Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called his father, party’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, soon after a controversial interview he gave to Hamid Mir aired on Geo News.

The former president of Pakistan and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure, on Thursday.

“Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

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Talking to Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada on Friday, Hamid Mir said that soon after the interview, Bilawal called Zardari to explain his narrative.

“Now, after giving the interview, when he sat in his room, Bilawal called him in front of me. Bilawal tried explaining it to him — and just like a father would talk to his son — Zardari told Bilawal that you don’t need to explain yourself to me,” Mir added.

He further explained that Zardari told his son the questions were very tough, and he needed to answer them. “Bilawal tried to explain that his narrative wasn’t targeting him and that he was talking about the politics that’s been going on for the past 70 years.”

According to Mir, Zardari responded with a yes and further said, “But you don’t need to clarify yourself.”

Bilawal then told Zardari that he would not be able to watch his interview completely because he was boarding a plane to Dubai, Mir said, adding that the former foreign minister said he would watch the interview later.

Mir asked Zardari why Bilawal was leaving for Dubai. He explained that Sanam Bhutto was coming to Dubai and that he would also leave for Dubai. He said that it was a family gathering and it was pre-planned. Zardari and Bilawal are set to come back soon.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been campaigning across the country, touting his party as the solution to Pakistan’s ills, while also asking “old politicians (babay)” to sit back and allow the new generation to lead from the front in the elections slated to take place on February 8 next year.

“Several PPP old-aged leaders, I got to know, also asked Bilawal whether he wanted them to leave. But Bilawal told them that he did not want them to leave. He told them that he wasn’t talking about them.”

Mir, however, also said that there is no doubt that several questions have been raised after this interview. “But because I’ve known Zardari for years, his actual message wasn’t about Bilawal. But since he’s his son, it became the headlines.”