- WEB DESK
- August 30, 2026
PPP dismisses reports of Bilawal’s marriage to European royal
-
- WEB DESK
- August 30, 2026
KARACHI: Mayor Murtaza Wahab has rejected reports circulating on social media about Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s “engagement and marriage” to a European royal, terming them “incorrect and unfounded”.
Wahab, who is also Bilawal’s spokesperson, issued a clarification on X after a series of social media posts and media reports claimed that Bilawal, 38, was set to marry into a European family, with some posts specifically linking the alleged engagement to Liechtenstein and the former Austrian royal family.
“The news story regarding Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s engagement or wedding is incorrect and unfounded,” Wahab said in his post.
There has been no announcement from Bilawal or his family confirming an engagement, prospective bride or wedding date.
The rumours gained traction after social media posts claimed that President Asif Ali Zardari had travelled to Europe with members of his family to discuss the proposed marriage and finalise a date.
Some reports said the alleged bride was from Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, while other social media posts went further, claiming that she was a former Austrian princess and a descendant of Karl I, the last reigning emperor of Austria.
However, no credible evidence has emerged to substantiate those claims.
How the rumours started
The speculation was amplified by a post from the social media account South Asia Index, which described the development as a “breaking news” story and claimed that Bilawal was reportedly set to marry a former Austrian princess.
The post further claimed that the prospective bride was the great-great-granddaughter of Karl I and that the wedding could be held in Vienna, attended by prominent political figures and socialites.
These claims were subsequently repeated by other social media accounts and local media outlets, despite there being no official confirmation from the Zardari family or the PPP.
The reports also linked the rumours to President Zardari’s recent private trip abroad.
On August 27, the Presidency said in a post on X that Zardari had “proceeded abroad on a private visit”, but it did not disclose his destination or the purpose of the trip.
Some reports subsequently claimed that the president had travelled to Liechtenstein or Austria to discuss his son’s marriage and settle a wedding date.
Neither the Presidency nor the PPP has said that Zardari’s private foreign visit was connected to any marriage discussions involving Bilawal.
Bilawal has previously spoken about marriage
The latest rumours have also revived interest in Bilawal’s previous public comments about marriage.
During the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2022, a journalist asked the then foreign minister about his marriage plans.
Bilawal smiled and said he did have plans to marry, but did not disclose a date or provide details about a prospective spouse.
He had also discussed the subject in an interview in 2016, saying that any prospective bride would first have to win over the hearts of his sisters, Aseefa and Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari.
“I have to take them into confidence,” he had said, adding jokingly that winning over his sisters would be a difficult task for any prospective bride.
Bilawal, who was born on September 21, 1988, is the son President Zardari and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He has served as foreign minister and currently heads the PPP.
