Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Pakistan People Party's defeat: Observations

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is perhaps the oldest political party in Pakistan. Reason why I am discounting Pakistan Muslim League is that it has served more of a trademark than anything else. Pakistan Muslim League was born out of need felt by some british bureaucrat to bring all muslim leaders in the political spectrum, and to give them due representation in colonial politics.

However, Pakistan Muslim League has perhaps never worked as a political party, it was always a forum hijacked by the most powerful.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto formed PPP, and the reason it still lives on is because of its initial appeal to the masses. The poor haris, labourers who would toil and get nothing. In ZAB, they found a leader who would speak for them. He was an ideological man, and a shrewd politician. He knew that politics is nothing but people, people and people. He would always come in public wearing traditional clothes just like his followers, that added to his appeal. And the romance with Bhutto's legacy hasn't died out. People still love him, adore him, anything about Bhutto is prophetic, if no more than that just because of the connection that masses feel with the name.

However, PPP's last government has undone this thing. PPP's leadersihp was hardly ever seen in public, hardly ever interacted, hardly ever was there a televised speech, nothing. It was as if bureaucracy was running the show. This amounted to the impression of them being aloof, and as if they don't care. Though PPP has done great legislations, but poor governance backed by poor politics has literally hurt many of jyalas.

This policy of reconciliation calls for compromise, and ingenuine democracy where everything is worked around outside the parliament and behind closed doors, it filled steam in the pressure cooker and elections were just in time otherwise there would have been a big blast shattering everything to pieces. Thankfully, the beauty of democracy came to resuce: people voted them out.

I am very saddened that even after having simple majority in Sindh Assembly, PPP is all out to form a coalition government again. People need performance, and especially in Sindh where development is so rare, people demand performance and governance otherwise I am very sorry, PPP which has already gotten confined to Sindh, might even have to face dire consequences in next general elections.

My request to PPP's leadership is to form a government with as few as possible ministries. Make sure that law and order is restored in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, and please invest in education, industry, make Thar Coal a hallmark of Sindh. There is so much that you can do, please focus on that.

In center, PPP should let Imran Khan become opposition leader so that he gives a tough time to treasury benches. Even now, Bilawal should have called Imran Khan and consoled with him, and also a greeting call to Nawaz Sharif would have left a good impression.

PPP, please, don't die! I love you, Pakistan loves you, you're part of our heritage, the romance of bhutto fighting against the ruling classes and mindset for the people of Pakistan - this should continue!