PPP leadership needs a rebirth to revive

Abdullah Khan Dero

The polarization of influenced, emotional, ideological and neutral voters, sometimes, yields unexpected results in the general elections in our country. A large number of influenced voters; the poorest having nominal education belong to rural areas who are either employees, tenants, undue concession seekers, private guards, serfs like and lackeys and those who have either faced or witnessed cruelty subjected by the feudal lords; the representatives in our national and provincial assemblies. What the power-led political parties call the mandate entrusted by the people is actually the mandate hold of these feudalized politicians who have the reins of the  influenced voters. This type of mandate is appealing to the ruling parties retaining such a status quo that requires little efforts enticing a feudal to develop affinity with the general populace. This backdrop is the rationale behind turning a blind eye towards the people’s rights and interests while nominating representatives from within these rural tribes. Eventually a voter cannot expect any legislative reforms proposed by an elected representative in the interest of the nation. The second range of voters have little concern even if the supported party may involve in the activities against the sovereignty of the country, killings, robbing, smuggling, land grabbing, China-cutting, money laundry and other malpractices for personal gains.

Despite of this voting scenario, giving turns to PPPP and PML (N) ‘no other option by then’, indicates that winning of the parties in the general elections is decisive on the votes of the neutral voters and ideologically hard core supporters. It seems that these sensible voters’ priority is not the personalities, the old emotional slogans, nor building their castle on memories of the leaders of the past, but only cast their vote in the good faith of the plight people of the country.  These voters believe only in merit, corruption free services, provision of free and fair justice to all the citizens equally, maintaining law and order situation without discrimination and priority based sincere efforts to boost the economy of the country.

The irony is that the national parties yet hinge on the former two categories of voters and also the political grand slams with price tags on their shoulders as if are the anticipating horses to bet on. It seems that monarchists in the costume of democrats habituate of seeking easy ways of winning the elections through rigging and using unfairly gained money triumphing over the consciences of the poor voters. Unfortunately they believe in such tactics as the real politics and try to infuse in their new leadership too.

PPPP is one of the two biggest parties who have been enjoying power taking turns to rule over the country for the last couple of decades. But seemingly it has passed its glorious time and is now suffering from leadership crises particularly since after assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Not only the party leaders pushed the party to a province but turned a blind eye towards addressing national issues nor could play an active role as real opposition.

No doubt, PPPP is ideologically a generic, and a secular party which, in the result, paid off in the form of taking its unprecedented leaders lives away. It has been a safeguard to all the minorities and vulnerable to racial and religious elements that have yet an undeclared rule over the country. Indeed, it is the real representative of our multi-sectoral nation despite of being blamed, like other parties, taking on monarchical nature of democracy in the country during their regime.

However, still the ideological voters had a hope and good wishes for the party when the new leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appeared on the political landscape who was not only a graduate from Oxford University but regarded  as having repulsive conviction towards corruption. However, this credit goes to his guardian, unlike sons of Sharif family, they did not leave out Bilawal riding on a gravy train.

But it appears that he could not maintain his position as a visionary personality who would be proposing plans for better future, stable economy and comparatively better social life for underprivileged people of the country. He was expected making an intellectual pool comprising the experienced and fair technical and political leaders within and outside the party to address the real issues and proposing a healthy road map leading to a proved successful country in the world. Instead he portrayed as a traditional visionless politician defending the alleged corruption of the party leaders, and justifying bad governance in the ruling province. Absurd comments for opponents, backing out of his statements in public, and compromising on national issues demoralized his well wishers. Obviously, a mature and a sensible voter never likes to listen to such speeches from his ideal leader who is supposed to have a contributing hand developing the country when his party comes into power again. Indeed, doing well through wrong ways cannot be endorsed even if it is a necessity for certain objectives to achieve. Such aimless public speeches if required should have been delegated to such leaders in the party who are not only impressive speakers but also happy to be at front defending their leaders on their visible misdeeds. Why this personality was put at stake losing the hope on cheap bet? Is this the working approach of the PPPP leaders reacting on the issues or is there any unseen force pushing them towards? Anyway, these practices will not only be proved favorable for the party in the long run but also damage the personality of its new leader diminishing the virtually last hope of revival of its leadership? We should not forget that once developed perception about a personality cannot be wiped out even if proved innocent by the apex courts after trail. There is a proverb if someone is popular of getting up in the early morning can sleep till noon.

It is a humble suggestion for Bilawal to take a U-turn again, even if he is blamed for. It is not too late, he should have a re-birth in politics as a visionary, honest, straightforward and a sincere leader who does not believe in emotional speeches, but believes in actions which are louder than speeches. He should assure his believers that his political activities immediate after his return were merely his novice experiences, a dictation against his spirit, will and vision. Moreover, he should also assure that henceforward he will follow party vision and ideology and will not accept the dictations nor defend alleged corruption and other malpractices of the past. He should not copy his deceased leaders in his speeches and should speak in English if he cannot speak Urdu. We must be certain that people of Pakistan can be less educated and less wise but cannot be silly to understand what their leader is meant by. I think this is the only way of strengthening the party and also to erase the perception that no longer corruption is the ideology of PPPP.