An uphill task for Bilawal
Once a countrywide force with a liberal orientation, the PPP has now been reduced to a party of the rural Sindh. Among the factors that have contributed to its downward slide is the party’s misgovernance during 2008-13 in Pakistan, and in Sindh from 2008 till the appointment of the present Chief Minister. The mission undertaken by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of putting life into the party and turning it into a serious contender for power is thus an uphill task.
As it holds power in Sindh and retains public support in its rural part, the PPP can organise a big rally anywhere in the province. The fairly large public gathering in Kamoon Shaheed town addressed by Bilawal is a good beginning but would be of little help in neighbouring Punjab where it must gather support if it wants to to form a government at the center. In the last general elections PPP could only win two NA seats from the province. What is more during the last three years there have been large scale defections from the PPP to PTI with the party leadership witnessing the decline apathetically.
Bilawal dissolved the PPP structures at the provincial and district level all over the country early this year. As new office bearers are yet to be appointed the PPP remains lifeless in Punjab. The party leadership has done little other than holding a public meeting in Jamaldin Wali addressed by Bilawal.
Bilawal has problems about personal security which put limits on his movements. Unlike his mother who rarely talked about personal losses Bilwal constantly refers to the heritage of martyrs which indicates personal inadequacies. BB possessed high intellectual caliber and soon got rid of the party’s meddlesome old timers. Bilawal has to depend on their counsel all the time. He might have developed some understanding about Sindh but is apparently unaware of the complications in Punjab, KP and Balochistan. With these serious handicaps it remains to be seen how PPP chairperson manages to expand the PPP outside Sindh.