Don’t ‘know any Princess Gloria’: Bilawal Bhutto denies reports of his engagement

• Social media spectacles divert attention from issues: Bilawal.
• Says family will announce if decision about his personal life.
• PPP chief criticises Pims handling after infant deaths.
  

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday denied reports that his engagement had been finalised, saying no such development had taken place.

“I want to make it clear that neither has the match been finalised nor have I got engaged,” Bilawal said.

The denial comes amid reports that President Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal are in Vienna, where they were “holding “discussions with the family of a prospective bride.

In a video statement, Bilawal said: “First of all, social media has already finalised my marriage talks, engagement and wedding. I want to clarify that nothing of this sort has happened, nor do I know any Princess Gloria.”

He said such discussions on social media were being used to divert public attention from more important issues. “In reality, these social media spectacles are hyped up to divert the public’s attention from actual issues,” the PPP chairman said.

Bilawal said any decision about his marriage or engagement would be announced by his family. “If any such personal decision regarding my life is made, the announcement will come directly from my family,” he said.

“Until then, please focus on the real issues and ignore these social media spectacles.”

Pims fire ‘mishandling’

Bilawal also referred to the recent deaths of infants at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad, criticising the handling of the hospital.

“Recently, 14 children passed away at Pims, in the capital of Pakistan,” he said. “A minister — who wants to become the Gorbachev of Pakistan and divide our country into 30 pieces — cannot even manage a single hospital.”

He further criticised a minister from Lahore over remarks concerning the creation of new provinces, saying the matter should be discussed in the Sindh Assembly.

“At a time when a minister from Lahore is telling Lahore’s businessmen to create and run provinces, the Sindh Assembly takes a brave stance and asserts itself,” Bilawal said.

He added that such matters could not be decided on the streets or at a business forum in Lahore.

“That assembly, which was the first to join Pakistan, is where this discussion and decision will take place,” he said.