Former president Asif Ali Zardari’s recent interview on Geo News has created quite a buzz. Speculations were already rife over whether there is a rift between the father (Zardari) and the son (Bilawal Bhutto Zardari). These were just exacerbated after Zardari said that Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto is ‘inexperienced’. While it is understandable why our entertainment-starved nation seems to fall for every such twist and turn in every political party’s internal dynamics, people are likely reading too much into these comments. In all likelihood, the remarks were made in the context of Bilawal Bhutto’s latest campaign trail statements about ‘old’ politicians, with Zardari saying that while the younger generation has their own set of views, the older lot has experience on their side. These remarks are neither ‘humiliating’ for Bilawal Bhutto as some analysts have put it and nor do they ‘undermine’ the PPP co-chairman. For a lot of experienced political observers, the father and son have very obviously different styles of politics. Bilawal has carved out a niche for himself over the last five years in active politics and has come across as a formidable young politician who also has time on his side. Being a younger politician, he also has a more aggressive style of politics – something attributable both to his generation and to the context of the politics he is grappling with.
Asif Ali Zardari is Pakistan’s grand man of political negotiation, a long-term strategist, an ‘older’ politician yes but also an experienced politician who has seen his fair share of both politics and persecution. Zardari’s interview to Geo can be read as an example of just this kind of experience. He has said he does not see any single political party getting a simple majority in the coming election, which basically means that chances of another coalition government a la the previous PDM government may be on the cards. This is something analysts had been saying for some time now. In this situation, Zardari is clearly building bridges with his former coalition partners rather than burning them – a strategy that seems both plausible and practical. As for Bilawal’s attacks on older politicians, Zardari has made it clear that his son considers him one as well and it isn’t just an attack on PML-N supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif. This is not surprising. We have seen how older politicians and their children have different political opinions and styles, yet it does not mean that there has been any falling out between them. With years of talk of taking the ‘sheen’ out of the PML-N ending up as what it was – just talk – and despite major differences over the reconciliatory politics of Shehbaz Sharif versus the aggressive politics of Maryam Nawaz, there was no falling out within the PML-N or the Sharif family. At the end of the day, Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif unite their parties in more ways than one in order to safeguard the politics of their children and family. We can argue over the merits and demerits of dynastic politics – more demerits than merits – but dynastic politics means these ‘rifts’ are more wishful thinking by opponents and observers than anything else.
When seen in the light of politics outside of Sindh, there is also the astute observation that Zardari may not be as acceptable to the non-Sindh voter as Bilawal. Thus, in provinces like Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, this interview and Bilawal’s recent statements at political rallies will be seen as a distancing measure – something that would be acceptable to the PPP voter in these provinces. There is another elephant in the room that some have missed: PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his party. Zardari and Nawaz with decades of political experience realize that the common ‘opponent’ is Imran and it will not be easy to fight against his popularity without joining hands like they did when the PDM was formed. With elections just three months away and all the talk about an election that may not be credible, it would be prudent for both Nawaz and Zardari to join forces post-elections and present a united front in the face of Imran Khan and the PTI. That does not mean, though, that in areas where their parties are contesting each other, they will not be upping the ante on rhetoric a la Bilawal Bhutto.