Indian tennis star and former wife of Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Sania Mirza, is facing intense criticism from Pakistani social media users for her controversial post supporting India’s war narrative during the ongoing military tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.

Despite her long-standing connection with Pakistan, where she always received immense love and respect, Sania's recent stance has left many Pakistanis disappointed. Her marriage to Shoaib Malik, which ended recently, blessed them with a son, Izhaan Mirza Malik — who shares a heritage that’s half Pakistani.

As India launched attacks targeting civilian areas in Pakistan including Kotli, Muzaffarabad, and Bahawalpur, Pakistani citizens were shocked to see Sania Mirza share a celebratory post on social media that many interpreted as a nod to India’s aggression.

The timing and tone of her post — celebrating during a period when innocent civilians, including a child, were reportedly martyred — triggered a flood of criticism.

“You’re a mother yourself, and you're celebrating the death of a child?” one netizen wrote, expressing deep hurt. Another commented, “Even Israel celebrates the deaths of innocent children like this.” A third said, “We always admired you as a woman and a symbol of women’s empowerment, but supporting war crimes? That’s not acceptable.”

Sania’s support for India’s war rhetoric, despite the lack of any credible evidence linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack, has not only sparked public outrage but also raised serious questions about the responsibilities of public figures in times of conflict.