This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7164968.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Bhutto's son named as successor | Bhutto's son named as successor |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Benazir Bhutto's 19-year-old son Bilawal has been chosen to take over her Pakistan People's Party, after her assassination on Thursday. | Benazir Bhutto's 19-year-old son Bilawal has been chosen to take over her Pakistan People's Party, after her assassination on Thursday. |
| He will become president in a ceremonial capacity while he finishes his studies at Oxford University. | |
| Bilawal told journalists at the Bhutto family home: "My mother always said democracy is the best revenge". | |
| Ms Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, who is expected to run the party, said it would contest January elections. | Ms Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, who is expected to run the party, said it would contest January elections. |
| And he appealed to the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif - a long-time Bhutto rival - to drop his threat to boycott the polls. | |
| Name change | |
| Mr Zardari and his son were speaking at a news conference after a meeting of the PPP leadership in Naudero, near Larkana in southern Pakistan. | |
| PPP TOP LEADERS Asif Ali Zardari (pictured) Benazir's widower and former political ally, has faced corruption and other chargesBilawal Bhutto Benazir's son, a 19-year-old Oxford University student, considered too young by some PPP membersMakhdoom Amin Fahim Senior PPP figure and top aide to Benazir href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7165052.stm">Profile: Bilawal Bhutto class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7163579.stm">Mourners blame MusharrafSearch for stability continues | |
| Another senior party official, vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, said Ms Bhutto had named Mr Zardari as her successor as party chairman. | Another senior party official, vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, said Ms Bhutto had named Mr Zardari as her successor as party chairman. |
| But he said Mr Zardari had turned it down in favour of his son - a decision he said the party leadership had endorsed. | But he said Mr Zardari had turned it down in favour of his son - a decision he said the party leadership had endorsed. |
| Mr Zardawi also announced that the couple's children would now change their name to Bhutto. | Mr Zardawi also announced that the couple's children would now change their name to Bhutto. |
| Sitting between his father and Mr Fahim, Bilawal himself said his father would run the party while he was away at university. | Sitting between his father and Mr Fahim, Bilawal himself said his father would run the party while he was away at university. |
| "When I return, I promise to lead the party as my mother wanted me to," he said. | |
| But Mr Zardari blocked any further reporters' questions to Bilawal, saying that although party chairman, he was still of "tender age". | |
| "We are all in mourning," he said. | |
| Mr Zardari also said he had refused to allow an autopsy on Ms Bhutto's body. | |
| "I've lived here long enough to know how and where an autopsy would have been conducted," he said. | |
| Instead, he said the party was asking the United Nations and the British government to conduct an investigation similar to the one carried out after the killing of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. | |
| And he appealed for an end to the unrest in Pakistan, which has killed at least 38 people since Ms Bhutto's killing. | |
| New pictures | |
| Earlier, Pakistani television released new pictures it said showed Ms Bhutto's attackers - a gunman and a suicide bomber. They also apparently showed Ms Bhutto was inside her car, and no longer standing through the sun roof, when the explosion happened. | |
| Pakistani media picked out two suspected attackers, one of which apparently raised a gun (bottom) | |
| The images added to the dispute over Ms Bhutto's death. | |
| Interior ministry spokesman Brig Javed Iqbal Cheema said on Friday that she was killed when the force of the bomb blast knocked her head against a sun roof fitting, and was not hit by bullets. | |
| The PPP has insisted she was killed by two bullets, one of which pierced her skull and another which hit her in the neck. | |
| Meanwhile Pakistan's ruling party has said elections set for 8 January are likely to be delayed for several weeks. | Meanwhile Pakistan's ruling party has said elections set for 8 January are likely to be delayed for several weeks. |
| Tariq Azim of the ruling PML-Q party said the vote would "lose credibility" if held under current conditions. | Tariq Azim of the ruling PML-Q party said the vote would "lose credibility" if held under current conditions. |
| Opposition parties have been calling for a delay, amid widespread unrest and political disarray following the murder of Ms Bhutto. | Opposition parties have been calling for a delay, amid widespread unrest and political disarray following the murder of Ms Bhutto. |
| Mr Azim said a delay would allow the PPP more time to re-organise. | Mr Azim said a delay would allow the PPP more time to re-organise. |
| "It seems more than likely that elections will be delayed," he said. | "It seems more than likely that elections will be delayed," he said. |
| He said the vote might be delayed for anything between six and 12 weeks. | He said the vote might be delayed for anything between six and 12 weeks. |
| Pakistan's election commission has called an emergency meeting for Monday, to decide whether the poll should be delayed. | Pakistan's election commission has called an emergency meeting for Monday, to decide whether the poll should be delayed. |