PPP’s Political Death - A Myth or Reality?

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was founded on 30^th November 1967 in Lahore, where democratic-socialists and left-wing intellectuals gathered to meet with Bhutto at the residence of Dr. Mubashir Hassan, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was formed.

In Lahore, the newly formed party's members elected Quaid-i-Awam Z.A Bhutto as its first chairman and its manifesto, titled "Democracy is our Politics; Socialism is our Economy; Power Lies with the People", was written by Bengali communist J. A. Rahim, and first issued on 9 December 1967.

The manifesto identified the party's ultimate goal, main objective and raison d'etre as being the achievement of an egalitarian and "classless society", which was believed to be attainable only through socialism. It called for "true equality of citizen's fraternity under the rule of democracy", within "an order of social and economic justice." In 1968, a massive public-relations program was launched by the party, beginning in Punjab. Bhutto's program directly targeted the country's poverty-stricken masses. The left-wing oriented slogan, "Land to the Landless", proved irresistible to the peasants and labour-force, as the party promised not only to abolish the fundamental feudalism that had plagued the country, but also to redistribute lands amongst the landless and the peasants. The working class and labour movement quickly flocked to the party, believing it to be a party dedicated to the destruction of capitalism in the country.

Eventually, the socialist-oriented catchie-phrase Roti, Kapra aur Makan ("food, clothes, and housing"), became a nationwide rallying-call for the party. By the 1970s, the PPP had become the largest and most influential leading socialist and democratic entity in the country.

So, it was Punjab generally and LAHORE in particular where PPP laid its foundations but the recent bi-elections in NA 122 held where PML N candidate Sardar Ayaz Sadiq bagged 76,204 votes and Abdul AleemKhan of PTI was the runner up who secured 72,043 ballots.

The painful and pondering thing is that PPPP candidate Barrister Mian Amir Hassan bagged ONLY 819 votes in Lahore where the party was founded which might have caused the trouble for the souls of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto who will be suffering from restlessness even in the heaven.

The question is WHY IT HAPPENED in 2013 general elections and WHY IT IS HAPPENING now with PPP?

Apparently, there are various reasons to answer this poisonous question but main reason for this worst defeat of PPP is because Bhutto along with his comrades formed the party with a slogan “Power Lies with the People” but in today’s PPPP “Power Lies with the Feudals”. Bhutto further raised another slogan with his strong and bold voice "Land to the Landless", to abolish the fundamental feudalism and to redistribute land among the landless people, but today’s PPPP is one of the prominent land grabbing group in Sindh. Moreover, Bhutto uproared another catchy slogan “Roti, Kapra aur Makan” (bread, clothing and shelter) but today’s PPPP is busy in looting the public from their own public tax money.

A party which was meant to be the party of people has now become “Pakistan Paisay-walas Party – PPP” and the ideological element in the party is replaced with the narrative of “Seat Nikalo Policy”.  Bhutto formed the party for the establishment of an "egalitarian democracy" and the "application of socialistic ideas to realize economic and social justice". Today, except few old ideological comrades and jiyalas, nobody knows even the definition of “Socialism” and how can you expect from the mighty feudals like Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar, Sardar Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar and Sardar Ali Mohammad Khan Mahar of Ghotki who remained allies of Pervaiz Musharaf in his tenure, to define socialism.

PPP is dying not only in Punjab but it is taking last breaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as well. PPP’s ongoing feudocracy in Sindh has kept itself alive apparently but it has distanced itself from the masses for whom Bhutto said “Power Lies with the People” and there is still a chance for the existing party’s (sensible) leadership to cure this disease before it gets political death in the country.