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Bhutto's Son Quietly Political at Oxford

'Well-liked' student backed mother on his Facebook page

By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 30, 2007 7:20 PM CST

(Newser) – Bilawal Bhutto Zardari may be Benazir Bhutto's son, picked today to lead the Pakistan People's Party, but the 19-year-old is also still in school. Bilawal has been studying at Christ Church, Oxford, without security, often hiding his political identity but supporting his mother on his Facebook profile, Time reports. "He is a very sociable student and very well liked," said one of his classmates.

A fitness nut and Taekwondo black belt, Bilawal lived with his two sisters in Dubai and London after his mother went into exile, the Hindu reports. She kept him from the limelight, but Bilawal has spoken out in favor of democracy, saying that dictatorship "contributes to backwardness and poverty" in Pakistan. On the day his mother was killed, the status on Bilawal's Facebook profile read, "Well behaved women rarely make history."

Bilawal Bhutto son of slain former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto sits in a news conference holding his mother picture after he has been nominated Chairman of Bhutto's People's party in Naudero near Larkana, Pakistan on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007.  (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
Bilawal Bhutto son of slain former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto sits in a news conference holding his mother picture after he has been nominated Chairman of Bhutto's People's party in Naudero...   (Associated Press)
Asif Ali Zardari, left, husband of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, seen in photo, addresses a news conference with his son Bilawal Bhutto who has been nominated Chairman of the party in Naudero, near Larkana, Pakistan on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007. The party also decided to contest upcoming elections,...
Asif Ali Zardari, left, husband of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, seen in photo, addresses a news conference with his son Bilawal Bhutto who has been nominated Chairman of the party...   (Associated Press)
Asif Ali Zardari, left, husband of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, gestures along side their son Bilawal during Bhutto's burial at her family's mausoleum, in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, near Larkana, Pakistan on Friday, Dec. 28, 2007. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
Asif Ali Zardari, left, husband of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, gestures along side their son Bilawal during Bhutto's burial at her family's mausoleum, in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, near...   (Associated Press)
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