Out of the present lot of PPP leaders of Panjab, Qamaruzam Qaira and Nadeem Afzal Chun are the lesser evils and if Zardari has given them important party positions to repair the fractured party structure in the biggest province of the country, his choice makes sense. The PPP today needs dedicated workers like Jehangir Badar to uplift PPP in Panjab and it is possible only if the old diehard PPP workers who were the mainstay of this party in the past and who were ignored by persons like Manzoor Watoo are brought forward and given important responsibilities.
Whether one agrees or not it is a fact that this country hasn’t seen such a charismatic leader like ZA Bhutto in its entire history. He was the first politician to bring the politics out of the drawing rooms of the elite to the open streets. He had created political awakening and consciousness among the teeming millions of the have-nots by standing up for them and by giving them their voice and identuty. This is the precise reason why the common man still nurses a soft corner for him in his heart. It is another matter that he failed to deliver in accordance with the aspirations of the proletariat. His daughter was voted into power twice and her husband once but they too could not come up to the expectations of the common.
Bilawal now represents the third generation of the PPP workers. He has an advantage over many of his rivals in the matter of political probity as he is yet to be tested by the electorate. He should ensure that the tales of corruption associated with many of the key political leaders of his party including his father do not rub off on him also. If he lands in the election arena by off-loading the corrupt from his political bandwagon he can stand a fair chance of leading his party into a victory. He has done well to shift his headquarters to Lahore where he intends to stay till next elections.