New Delhi: Pakistan’s blue-blooded boy Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is rumoured to be marrying an Austrian princess, and Pakistanis are at their sarcastic best. While one user on X described it as the “lowest point for the people of Austria since world war 2”, others are convinced this is a good move.
After all, Pakistanis on social media have long speculated about Bilawal’s sexual orientation, wondering if he might be gay. Amid reports linking him to Gloria von Habsburg, a descendant of Austria’s last emperor, users again resorted to past speculations. One user posted on X: “It is the single most iconic way anyone has beaten Gay Allegations in all human history.”
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman found himself trending over the weekend after travelling with his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, to Vienna on a private trip. Many claimed the visit was for wedding preparations. The PPP rejected the rumours as “incorrect and unfounded”.
The rumour mills began buzzing after a ‘trusted’ PPP source told Geo News that Bilawal and his father met members of the prospective bride’s family three times since arriving in Austria last week. The two are expected to travel from Austria to the United Kingdom, where they will spend around 10 days.
Reports have linked Bilawal’s prospective bride to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, Austria’s former imperial family, with some accounts describing her as a descendant of Karl I, the last reigning Emperor of Austria. ThePrint has not been able to independently confirm the wedding claims.
“The wedding could likely take place in Vienna later this year,” the source was quoted as saying by Geo News, adding that Bilawal and the prospective bride have known each other for several years and share many friends.
The president’s office had confirmed on 27 August that Zardari travelled abroad on a private visit, but did not disclose the purpose of his trip. The source said that even senior party figures and people close to the Bhutto-Zardari family were unaware of the reported marriage discussions until about two days ago.
Also read: Bilawal Bhutto is Asif Ali Zardari’s ‘Prince Charming’. Will he be the same for Pakistan?
‘Move to Vienna’
Pakistanis, however, are happy for Bilawal. They want him to shift to Vienna after marriage. “Congratulations to Bilawal. It will be good for newly wed couples and 250 million Pakistanis,” an X user Awais noted sarcastically.
“Also he can retire as some European diplomat post retirement after failing in Pakistan politics,” X user Omaid added.
The history geeks took it further. “He’s going to convert and bring back the austrohungarian empire and break the backs of Europe until they recognize the return of the Holy Roman Empire of Austria, Hungary, Illyria, Czechia, Pakistan, and Slovakia,” an X user added. To this another said, “the austro-Pakistani empire’.
Then came religious concerns. “We hope our leader, @BBhuttoZardari, @BakhtawarBZ when he chooses to marry, will marry a Muslim Pakistani woman and uphold the traditions of his ancestors. Unlike Imran Khan, he will never give us a reason to feel embarrassed on any platform,” PPP politician Raheela Aslam Malik added.
Her comment started a fresh debate. X user named Alee Alam Zardarist retorted, “Who gave you the right to decide whether Bilawal should marry a Muslim or not? Only his sisters have the right to decide where their brother gets married. Neither you nor anyone else has this right. So please do not post tweets like this.”
Others drew comparisons with Imran Khan, pointing out that Pakistani politicians have a history of pulling this ‘It’s not true’ stunt. “Khan sahab ne bhi yehi topi karaayi thi then within days Reham Khan was introduced as madar e millat”, X user Syed Zain Raza wrote with a screenshot of Imran Khan calling reports of his marriage ‘greatly exaggerated.’
X user Zeeshan summed up the debate in a line: “if this is true, I think it is the only admirable achievement by any PPP member since the PPP’s inception.”
Also read: Bilawal Bhutto just gave Pakistanis more meme material on him. And this time, he knows it
Bilawal’s wedding plans
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has previously spoken publicly about marriage, though he has never disclosed details about a potential spouse or wedding date.
In 2016, he addressed the matter by saying that any prospective bride would first have to “win over the hearts” of his sisters.
“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 said.
Bilawal also joked about marriage in 2019, saying, “We are having detailed, comprehensive strategic meetings about this. We are planning the exact time, whether we should do it before the elections or after, whether it should be during our campaigning or before.
“[We’re also discussing] if I should marry one woman or four… one from each of Pakistan’s provinces. We are investigating what the electoral impact of that will be. When the report is complete, I’ll present it to you,” he had joked. His comment drew flak for being sexist.
During the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2022, a journalist asked Bilawal, who was foreign minister at the time, about his marriage plans. “Of course, I have plans to marry,” he responded without giving any details.
(Edited by Prashant Dixit)