'I had the right but...': Bushra Ansari talks about her divorce

Pakistan’s showbiz veteran Bushra Ansari opened up on her decision to exercise her right to divorce after 36 years of marriage to her first husband.

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Bushra Ansari had previously revealed that it was her decision to end her marriage of 36 years to her first husband because her father, notable author and intellectual Ahmad Bashir, had reserved the right for her to give the divorce if needed, rather than getting it.

“I wasn’t divorced, I gave my husband one. It wasn’t a big deal but it was becoming impossible to live together,” she said in a 2020 interview, five years after her divorce.

In a recent outing with a private TV channel, Ansari spoke about the autonomy for women to exercise such a right, which is still rare to witness in current times. “I had this right [to divorce] but it took me 36 years to use it,” she said while speaking about the numerous rights including one to divorce, granted to women in Islam.

“Islam has granted us so many rights that perhaps we do not wish to listen to. My daughter said, ‘God has made us to be princesses and fairies. We have so many rights,’ to which I responded, ‘beta, you know you have all these rights but the person who has to give it to you should be made aware as well’,” Ansari added.

She continued, “I had to use the right wisely otherwise I could have just divorced during my first year of marriage!”

Speaking about uplifting and empowering women, the veteran gave some pieces of advice to young women. “Do not let anyone insult you, even if it is your brother or your teacher. Teachers should not insult the students… Stay productive. To cook a handi and roti and watch TV is not enough. [And] you need to keep the house in order,” listed the ‘Pardes’ actor.

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