UK:Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the teenage son of Benazir Bhutto, said yesterday he planned to pursue his mother's legacy but stressed he wanted to finish his studies first and pleaded to be left in peace by the media.
Mr Zardari (19) suggested he became chairman of Bhutto's opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) not out of choice but out of duty, saying his education was his priority and he was not ready to lead yet.
An Oxford University student, Mr Zardari, Bhutto's only son and eldest child, became heir to the country's most powerful political dynasty after his mother was killed in a gun and bomb attack on December 27th while campaigning for elections.
Asked if he planned to lead the PPP after his studies, Mr Zardari told a news conference: "At the moment, I do intend to, but the situation may change . . . I fully intend to complete my studies."
Pressed as to how a 19-year-old who had not lived in Pakistan could aspire to lead the country, he said: "I do not claim to have any aspiration. I've been called and I've stepped up, which is what I was asked to do.
"Pakistan was burning and we needed to show a united front. It was a moment of crisis and we needed to stop the violence," Mr Zardari added at the crowded press conference in a London hotel. - (Reuters)