Wedding rumours surrounding Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have suddenly taken over social media, with reports claiming that the 38-year-old politician could be preparing to get married later this year.The speculation began with claims that President Asif Ali Zardari had travelled to Liechtenstein, the tiny European country located between Switzerland and Austria, to discuss his son’s wedding and possibly settle on a date.From there, the story only grew.Some reports claimed that Bilawal’s prospective bride belongs to a European family with links to Austria’s former imperial household. Social media posts have even named Gloria von Habsburg, alleging that she is connected to the family of Austria’s last emperor, Karl I.There are also claims that the alleged bride is from Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, and that the wedding could take place towards the end of this year.But there’s a catch: none of these details have been officially confirmed.The rumours gained even more attention after the Presidency said on August 27 that President Zardari had “proceeded abroad on a private visit”. The statement did not reveal where he had gone or explain the reason for the trip.That was enough to spark another round of speculation online, with people linking the private European trip to the alleged wedding plans.Daily Ausaf also reported that preparations for Bilawal’s wedding were underway, citing unnamed sources. The report claimed that Zardari was on a private European trip connected to the matter. It was later deleted.As the claims continued to spread, the PPP eventually stepped in to address them.Karachi Mayor and PPP leader Murtaza Wahab, who also serves as a spokesperson for Bilawal, rejected the reports in a post on X late Saturday. He described reports concerning Bilawal’s engagement and wedding as “incorrect and unfounded.”There has been no statement from Bilawal himself or his family confirming an engagement, a prospective bride or a wedding date.Bilawal has, however, spoken about marriage in the past.During the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2022, a journalist asked the then foreign minister about his plans to get married. Bilawal smiled and replied, “Of course, I have plans to marry,” but didn’t say when he intended to tie the knot.He had also discussed the subject in a lighter mood in 2016, saying that any future bride would first have to win over his sisters.“The right candidate will first have to win over the hearts of my sisters,” Bilawal had said, adding that winning them over would be “a very difficult task for any girl.”For now, though, the online wedding story remains unverified. The claims about a European bride, a possible Liechtenstein connection and a wedding later this year have all circulated widely, but there is no official announcement backing them.And with Murtaza Wahab now calling the reports “incorrect and unfounded”, the much-talked-about wedding remains firmly in the realm of speculation.
