Zardari aiming at ‘smooth transition’ of power to Bilawal

• Zardari giving space to accommodate ‘assertive’ Bilawal, who sources say will not attend Benazir’s death anniversary ceremony in Larkana
• Party replete with internal rifts, Kaira looking to replace Wattoo as PPP Punjab president

Nearly seven years after the assassination of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s leader Benazir Bhutto, PPP is at the crossroads of history as party’s young Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is asserting himself against his father and party’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari. However, the father-son equation is improving as Zardari is gradually giving in to accommodate his son’s wishes and policies.

A source privy to the family matters told Pakistan Today that PPP was witnessing another major transition of leadership with Bilawal following the footsteps of his mother and PPP’s founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

“However, Zardari is quietly making space for a gradual transition of power to Bilawal,” the source added.

If the transition takes place without a storm, it would be quite different from how Benazir assumed the reigns of PPP in the late 1980s by bypassing her mother Nusrat Bhutto.

It should be mentioned here that PPP leader and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has also dispelled rumours of a rift between Bilawal and Zardari.

The source confirmed rumours that Bilawal had undergone throat surgery in London. Though Bilawal is recovering, he will not attend Garhi Khuda Bux Larkana on the death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto (tomorrow).

The source added that the “elites of Karachi” were making an effort to lure Bilawal into some activities but Zardari had checked this move by appointing Bashir Riaz and Jahangir Badar – PPP’s two old guards who were close to Benazir—to assist Bilawal in political affairs.

Asked if the father-son differences were over now, the source said that Zardari was of the opinion that “no one can dictate the young generation” and Bilawal would learn by his experience gradually.

‘AGGRESSION VS RECONCILIATION’:

The source said that Bilawal and Zardari had different views and approaches on handling political issues.

“While Zardari advocates politics of reconciliation, Bilawal is in favour of more assertive stance.”

Bilawal’s “strong-worded speech” against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chairman Altaf Hussain was not cleared by Zardari, said the source. Two universities had to be named after Altaf, to “pacify” the enraged MQM, he added.

Bilawal, like his grandfather, wants to adopt a bold stance over Indian-held Kashmir, said the source.

“Bilawal thinks that to win the people of Punjab, he needs to go hard on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government,” the source added.

PPP’S INTERNAL BICKERING:

The source said that while Bilawal was missing from the political scene, the PPP was facing an internal crisis with party leaders at loggerheads.

Asked what made Amin Fahim furious, the source said that Fahim was enraged because he was kept in the dark over appointment of Sherry Rehman as PPP’s vice president.

“Not only did Sherry manoeuvre her proximity to Bilawal, she also made her appointment public through a tweet on social media website. Fahim says that even if he was not consulted for the appointment, he should have at least been informed prior to the announcement on media,” the source said, adding that Sherry and Fahim had reconciled after an intervention “from the top”.

The source rubbished rumours of Zardari’s unhappiness with the appointment of Bashir Riaz as Bilawal’s press secretary and Jahangir Badar as his political secretary, adding that the appointments were cleared by Zardari.

However, the source added that following the appointments, Badar and PPP’s Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo were “not on the same page” and things went bad during Zardari’s recent visit to Lahore.

“In a bid to console Wattoo, Zardari defended Badar’s appointment but also informed Wattoo that Badar was not going to replace him as PPP Punjab president,” said the source, adding that Wattoo was also told that Badar knew the party’s veteran workers across Punjab so he was given the task to help Bilawal know the “old party workers”.

On the other hand, sources said that Badar claims his appointment was opposed by some “Musharrafites” in the party – referring to Wattoo. The source said that Latif Khosa was taking advantage of the “bickering between Wattoo and Badar” while Qamar Zaman Kaira was also making attempts to win the slot of party’s Punjab president.

“Just to play up things in the media, Kaira is giving an impression that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is making him offers. He is quietly building pressure on the PPP leadership to appoint him as PPP Punjab head,” said the source.