Iqbal Hussain Criticizes Society’s Double Standards on Age Differences in Marriage

Veteran Pakistani actress Bushra Ansari and her husband Iqbal Hussain have shared personal insights into their relationship, while also criticizing what they describe as society’s double standards regarding age differences in marriage.

Speaking during a recent television show, Iqbal Hussain questioned the contrasting reactions people often have toward age-gap marriages.

“If a man aged 50 or 60 marries an 18-year-old woman, people generally do not object. But if a woman marries a younger man, even by a few years, she is often criticized,” he said.

Iqbal noted that although there is a small age difference between him and Bushra Ansari, it has never affected their relationship. However, he said public comments and criticism became so frequent that even Bushra felt uneasy at times.

He went on to criticize what he described as a culture of constant judgment, saying that people are too quick to evaluate others’ personal lives.

“In my view, one of the biggest forms of corruption in society is that we keep judging one another. We act as though the responsibility of judgment belongs to us, when ultimately it is for God alone,” he remarked.

Iqbal also revealed that he had been a longtime admirer of Bushra Ansari since his youth. He said that during his college days, he used to keep magazine clippings of the actress and frequently visited Islamabad, where she was working at the time.

According to him, Bushra was deeply occupied with her successful career and had no idea about his admiration.

Sharing her side of the story, Bushra Ansari recalled their first formal meeting during a television program she hosted in the 1990s. She said Iqbal appeared on the show as a young guest, and she jokingly commented on his hairstyle.

“I teased him a little about his hair, but he didn’t respond,” she recalled with a smile.

Iqbal later explained that he had been so overwhelmed and starstruck by meeting her in person that he could hardly say anything.

The couple said that what began as a brief television encounter eventually developed into a meaningful relationship years later, leading to their marriage.