Bilawal Bhutto Seats Shazia Marri Beside Him at Quetta Event After Viral Exchange
Quetta: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was seen seating senior PPP leader Shazia Marri beside him during an event in Quetta, a day after a tense exchange between the two drew widespread attention on social media.
The incident occurred during a press briefing in Islamabad when a journalist mentioned that some ministers were demanding that the Benazir Income Support Programme be handed over to the provinces.
Bilawal Bhutto asked which minister had made the statement, to which Shazia Marri interjected, saying that Minister Kheal Das Kohistani had raised the issue. Responding sharply, Bilawal reportedly said, “I did not ask you.” When Shazia Marri apologized, Bilawal again replied in a stern tone, saying, “Thank you very much.”
A video of the exchange quickly went viral on social media, leading to criticism of the PPP chairman’s behavior toward the senior party leader.
Following the backlash, Bilawal Bhutto appeared alongside Shazia Marri during his visit to Quetta on Friday and seated her close to him at an official ceremony, a move widely viewed as an attempt to ease tensions and counter criticism.
During the visit, Bilawal Bhutto, accompanied by Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar, inaugurated a modern 150-bed trauma center in Quetta.
کل بلاول بھٹو پر تنقید ہوئی اور آج بلال نے شازیہ مری کو اپنے ساتھ بیٹھا دیا۔۔۔ سب کے منہ بند کر دئے۔۔۔ pic.twitter.com/g4tZEbAG6b
— Mehwish Qamas Khan (@MehwishQamas) May 15, 2026
Officials described the facility as a major step toward strengthening emergency medical services in Balochistan. The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, Senator Umar Gorgage, and Ali Hassan Zehri.
According to officials, the newly established trauma center is equipped with emergency wards, intensive care units, modern operation theaters, and rapid diagnostic facilities. The project aims to improve emergency healthcare services across Quetta and the wider province, especially in cases of accidents, natural disasters, and other emergencies.
