ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and National Assembly member Shazia Marri defended party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday after a brief exchange between the two during a press conference sparked intense debate online.
The moment occurred after the PPP parliamentary party meeting held at Parliament House in Islamabad.
During the media briefing, Bilawal was responding to a question regarding proposals from members of the federal government about transferring sectors such as education, health, and the Benazir Income Support Programme back under federal control through a possible 28th Constitutional Amendment.
Bilawal Bhutto responds to interruption by Shazia Marri, saying “I am not asking you,” while answering question regarding Benazir Income Support Programme pic.twitter.com/mxoMCUfdMt
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) May 14, 2026The discussion relates to powers devolved to provincial governments under Pakistan’s landmark 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, which shifted responsibilities including health and education away from the Centre.
As Bilawal answered the reporter’s question, he remarked that he was unsure which federal minister had made the statement.
Seated beside him, Shazia Marri stepped in to clarify that the comments had actually been made by Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kesoo Mal Kheal Das.
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Bilawal then responded curtly, saying, “I am not asking you.” Marri immediately began apologising before Bilawal cut in again with a brief “Thank you.”
A short clip of the exchange quickly circulated across social media platforms, drawing criticism and sparking conversations about tone and conduct within political leadership.
Responding indirectly to the backlash on X, Marri urged people not to judge years of political collaboration based on a single public interaction.
She wrote that one isolated moment between colleagues who had worked together for years should not overshadow the PPP’s broader mission of serving the public and prioritising collective welfare.