Reviving PPP?

Yasmeen Aftab Ali

Rumors were rife upon news of return of former President Zardari to Pakistan after a self-imposed exile.Muhammad Ahmed Pansota, a Lahore based lawyer who also figures as a legal analyst in the weekly program ‘Zanjeer-e-Adal’ on Capital TV weekly says, “Return of a very ‘political’ leader to Pakistan after a self-imposed ‘exile’ of eighteen months is likely to have serious consequential effects to the already ‘dedicated’ PPP leadership working day and night in pursuit of ‘Roti, Kapra and Makan’. Some look at his return as part of an attempt to pull Nawaz Sharif out of rough ‘panamic’ political ocean which may be true but this time PPP will have to bear a heavy cost in terms of a serious hit to its already non-existent reputation.Bilawal with all his criticism comes across an extremely mature politician who unfortunately is being judged more on his ability to effectively converse in Urdu whereas we must not forget that his mother in terms of speaking urdu was even worse but later proved to be perhaps one the greatest leaders this country has ever produced.Zardari’s return is expected to significantly dent Bilawal’s efforts of reviving a crashed political party. The most disturbing thing for me as a citizen of Pakistan is to see the eradication of leftist thought with the passage of time something which even Zia could not achieve with all his might. The reason lies embedded in Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s great politics. Zardari this time will have to act more out prudence than political expediency if he wants the party to have some representation in Punjab in the upcoming elections. He must continue with the narrative of exposing PML-N in general and MN’s in particular, as set out by Bilawal with great difficulty. PPP perhaps is the only political part which must not support immediate elections because it needs a lot of time to convey its manifesto to the masses that seem to have lost track of what PPP is actually in pursuit of. Our country is already divided politically on the provincial frontiers. Zardari can play a pivotal role in reinstating his political party through the use of his nuisance value which he is a master of doing.”Announcement that not only Bilawal contest elections but also Zardari came as a surprise to all. Zardari is a master politician however, the fact remains he carries a baggage. This is not likely to go away any time soon. Will his going to Parliament help PPP revive? Will it not shift the course chartered by Bilawal using the springboard of popular politics to more wheeling and dealing? Will Zardari’s return to Parliament not shrink space for Bilawal making him largely ineffective by putting him under his father’s shadow politically?PPP Chairman Bilawal is to replace Khursheed Ali Shah as Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly. ““Bilawal Bhutto will be the leader of the opposition and I will assist him as his adviser while his father will also guide him on parliamentary politics,” Shah told journalists.” (Local newspaper December 29, 2016) Bakhtawar and Aseefa will also take very active part in politics in Sindh. Punjab is to be made the hot seat for politics for PPP. Wajid Shamsul Hasan, former High Commissioner of Pakistan to the United Kingdom writes, “At long last former president Asif Ali Zardari has ‘revealed’ the much speculated surprise. All rumours and speculations stand floundered. Breaking news is that both father and son would contest by-elections on seats vacated by their party National Assembly members in Sindh. Amidst oft repeated apprehensions “loli-langri” democracy is fledgling, one feel that there could not have been a better step to strengthen democracy, the Parliamentary system and the Parliament itself. It is in keeping with the Charter of Democracy that martyred leader Benazir Bhutto so painstakingly got it through as a consensus document with PML-N in 2006 to conceptualise road map for consolidating democracy, vendetta-free culture of tolerance, rule of law, transparent accountability, independent election commission, seniority as a principle for the promotion of judges, chiefs of armed forces and other vital institutional heads. This decision by father and son throws a damper on politics of confrontation and dharnas. It should be welcomed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PML-N as a most constructive lesson for them to learn. If one were to compare the performance of PPP government and its two prime ministers during its five year tenure, their record of legislation and attendance leave PML-N miles behind. As a matter of fact, non-seriousness shown by the PM and his ministers in attending the parliamentary sessions and not taking its proceedings right-earnestly made it look like a very weak parliament. In its three years PML-N government had remained on tenterhooks. Former Army Chief General Raheel Sharif seemed to be under great pressure of the media and certain sections of public opinion to pack up PML-N government on account of its mega corruption especially Panama Gate. PML-N leadership showed scant respect for Parliament. Non-attendance by the Prime Minister and his ministers had created dangerously wide space for an extra-constitutional intervention especially when Chief Justice of Pakistan and various judges of the Supreme Court and provincial high courts in their observations repeatedly passed strictures against the government for lack of performance, galloping corruption, deplorable law and order situation amounting to its outright indictment for gross failure to deliver. Asif Zardari had shown the democratic way forward by sustaining democracy for five years after the demise of the previous regime. Irrespective of the fact that media continued to play doomsayers predicting his fall by the hour, he sustained his government despite various challenges. Completion of the tenure and transfer of power to an elected government was indeed a landmark achievement and recognition of his brinkmanship. Not only that, later his support to sustain MNS in 2014 by rallying Parliamentary support for him when dharna master was sure of “umpire’s “ finger to come into play to satisfy his itch for power.” PTI is open to joining hands with PPP over Panama gate scandal. Can PPP revive with going along with PML-N? This seems unlikely. Would PPP take a stand on Panama gate using it as a spring board for some degree of a comeback? If no, which populist base will it use to help PPP regain its popular appeal?  Does PPP plan to act like a “true opposition”? Time will tell. One thing is certain. PPP is fighting to increase its space. It cannot afford a false step.