KARACHI: A day after Nikah of Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari — daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari — with Mahmood Chaudhry, the son of a US-based businessman, a dinner reception was hosted at Bialwal House on Saturday.

Senior leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) including former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, leader of opposition in the Senate Sherry Rahman, Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira, business leaders and industrialists and diplomats attended the reception.

“As announced earlier, there were maximum 300 guests at the reception considering the Covid-19 precautions,” said one of the guests who attended the ceremony. “It was a brief and calm ceremony inside Bialwal House though there was much more hustle and bustle outside. Guests started entering the venue by 8pm and dinner was served a little after 9pm. Cellphones were not allowed. Arrangements for the event were made at the helipad ground, adjacent to the main building of Bilawal House.”

Bakhtawar’s wedding receptions also planned in Larkana, Lahore and Islamabad

Earlier in November 2020, 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 a simple engagement ceremony held at Bilawal House. The PPP chairman and elder brother of the bride, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who was in self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 at that time, had joined the engagement ceremony through video link. However, this time the PPP chairman was among the key hosts of the Saturday reception along with his father Mr Zardari.

“Apart from Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, some key ministers of the provincial cabinet also attended the reception. As announced by the chairman a few days ago, wedding receptions will be held in Islamabad, Lahore and Larkana also in which more dignitaries, friends and PPP members would be invited to share the joys of the auspicious occasion. The reception in Lahore can become a major event of gathering of leaders of the opposition alliance [Pakistan Democratic Movement],” the guest hinted.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2021