtain a visa soon.

The reason behind him marrying her, he stated, was because of the stability he was provided with as she supports him financially. He added that his wife doesn’t want him to work because it could affect his health. 

Many believe that the man is a gold digger, however, he has rejected such claims. He said that they were planning on opening a YouTube channel to support themselves while his process to get a Canadian visa continues. 

Several users on the internet pointed out that this marriage was just a way for Shahzad to easily enter Canada and that the visa authorities must have seen through the charade. 

One user sarcastically wrote: “Guys give them a break please!!!

“Yes!!! Clearly we can see that this isn’t for money or visa.”

Another commented: “I trust you bro.”

A third user added: “Oh man this is unbelievable I don’t believe this is (a) love story, this is lust for passport…”

A few users wrote in his defense. A user said: “Even if he did marry for nationality then what’s wrong with it? He (didn’t) choose the wrong way, (getting) married to an elderly woman is not a sin.”

Another wrote: “Pakistan isn’t making it easy for middle class people to reside in it anyways.”

Within the South Asian community, couples with large age gaps are not common. There have been a handful cases over the past few years, with one of the recent cases being of a 70-year-old man who married a 19-year-old girl in Lahore last year.