And remembering Benazir
Much has changed, not just for Pakistan but also the People’s Party, since that fateful day eight years ago when a suicide bomber took Benazir Bhutto’s life and threw the country into a tailspin. The country first plunged deep into an existential war, then began clawing its way out of the abyss – even though neither the military nor the political leadership of the subsequent PPP days had the nerve to take the fight to the enemy. And the party then became the first democratic government to complete its term, only to be routed in the ’13 election, especially in Punjab, some say irreparably.
No better day than Benazair’s death anniversary for the party to do some soul-searching. PPP has still not been able to find its feet since the last general election. This is the first time Asif Zardari will not be present at the anniversary. Nothing has been done about the problems in Punjab, as the recent local body elections showed. It is not surprising that few party leaders in Punjab were willing to finance caravans to Naudero for the traditional anniversary gathering, despite Manzoor Wattoo’s assurances. The workers have long been disillusioned, and now the discontent has spread to the leadership as well.
Still, Zardari sb stays away from the country and young Bilawal stays away from Punjab. This is a far cry from Benazir’s days, when Punjab’s jiyalas never gave her reason to worry. The reason, of course, was that she never distanced herself from the province, where her father founded the party. Sadly, more than half way through the present electoral cycle, PPP remains without a Punjab plan. Hopefully this congregation, under Bilawal’s watch, will impress all present – and absent – the need to root the turnaround strategy in Punjab, without which there is never a chance of returning to the centre. Unless corrective action is taken now, PPP leadership will have only itself to blame if eventually mourners gather to grieve the passing of the party itself.
Yes. It is true that PPP itself is to be blamed. It all is a result of the dark five years of Mr 10% in the Presidency. And now what he is doing sitting in exile and luxury of his Corruption Empire. He has misguided the party and Sind Government which resulted in confrontation between the Central and Provincial Governments. Corruption is the name of PPP politics.
I totally disagree with the above statement of a neutral. Nawaz sharif lost the civilian space which Zardari gained as a politician. Let's give him the credit. Secondly, Bilawal will gain the lost space in Pun jab because as Imran Khan is loosing ground on the basis of Reham disconnection and pro-establishment stand. He is too old to be prime minister.
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