Bilawal denies engagement, marriage rumours, says he does not know any ‘Princess Gloria’ | The Express Tribune

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday categorically rejected rumours of his engagement or marriage, saying no such development had taken place and that he did not know any “Princess Gloria”.

“First of all, social media has got me engaged, married. Let me make it clear that no such thing has happened, nor do I know any Princess Gloria,” Bilawal said in a video statement posted on X.

The statement came after social media reports claimed that Bilawal was set to marry into a prominent Austrian royal family in Vienna. Rumours circulating on social media claimed that President Asif Ali Zardari had travelled to the country with other family members to discuss and set a date for his son’s wedding. The rumours further claimed that Bilawal’s wedding could take place towards the end of this year, while his purported fiancée was said to be from Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein.

Bilawal said the social media drama was intended to divert public attention from real issues.

“If there is any such decision in my life, it will be announced by my family only. Until then, pay attention to the real issues and ignore the social media drama,” he said.

The PPP chairman further said that 14 children had died at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in the capital, while a minister who “wants to be the Gorbachev of Pakistan” was talking about dividing the country into 30 parts.

“He cannot handle a single hospital,” Bilawal said.

Bilawal also criticised a minister from Lahore over his statement regarding the creation of new provinces.

“When a minister of Lahore is telling a businessman of Lahore to build and run provinces, the Sindh Assembly takes a brave stance, asserts itself that these things can neither happen on the road, nor in the business forum of Lahore,” he said.

He said the matter would be discussed in the same assembly that was the first to participate in the creation of Pakistan, and a decision would be made there.

“Until then, pay attention to the real issues and ignore the social media drama,” he added.

A day earlier, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also rejected reports about Bilawal’s engagement or wedding, calling them “incorrect and unfounded”.

In a post on X, Wahab said, “The news story regarding Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s engagement or wedding is incorrect and unfounded.”

Responding to his post, his sister, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari quipped: “My brother’s getting married and I’m just sitting here in Karachi. Wow.”

In 2021, PPP leader Manzoor Wassan predicted that Bilawal would tie the knot in 2022-23 after assuming charge as the country’s premier.

In 2018, Bilawal told the media on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he would marry only once “unlike other politicians of the country”. The PPP scion apparently took a jab at PTI founder Imran Khan in the comment.

In 2016, young Bilawal told the media in Obaro that he had rejected all marriage proposals and emphasised that his sisters would pick someone for him and she would be one very lucky girl.

It all started when Bilawal grinned from ear to ear in response to a question about his marriage and, after scratching his ears and nose for a while, told the reporter that there were already many marriage proposals for him.

“But the right candidate will first have to win over the hearts of my sisters. I have to take them into confidence. And winning over the hearts of my sisters is a very difficult task for any girl,” he added.