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Singer Asim Azhar announced on Sunday evening his engagement to Merub Ali, a longtime family friend. The news was shared by the couple with some photos from their engagement ceremony on Instagram. However, it wasn't long after their posts went up that people started remembering a fake chat in which Azhar referred to his now fiancée as his 'sister', causing Azhar to once again deny the news.

Ali has also requested fans not to bring other people down while celebrating the couple.

Azhar and Ali shared identical posts on Instagram asking fans and followers to pray for them. The pair wrote, "Shukar Alhamdulillah [Thank you God]. With the grace of Allah Almighty and our parent’s duas, we announce our Imam Zamin - engagement. May Allah SWT and Ahlebait keep us protected and this happy forever, Aameen. Keep us in your prayers."

A few hours after their announcement was made public, Azhar took to Twitter and called out all those sharing a "fake screenshot" from a news channel claiming that he had called Ali his sister and said this was something he had clarified a year ago. "Reminder since this is a beautiful moment of my life that I want to cherish, doosre ki khushi mai khush hona chahiye [learn to be happy in someone else's happiness]," wrote the singer.

In another tweet, Azhar also said that "clarification" was important because the "narrative was disgusting" and hinted that everyone will receive their fair share of sweets (mithai) very soon. He also thanked fans for the love and duas that he received for getting engaged.

Many celebrity news pages shared a photo of actor Gul-e-Rana, Azhar's mother, with Ali's mother, Rozina Khan, in clothes that looked similar to what they wore at the engagement ceremony. According to the outlets, the photo was posted last July, leading people to speculate that the couple's engagement took place earlier than they had announced. Taking to Instagram, Ali requested people to "refrain" from spreading false information, including fake dates. "Refrain from bringing other humans down to celebrate us. Us ke ilawa [other than that], love you guys and thanks for all the prayers and support," she wrote.

There had been many rumours about the couple — people didn't know what their relationship was at all. Some people believed they were cousins, some said they were friends, while others believed they were romantically linked. Ali clarified that they definitely weren't related in an interview in December. “We’re not step-siblings, we’re not cousins. Pata nahi bus [I don't know, that's all] — we’re great family friends and have known each other since childhood. My brother is his best friend and our mothers are best friends.”

Ali is a model and recently made her acting debut in Sinf-e-Aahan alongside Sajal Aly, Kubra Khan, Syra Yousuf and many other big names. Azhar is, of course, one of the most popular singers in Pakistan and is releasing his very first album soon.