Benazir Bhutto’s 19-year-old son Bilawal has said "democracy is the best revenge" for his mother’s death, as he vowed to take her party forward as the new chairman.

Bilawal during the news conference

Bilawal Zardari, a student at Oxford University, said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would "struggle for democracy" with "renewed vigour".

Meanwhile his father, co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, promised the PPP would go ahead with his wife’s plans to contest the planned January 8 elections.

"Despite this dangerous situation, we will go for elections, according to her will and thinking," Mr Zardari told a news conference at the Bhutto family home in Naudero in the south of the country.

The decision prompted Pakistani opposition leader Nawaz Sharif to declare that he would also run, having initially said he would boycott the elections following Ms Bhutto’s death.

Supporters at the news conference chanted "Benazir, princess of heaven" and "Bilawal, move ahead. We are with you."

Benazir Bhutto’s son said he would be the official head of the party but his father would run it while he finished his history studies at Christ Church college.

The decision to name the teenager with no experience in politics as chairman has met with scepticism from some Pakistanis, who feel he is too young to take on the role.

Zardari has appealed for riots to end

Pakistan is emerging from military rule and the vote is seen by the West as an important step towards stabilising the troubled country.

But Ms Bhutto’s murder has sparked deadly mass rioting, threatening the election.

Widower Mr Zardari urged the supporters who have rioted across Pakistan since his wife was slain to show restraint.

The violence has left more than 40 people dead.

Former prime minister Ms Bhutto, 54, was killed as she left an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Mr Zardari demanded a United Nations probe into her assassination

Her supporters dispute government claims that an al Qaeda militant leader was behind the attack.

They also reject official reports that she was killed by the blast forcing her head into a lever, rather than a bullet.

Source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1298724,00.html?f=rss