Bilawal Bhutto’s double speak

Imran Khan had invited Bilawal Bhutto in September 2016 to participate in the public meeting at Raiwind, but he refused to do so. As regards PTI’s dharna turned into a meeting in Islamabad after Supreme Court of Pakistan took up the Panama Papers case, PPP leaders and detractors of the PTI criticized Imran Khan, what they said taking U-turn. Earlier, they had opposed dharna on the pretext that they would not be a part of lockdown in Islamabad. Similarly, Bilawal Bhutto is critical of Imran Khan, but recently he has offered conditional peace truce to Imran Khan. Bilawal expressed that working relationship with ‘Chacha Imran Khan’ hasn’t established as yet. While talking to media, chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party has revealed that he is ready to join hands with Imran Khan if and only of his intentions are clear. It means that he doubts Imran Khan’s intentions.
Bilawal Bhutto is still in the process of learning the ropes, but he carries a baggage of corrupt cabinet members of PPP from 2008 to 2013, which is considered the most corrupt government in Pakistan’s history. Anyhow, he was launched with great fanfare. Of course, PPP public meeting at Bagh-i-Jinnah Karachi in 2014 was an impressive show, as tens of thousands of people had gathered to listen to Bilawal Bhutto. Addressing the mammoth meeting, Pakistan People’s Party he had said that “only Bhuttoism could save the country from civil war, as it is the only political philosophy that calls for unity of the people and the state”. He renewed his pledge to complete the mission of party founder Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and former party chairperson Shaheed Benazir Bhutto who laid down their lives while fighting for the rights of the downtrodden and hapless teeming millions.
However, he did not say much about the PPP’s original manifesto of providing roti, kapra and makan. He lashed out at the MQM, PTI and PML-N while making a debut in political arena; and MQM in its reaction had withdrawn its ministers from coalition government in Sindh. The fact remains that Punjab has 148 general seats and 35 women seats (183) out of total 342 National Assembly seats. It means Punjab is the deciding factor so far as formation of federal government is concerned, as number of National Assembly seats are more than the seats from other three provinces put together. The reasons for its failure are not far to seek. Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari could not launch an effective campaign in Punjab, as there was security issue in view of the looming threat of terrorism.
After the launch of operation Zarb-e-Azb, terrorists were on the run, and PPP felt that climate was conducive for Bilawal Bhutto to frequently visit Punjab.The question is being tossed around as to whether Bilawal Bhutto can reinvigorate the party when party’s image had been tarnished with Swiss case and Memogate scandal? It is worth mentioning that the PPP was established in 1967, and its first convention was held at Dr. Mubashar Hasan’s residence at Lahore. It was the Cold War era when the world was divided in two camps – US and the West on one side, and former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries on the other. Chairman Z.A. Bhutto and the founding members of the party like J.A. Rahim, Dr. Mubashar Hasan, Mairaj Mohammad Khan, Mehmood Ali Kasuri and other left-oriented politicians in the party had decided that it would be a multi-class party but with the left-leanings.
In 1970 elections, the PPP emerged victorious in the then West Pakistan and Awami League in former East Pakistan. As the country was dismembered, the PPP formed the government because it had majority in West Pakistan. Bhutto government had tried to implement the PPP manifesto and taken measures to give a fair deal to the working classes and had introduced land reforms to emancipate the farmers. When Z.A. Bhutto tried to unite Muslim Ummah with the support of Shah Faisal king of Saudi Arabia and Moammar Qaddafi of Libya, and also decided to achieve nuclear capability, the US warned him of dire consequences. Most probably at the behest of the US, a conglomeration of political parties launched movement against the PPP government, and late General Zia-ul-Haq promulgated Martial Law. He was sent to gallows on a murder charge for which a false case was registered during his tenure.
Late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had, nevertheless, kept the party flag aloft and proved as an undisputed leader of Pakistan in her own right. She was determined to eliminate extremism and terrorism in every form and manifestation, and went down fighting the scourge of terrorism. Whether it was Asif Ali Zardari and now Bilawal Bhutto at the helm of the party, the PPP cannot live on the past performance of Z.A. Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. First thing, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto should do is to distance himself from the so-called stalwarts that have tarnished the image of the party. He should go to the basics, as people of Pakistan want a change in the system; they want a better deal. Bilawal Bhutto should have the clue to capitalize on the rich resources, release the immense latent energy and reach the ultimate goal of social cohesion and solidarity of the people.