Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of slain Benazir Bhutto, said on Tuesday he planned to pursue his mother’s legacy, but said that he wanted to finish his studies first and pleaded to be left in peace by the media.

Bilawal suggested he became PPP chairman not out of choice but out of duty, saying his education was his priority and he was not ready to lead yet.

Asked if he planned to lead the PPP after his studies, he told a press 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,” he added at a press conference in a London hotel.

“Politics is also in my blood, and although I admit that my experience to date is limited, I intend to learn.” But he said he would step into the role of party chairman “gradually and carefully”.

Asked if he feared for his life, he said: “I fear more for my privacy.”

He urged the media to leave him and his sisters alone. He said he had been distressed by the media’s persistence.

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