UK – (Special Correpondent/Web Desk) – President Asif Ali Zardari’s London visit is coming to an early close, as he plans to fly back to Pakistan on September 8. Party insiders say he had originally planned to stay in the UK for another three or four days.
The change of plans comes as pressure builds back home. A heated national conversation about creating new provinces has grown louder, and the president reportedly wants to be present to handle it directly.
The debate picked up pace after Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal floated the idea of splitting Pakistan into twelve to fifteen provinces. He also called for a broad political conversation on reshaping how the country is administered.
The Pakistan Peoples Party has pushed back firmly. As a major coalition partner of the ruling PML-N, the PPP says any plan to break up Sindh is off the table. Party leaders insist that forming new provinces would require constitutional steps, wide political agreement, and public backing before anything moves forward.
Zardari’s UK trip began on September 1, right after he wrapped up a five-day private stay in Austria. He travelled to London with former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla by his side.
Two days after his arrival, his children joined him. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his sister Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari both reached London to be with their father. Unlike the president, they plan to stay behind a little longer.
Sources close to the family say Bilawal and Bakhtawar will remain in London for roughly another week before heading home. Bilawal flew in from Paris after spending time in Austria, while Bakhtawar arrived with her husband, Mahmood Chaudhry, and their children.
The family’s time in Austria had earlier sparked rumours online. Some reports suggested Zardari had travelled there to discuss a possible engagement for Bilawal with a well-known European family.
Bilawal shut down those claims directly. He said there was no truth to any engagement or marriage news, and he made it clear he has no connection to anyone referred to as “Princess Gloria.” He added that any news about his personal life would come from his family, not from rumours.
As Zardari heads back to Pakistan, all eyes will be on how his party responds to the provinces debate and whether talks with coalition partners bring any resolution in the days ahead.
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