PPP at pains to reject impression of Zardari-Bilawal differences

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has termed the reports of difference between father and son—PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari—baseless saying that Bilawal left for Dubai on Thursday evening ,not on Friday, on a private visit as per schedule.

Following a surprise departure of Bilawal, Asif Zardari also left for the UAE state from Islamabad. Sources in the PPP confirmed the departure of Asif Zardari to Dubai on Friday evening.

Earlier in the day, the surprise departure of Bilawal for Dubai following the interview of Asif Zardari on Geo TV’s ‘Capital Talk’ and amid party ‘election campaign’ opened the flood gates of the rumours.

The rumours got more attention after the PPP chairman changed his profile picture on his X handle in which Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto can be seen smiling with her hands on Bilawal’s shoulders.

According to the sources, Bilawal left for Dubai after completion of his visit to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where he addressed party workers’ conventions in different districts.

Sources said purpose of the PPP chairman’s visit to Dubai was to meet his younger sister Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari and her children. PPP Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi put aside the rumours, saying that Bilawal’s visit was scheduled, the party chairman left for Dubai Thursday afternoon.

“Rumours regarding differences between the PPP chairman and co-chairman are baseless,” he insisted.

Kundi told Geo News that Bilawal went to Dubai for two days and he will return by Monday or Tuesday to address the PPP’s Foundation Day’s public meeting in Quetta on November 30.

He clarified that the PPP chairman has not yet started election campaign, adding that once the polls schedule was announced the campaign would formally begin.

PPP Senator Salim Mandviwalla also refuted the rumours and said Dubai visit was scheduled.

Meanwhile, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman wrote on X: “Don’t know why the panicked reporting on some channels as Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari left for Dubai on Thursday late afternoon exactly as scheduled.”

Meanwhile, in Geo’s programme of ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, renowned journalist and host of Geo’s talk show ‘Capital Talk’ Hamid Mir that after the recording the interview with Zardari we sat down in other room to watch the interview, where Bilawal made a telephone call to his father and tried to clarify his position as sons do to fathers but Asif Zardari told Bilawal he need not do that, adding that as he (Zardari) has to reply the difficult questions.

Mir said that Bilawal tried to explain his narrative that what he was saying was not for him (Zardari) and he was not the target as he was talking about the 70 years of politics but Asif Zardari said he understands but he (Zardari) has to clarify.

Mir said then he realised that some senior party leaders also approached Bialwal and asked whether they should also leave politics, and to that Bilawal also explained that he did not mean that.

Mir further said Bilawal told his father that he was about to board the plane and will not able to watch the interview.

“When the phone call ended I asked Asif Zardari why Bilawal was leaving for Dubai, and Zardari told me that he [Bilawal] will come back and he was also going Dubai as Sanam Bhutto was coming there and it was our family gathering.”

He further said, “I think that Zardari Sahib also left to Dubai. Zardari Sahib and Bilawal will come back soon but it was correct that many question arise after Zardari Sahib left, and my understanding is what Zardari Sahib want to convey is different but what he talked about his son has turned into controversy.”