News Analysis|
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman PPP addressed several public meetings in Larkana, Ratodero, Miro Khan, Qambar and Shahdadkot on Monday. Addressing hundreds of workers and supporters of his party at the power shows, Bilawal declared in unequivocal terms that the party leadership would not bow to any pressure.
Commenting on Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) in Sindh against PPP, Bilawal said, “these puppet alliances comprise puppet politicians and with intention to form a puppet government as they take [dictation] from others”. Criticising “the politics of abusive language”, he said he was able to pay them in the same coin but he and his party did not believe in such kind of politics.
“The maulanas in Larkana are bent upon using foul language which the people of this city will not tolerate,” he said, and added that people knew very well about the kind of language being used by Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Imran Khan for each other.
Bilawal will also be able to ‘clean’ his party from the old-school politicians whose poor performance is visible in Sindh and beyond.
Bilawal recounted PPP’s struggle for the restoration of democracy in the country, saying: “We stood against dictators [General Mohammed] Ziaul Haq and [General] Pervez Musharraf courageously and fought against terrorism and extremism”.
He said PPP believed in the politics based on principles of serving the masses. “Our struggle is not aimed against any politician or political party; it is a war against backwardness, deprivation, unemployment and hate”. Bilawal said that PPP would win the July 25 elections with a thumping majority and form its government at the Centre. It would provide jobs to the jobless as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto did, he said.
Read more: Bilawal Bhutto Questions Imran Khan’s political credibility
Bilawal cited PPP’s election manifesto and said it envisaged empowering womenfolk, introducing poverty alleviation programme, establishing food stores at union council level and introducing Food Card and Benazir Kisan card to improve the lot of the downtrodden and peasants.
Bilawal’s electoral campaign came to an end on Monday night. Analysts believe that his campaign was successful since the nation saw a ‘refined’ and ‘energetic’ Bilawal. His grip over Urdu has improved considerably which enabled him to communicate with masses effectively and his launching at the political scene gave a new life to PPP’s electoral campaign.
Commenting on Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) in Sindh against PPP, Bilawal said, “these puppet alliances comprise puppet politicians and with intention to form a puppet government as they take [dictation] from others”.
Political pundits opine that PPP might not be able to form government in the center in 2018 as claimed by Bilawal, but Bhutto’s party will emerge as a major force to be reckoned with in 2023 elections. They asserted that by that time, Bilawal would completely take over PPP and will be able to separate himself from his father Asif Ali Zardari whose reputation is damaging to formers image as an emerging leader.
Read more: Bilawal Bhutto or Bilawal Zardari?
Bilawal will also be able to ‘clean’ his party from the old-school politicians whose poor performance is visible in Sindh and beyond. They add that major leaders like Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif will most probably retire by that time and Bilawal will be able to fill the vacuum left by these leaders.
However, analysts and political pundits believe that Bilawal must not stick to ‘Bhutto card’ only and strive to make sure that PPP delivers in Sindh if it forms a government there. Since masses are now politically active and will question Bilawal on his performance in next general elections. If PPP delivers in Sindh, Bilawal will definitely be the next Prime Minster of Pakistan, they added.