Pakistani actress and former model Jia Ali recently opened up about her unconventional love story and how she humorously tried to stop her own wedding by sending her modeling photos to her now-husband, Imran Idrees.

Speaking on the talk show “Suno to Sahi”Jia shared that she had known Imran, a Pakistani-origin cricket coach and entrepreneur based in Hong Kong, for nearly six years before their marriage. Their first interaction happened during preparations for an event in Hong Kong, which eventually didn’t take place — but the friendship stayed.

Jia revealed that she was moved by a Facebook message Imran once sent, reflecting his deep love for Pakistan despite living abroad. The sincerity in his message impressed her enough to share her personal number.

For several years, the two remained in casual touch, with Jia occasionally messaging him about visiting Hong Kong. However, things took a turn when she contacted him again while sourcing products for a brand — and coincidentally, Imran was under family pressure to get married.

To Jia’s surprise, he proposed. And the very next day, Imran flew from Lahore to Karachi with a marriage proposal in hand.

Jia, not ready for marriage at that stage of her life — and particularly not with someone living abroad — said she tried to deter him by sending her bold modeling pictures, hoping he’d back off. “I thought this would scare him away,” she laughed, “but it didn’t work — he still showed up.”

She also recalled how Imran suddenly stopped calling her “sister,” which was the first sign something was up.

Jia, who tied the knot at 48 in 2021, said she had always prayed for a hardworking, middle-class husband — and considers herself lucky to have found just that.

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