© 2026 WFAE

Mailing Address:
WFAE 90.7
P.O. Box 896890
Charlotte, NC 28289-6890
Tax ID: 56-1803808
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bhutto's Son Named Her Successor

Three days after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, her party named her 19-year-old son, Bilawal Zardari and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari to succeed the slain opposition leader.

At her family compound, her will was read out Sunday. She had named her husband as her successor, but Asif Ali Zardari in turn appointed her son as the party's official chairman.

Dressed in black, with a portrait of his mother in hand, the young man spoke at the news conference.

"The party's long struggle for democracy will continue with renewed vigor," he said. "My mother always said democracy is the best revenge."

Bilawal said that his father would "take care" of the party while he continued his studies. Asif Ali then told reporters to direct questions at him, saying his son was at a "tender age."

NPR's Philip Reeves reports on the latest developments from the family's compound.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
United States & World Morning EditionAll Things Considered