PPP — the good, the bad and the ugly

• Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary

Benazir Bhutto’s 10^th death anniversary brought together a sizable crowd of charged PPP activists predominantly from Sindh. Fewer people came from other parts of the country than before. This reflected the shrinkage in the party’s popularity in the other three provinces.

Zardari and Bilawal castigated their major political opponents, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. Zardari promised to give no quarter to Sharif and to resist any attempt by the establishment to rehabilitate him through an NRO. Zardari claimed that besides Sindh PPP would win elections in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan also without making the same claim about Punjab and KP this time. This was a comedown forced by a more realistic appraisal of the situation.

Bilawal did not confine himself merely to disparaging Sharif and Imran and holding Musharraf responsible for Benazir’s killing. He recounted some of the successes achieved by the PPP in the past and promised to give concrete shape to the ideals of his grandfather and mother.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is widely acclaimed for his vision and achievements. He brought back thousands of military personnel who had surrendered after the fall of Dhaka, provided confidence to a truncated and traumatized Pakistan, initiated nuclear programme, implemented land reforms and introduced labour laws. Benazir Bhutto challenged Ziaul Haq’s military government with rare courage, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat by coming to power in 1988 and 1993.

The PPP reached the corridors of power over the sympathy wave caused by BB’s assassination. The PPP legislators passed the historic 18th amendment and the NFC award with the consensus of other parliamentary parties. The PPP leadership however entered into an opportunistic alliance with the remnants of successive military rulers, while PPP government ignored the masses, did pretty little to end power shortages, unemployment and poverty and its leaders and allies amassed a reputation for corruption. Party workers were ignored. Wheeling dealing was considered the only way to power. Alienated from masses the PPP lost the 2013 elections. Even worse it lost its jiyalas with unmatched fighting spirit. Bilawal needs to be reminded that promises are mere sounds unless accompanied by real action which one has failed to see so far.