Bilawal opens donation point, defends father

Opening a donation point at the Pakistani High Commission, Bilawal insisted his father was raising much-need funds.

LONDON: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday vehemently defended his father President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to Europe despite the flooding disaster affecting up to 15 million people in Pakistan.

Opening a donation point at the Pakistani High Commission in London, the 21-year-old insisted his father was raising much-needed funds.

"He's doing the best he can and what he thinks is best to help the people of Pakistan," the Oxford University history graduate said.

"His personal presence in Pakistan would not be able to raise this much money," he said, adding that multi-million dollar donations had been made by France, Britain and Abu Dhabi.

The Gulf emirate had "also promised to come and help the rehabilitation after the floods have gone, after the media have gone, and after people are not paying attention," he said.

"If he thought he could be more useful in Pakistan, I'm sure he would be there."

Zardari has been criticised in Pakistan and by some in the British Pakistani community for carrying on his visit.

He has said that he intended to continue his academic and political education and was considering studying law.

When asked about his plans to go into politics, Bilawal said he was focused on completing his education "as my mother wished."

President Zardari was due to speak at an event in Birmingham in central England.