Daily Times

2018 will be the third time the PPP will be competing in the general elections after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in 2007. In 2008, the PPP was successful in forming government at the federal level while in the 2013 elections, its hold was restricted only to Sindh. Time will tell what glad tidings the 2018 elections will bring for this political party that was once known for its slogan Roti, Kaprra aur Makan.

After Benazir, however, the PPP has witnessed a tumultuous political journey, and even now, it continues to remain in a state of turmoil. The policies the party leadership is adhering to have not been working which is the major reason behind the PPP’s stagnation in Pakistan.

There is dire need to revamp the Party’s strategies and to strengthen its policies because the PPP is a legacy and legacies can never be obliterated.

What made Benazir unique was that she used to serve the people and did not simply rule over them. Her craft of governing the people made her a visionary leader and made her stand apart from others. The only woman prime minister in Pakistan’s history, she twice managed to serve the people during her truncated tenures.

She was also right when she claimed, ‘The government I led gave ordinary people peace, security, dignity and opportunity to progress’. She was a symbol of hope and courage for many in Pakistan and abroad.

Benazir brought stability to Pakistan’s democracy and to its people. People love her not only because she was the daughter of a charismatic and great leader who was assassinated illegitimately by a malicious and antidemocratic regime, but also because of the sincerity with which she served the deprived people of Pakistan.

If we evaluate Pakistan’s political history since Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s tenure, we will fail to find a truehearted and high principled character of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s calibre. She was very aware of the issues a common Pakistani faced, and also knew how to heal the wounds of downtrodden communities.

Benazir was right when she claimed, ‘The government I led gave ordinary people peace, security, dignity and the opportunity to progress’. She was a symbol of hope and courage for many in Pakistan and abroad

Benazir Bhutto adhered to a mission that aimed to serve the people.This was also the only reason why she returned to Pakistan, but malevolent forces realised that BB’s reappearance on Pakistan’s political landscape could harm their anti-democratic agenda. They therefore decided to silence this beacon of the peoples’ hope forever. Despite this tragic end, her legacy will forever endure in Pakistan.

BB had seen the dream of a prosperous Pakistan and a Pakistan that belonged in the developed world. Her beloved son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been carrying her half-done mission on his shoulders after her demise.

Benazir always kept an eye on the sorrows and the pains of her people, even during her period of self-exile. She was very eager to come back to her native land so she could once again serve the people of Pakistan. Though she received several life threats, she chose not to stay away. Even the Karsaz Bomb blast could not threaten her mission or shatter her commitment to serve the people of Pakistan.

In the 2008 General Elections, the very first election after Benazir Bhutto’s death, people visiting polling stations across the country were in a state of shock and grief. They were mourning the death of their beloved leader and were saying, ‘BB you have left us but we will never leave you and your family’.

This was the indisputable love and affection the people had towards the Bhutto family which allowed the PPP to shine at a time when its naysayers were claiming that the party had come to an end.

What the people have done for the PPP after Benazir’s passing away is what truly matters. People fulfilled their commitment and proved their loyalty to Zulfikar Bhutto and to Benazir Bhutto, and twice propelled the PPP to success in the general as well as the local body elections. And what did they get in return?The PPP ought to respond to this question.

Although the PPP has lost its political strength in the country due to multiple reasons, no one can deny that Sindh is still the unconquerable bastion of the party. It is also a fact that the people of Pakistan are anxious to see the son of their beloved leader become Pakistan’s prime minister one day.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has not yet taken part in elections but he is optimistic, carries with him the political teachings of his mother and grandfather, and has the guts to become a good leader. He should also remember that he belongs to a legacy which was built by his elders and that aims to serve the people of Pakistan.

The writer is a freelancer based from Badin, Sindh and he can be reached at abbaskhaskheli110@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, May 11^th 2018.