KARACHI: Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari, who was engaged to the son of a US-based businessman in November 2020, is set to tie the knot with him later this month for which weeklong functions have been planned, party sources and spokesperson said on Friday.

They said that nikah of Ms Bhutto-Zardari and her fiancé Mahmood Chaudhry would be held on January 29 and the function of baraat would take place on the next day (Jan 30).

“Before these two functions, a milad will be organised on Jan 24 and a mehndi ceremony will take place on 27th,” said a source privy to the details of the ceremonies.

Meanwhile, a brief statement issued by Bilawal House said that some 300 guests were expected at the main function — baraat — on Jan 30 considering the arrangements under the standard operating procedures due to Covid-19 precautions.

The spokesman for Bilawal House also confirmed that all functions would be held in Karachi.

In a simple November 2020 engagement ceremony Ms Bhutto-Zardari and Mr Chaudhry exchanged rings amid celebratory shouts and claps from the guests, who included a few senior politicians, PPP leaders, business giants, real estate tycoons, prominent lawyers, some legislators and close relatives at Bilawal House.

The Pakistan Peoples Party chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who was in self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 that time, had joined the engagement ceremony through video link.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2021