Sania Saeed Opens Up About Choosing a Life Without Children: ‘The Affection of Animals Is More Precious to Me’
By Hira Shahid | Published: 10 November 2026 | Updated: 10 November 2026 | Category: Entertainment Veteran actress Sania Saeed has spoken candidly about why she never had children, saying she loves children but never felt confident she could fulfil the responsibilities of raising one. Appearing on veteran actor Atiqa Odho’s podcast, In Conversation With…
Veteran actress Sania Saeed has spoken candidly about why she never had children, saying she loves children but never felt confident she could fulfil the responsibilities of raising one. Appearing on veteran actor Atiqa Odho’s podcast, In Conversation With Atiqa Odho, the 54-year-old said the affection of her animals means more to her than anything else — and that she has never felt something was missing from her life. “I feel, and this is an unpopular opinion, but I find the affection of animals is more precious to me,” she said.
Saeed, who looks after 12 rescued cats, described herself as a “mother-and-a-half” — maternal by nature, but clear-eyed about what parenthood demands. Her remarks, first reported by Dawn Images on Tuesday morning, quickly spread across Pakistani entertainment media, with ARY News, Samaa TV and 24NewsHD all carrying the interview through the day.
Key Facts
| Detail | What we know |
|---|---|
| Who | Sania Saeed, 54, veteran Pakistani television and theatre actress |
| Where she said it | On Atiqa Odho’s podcast, In Conversation With Atiqa Odho |
| When reported | Tuesday, 10 November 2026 — Dawn Images 10:34am PKT; ARY News 2:21pm; 24NewsHD 2:53pm |
| What she said about children | She likes children but never had any of her own because parenthood is a responsibility that requires complete commitment — “Maybe I didn’t have children because I didn’t feel confident that I could fulfil my responsibilities” |
| Her animals | 12 cats, all rescues; she says their affection is “more precious” to her and she has never felt a void |
| How she describes herself | A “mother-and-a-half” — maternal, but without children of her own |
| Her recent work | Khushbakht in ARY Digital’s hit drama Dar-e-Nijaat; also appeared in Hum TV’s Aap Ki Izzat |
| Animal welfare | Earlier this year she spent her birthday with rescued animals at a shelter run by the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation |
What She Actually Said
The conversation began when Odho asked Saeed whether her many pets — 12 cats, all rescues — compensated for not having children, or whether she felt a void. Saeed’s answer was direct. She said she had never really felt anything for not having children, and that she found the affection of animals more precious to her. “For one thing, I never really felt anything for not having kids,” she said.
She was equally clear that the decision was not about disliking children. “I like children, but…” she said, explaining that she genuinely enjoys being around them and has a strong maternal instinct. The issue, as she put it, was confidence: she questioned whether she could fulfil the responsibilities of raising a child, and she did not want to take on a commitment she could not honour completely. Parenthood, in her words, is not just about affection — it is about taking responsibility for a child’s needs and making their well-being a priority.
Why the Interview Struck a Chord
Saeed is one of Pakistan’s most respected actresses, and she has spent much of her career playing motherly roles — most recently Khushbakht in Dar-e-Nijaat, the ARY Digital drama that has dominated conversation this season. The contrast between the mothers she plays on screen and the life she has chosen off it is part of why the interview travelled so fast. It is also why her phrase “mother-and-a-half” has been quoted everywhere: it captures, in three words, a distinction many women recognise — between feeling maternal and taking on parenthood.
The interview also landed because Saeed refused to frame her life as a lack. Asked about a void, she said she had never felt one. Her 12 rescued cats, her work, and a life built around animals she has taken in are, in her account, not a substitute for something missing — they are the life she chose. Earlier this year she spent her birthday with rescued animals at a shelter run by the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation, a detail that fits the same picture.
The response online has been warm. Dar-e-Nijaat itself continues to drive discussion — our coverage of the drama’s viral Tahajjud scene and of the prayer moment that sent Indian fans to Google drew a wide readership, and Durefishan Saleem’s own remarks on the show were widely shared. Saeed’s interview is the latest in that run of Dar-e-Nijaat conversations that have moved beyond the drama itself into bigger questions about how people live.
A Career Built on Range
Saeed’s standing in the industry is what gives the interview its weight. She has worked across television and theatre for decades, from PTV classics to modern hits, and she is known for taking on older characters — the “universal Aapa”, as she has joked — from a relatively young age. Her recent roles, as the mother of the male lead in Dar-e-Nijaat and in Hum TV’s Aap Ki Izzat, have kept her at the centre of the season’s biggest dramas. For lighter viewing, our Tamasha Season 5 coverage has the latest from reality TV.
None of that is new. What is new is how openly she has talked about the personal choices behind the public career — and how little apology there is in it. She likes children. She did not have them. She is, by her own account, content. In an industry where actresses are rarely asked about these choices without judgement, that plainness is the story.
FAQs
Why did Sania Saeed never have children?
She says she likes children but never felt confident she could fulfil the responsibilities of raising one. Parenthood, in her words, requires complete commitment to a child’s needs and well-being, and she questioned whether she could meet that standard.
What did Sania Saeed say about her pets?
She has 12 cats, all rescues, and said “the affection of animals is more precious to me”. She also said she has never felt a void from not having children.
Where did Sania Saeed give this interview?
On veteran actress Atiqa Odho’s podcast, In Conversation With Atiqa Odho. The interview was reported by Dawn Images on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, and then carried by ARY News, Samaa TV and 24NewsHD.
What does Sania Saeed mean by “mother-and-a-half”?
She used the phrase to describe herself as maternal by nature — she enjoys children and has a strong maternal instinct — while not having children of her own.
Which dramas is Sania Saeed currently in?
She plays Khushbakht in ARY Digital’s Dar-e-Nijaat and recently appeared in Hum TV’s Aap Ki Izzat.
How old is Sania Saeed?
54, according to Samaa TV’s report of the interview. She was born on 28 August 1972 in Karachi.
Sania Saeed’s interview is not a confession and not a controversy — it is a woman in her fifties saying plainly that she made a choice and is at peace with it. She likes children, she loves her 12 rescued cats, and she does not feel anything is missing. In a conversation that could easily have been framed as a regret, she framed it as a life. That is why it travelled: not because it is scandalous, but because it is honest.
