Challenges ahead

This year, the PPP turned 50. Although the party had a glorious past, its present and future appear bleak. It was the charisma of its founder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, that the party got a huge following in the country. It was a symbol of hope, strength and solace for the common man. The famous ‘roti, kapra, aur makan’ slogan was enough to gain traction. Under the visionary leadership of Z A Bhutto, the PPP thrived in an unbelievable manner. It had its supporters in every nook and corner of the country. One can gauge the popularity and resilient nature of the party by the fact that the dictatorial and repressive regime of General Zia failed to disband it.

With the return of Benazir Bhutto, the party became even more popular. However after the assassination of Benazir, the once most popular party started to crumble as it fell into the hands of incompetent and self-serving politicians. At the moment, it goes without saying that the PPP has been limited to rural Sindh only. The only hope for the revival of the party is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. But it is an uphill task for the young politician to resurrect the party which is losing its popularity at a dangerous pace. To regain the lost glory, the young leader will have to display a high degree of consistency, maturity and a genuine vision to win the confidence of his ‘jialas.’

Muhammad Fayyaz

Mianwali