PPP’s confidence about the next elections

Is it a ‘deal’ or just a castle in the air?

“One cannot win the elections through mere tall claims. Vote is cast on the basis of performance and apparently PPP has not done anything progressive for Sindh, where it has its government,” said Maiza Hameed, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA

“People will elect a PPP prime minister next time.”

Considering how Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was driven out of Punjab and the centre in the previous general election, this confidence of party’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari seems to bank on some sort of a secret.

Addressing a public meeting in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on the 38^th death anniversary of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Zardari not only predicted winning the next elections but also claimed that the condition of ‘Ballewaley’ and ‘Sherwaley’ had worsened due to his presence in Punjab.

After returning from his 18-month self-imposed exile in December last year, Zardari announced coming to the Parliament and tried to regain the popularity PPP had lost due to his absence as he fled to Dubai after making an anti-establishment speech in June, 2015. But that too failed as the party just disappears from the country’s political picture every now and then.

“One cannot win the elections through mere tall claims. Vote is cast on the basis of performance and apparently PPP has not done anything progressive for Sindh, where it has its government,” said Maiza Hameed, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA.

“PPP has created a vacuum in ten years which cannot be filled through slogans and speeches. Their confidence is great but only the one who actually works wins the game.”

Meanwhile, chairman Bilawal Bhutto had also tried to reorganise the party in Punjab and while addressing party workers in Lahore in December, he also promised to become the next prime minister of Pakistan. Now, it needs to be analysed whether these slogans from Bilawal – who was said to be politically immature – and PPP – which has failed to deliver in Sindh during its ten years’ tenure – have some meaning or it is just the party trying to build momentum.

“God knows on what basis they are making this claim. Only PPP itself can tell why they are so confident about their victory because it doesn’t look like they can win the next elections,” said Dr Arif Alvi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while talking to DNA.

According to political pundits, the ‘king of reconciliation’ Zardari is counting on his ‘sab se yaari’ (friend of all) approach to build a government next time.

“None of the parties would win majority in the next elections. We will elect our prime minister just like we elected the Senate chairman without having a majority,” said PPP Senator Saeed Ghani. “In 2013, PPP didn’t run its election campaign, Bilawal wasn’t active, Iftikhar Chaudhry had started a campaign against the party while PML-N used returning officers for election rigging. In 2018, the conditions would be different. PPP is stronger now. Bilawal will run the election campaign himself. PML-N would be able to win only a few seats this time as we won’t let them do rigging”.

But not everybody is calling it quite like that.

While PPP and PTI are struggling with their dismal performances in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa respectively, the Panama case verdict is on the nerves of PML-N. Considering this, the battle of Punjab looks tough for all parties

“The PPP thinks that it will make a coalition government next time. In rural Sindh, it has no competitor and in urban areas it would win most of the seats. They think they would be able to get some 15 to 20 seats from Punjab and four to five seats from KP which can help them make a government,” said political analyst Sohail Warraich.

According to a joint survey by International Republican Institute and Institute for Republic Opinion Research, Warraich quoted, 32 per cent people like Bilawal which means he is going well.

“The perception about Sindh government’s performance is quite bad but it would still bag majority in the province as the people there don’t have a second choice,” added Warraich.

Not deterred by charges of poor governance in Sindh, Ghani said, “You can write it down somewhere that PPP will again form the government in Sindh”. PPP did a lot of work in Punjab too during its government and now that people have seen PML-N’s tenure they have realised that PPP was better, he added.

Although Zardari knows well how to play politics of reconciliation but that, for the moment, does not seem to work as PTI left its side and in fact alleged that the ruling PML-N and PPP are in cahoots.

PTI chairman Imran Khan, following the release of PPP leaders Dr Asim Hussain and Hamid Saeed Kazmi, alleged that the two parties were trying to deceive the nation through Noora Kushti (fixed fight) and PPP, while repeating history, is returning the favour PML-N did to them by remaining silent for four years.

“PTI always blames others without any evidence so who will take their new allegation of a ‘deal’ between the two parties seriously? They will keep blaming everyone till there is a decision of their choice. It is like a mafia who is always threatening. Things like this do not happen in democratic countries,” said PML-N MNA Hameed.

“There is always a ‘Muk Muka’ (deal). There are assets of Dubai on the one hand and Panama on the other. Both of them protect each other and call them for rescue. Unfortunately, people don’t have a say in this,” said Dr Alvi of PTI, about collusion between Nawaz and Zardari.

The PPP senator, however, rejected the impression, saying PTI only wants to remove PPP and PML-N from its path.

Analyst Warraich said, “If a deal was ever made, it was at a different time. Currently, there is no deal between the two as it doesn’t suit either party. They will fight for now.”

While PPP and PTI are struggling with their dismal performances in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa respectively, the Panama case verdict is on the nerves of PML-N. Considering this, the battle of Punjab looks tough for all parties.

“The people of Punjab think differently as they have other choices. Whether the PML-N is going to get a majority in Punjab depends on the Panama verdict now. If PML-N loses, it would give a chance to PTI and PPP,” said Warraich.

But, as far as appearances go, the PML-N camp remains confident.

“Nawaz Sharif is a seasoned politician. We are not like PTI. The prime minister has already said that he will accept the Supreme Court verdict on the case. The PPP and PTI are worried because Punjab is showing positive results while their provinces lag far behind. I haven’t seen any such performance in KP and Sindh,” said the PML-N leader.

Now that only one year is left for the three mainstream parties – PPP, PML-N and PTI – to make up for what they missed in the previous years, the three of them are getting active, launching their highly aggressive election campaigns against each other.

Mere slogans or allegations or a deal is not going to help any party get into power but it is now to see what coalitions are build and what games are played to fool, once again, the people of Pakistan who are only worried for their everyday living.

Unfortunately, there are no other options for the people of Pakistan – same faces, same politics and same interests.