VIENNA, Austria: President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are holding possible marriage talks in Vienna, according to a party source, though a senior PPP leader has denied the reports.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity and claimed direct knowledge of the matter, said Zardari and Bilawal had met the prospective bride’s family three times since arriving in Austria.
Reports have linked the prospective bride’s family to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, Austria’s former imperial dynasty, with some accounts describing her as a descendant of Karl I, the country’s last reigning emperor. The woman is not named in the supplied source.
The source said a wedding could take place in Vienna later this year and claimed Bilawal and the prospective bride had known each other for several years through mutual friends.
Read: PPP Denies Bilawal Wedding Rumours Naming Gloria von Habsburg
The Presidency confirmed on August 27 that President Zardari had travelled abroad on a private visit but did not disclose the purpose of the visit.
The source said Zardari and Bilawal were expected to travel from Austria to the United Kingdom for around 10 days, with members of the prospective bride’s family potentially joining them.
Bilawal’s sisters are also expected to join the family in Britain, while his aunt Sanam Bhutto is already in London.
No formal engagement or marriage announcement has been issued by Bilawal, the Bhutto-Zardari family or the PPP.
Karachi Mayor and senior PPP leader Murtaza Wahab has rejected reports that Bilawal is getting married, describing the circulating claims as incorrect.
