Daily Times

Sir: Yes! Bilawal’s speech was brilliant and it is a glimpse of a true parliamentary debate. One of the key traits he has inherited from his grandfather and mother is his communication style; as both were charismatic leaders on their own time. However, much has been said about his speech by many journalists, politicians and members of the general public who considered his speech was well rounded. The points he highlighted were of great significance.

First, he paid homage to the martyrs of the 2018 elections and suggested that an investigation should be carried out against the miscreants of the incidents which took lives of some well-known leaders as well. Furthermore, he recalled the promises made by the new PM in his 100 day plan for Naya Pakistan. The moment when he referred to the voters of others parties as ‘Zinda Laasahin’ and ‘gadhay’ was incredible.

One the other side of the coin there is a strong debate going viral on social media that there is a big difference between a speech and actions. Is this enough for Bilawal? Yes! He can impress the audience with his presentation skills, but being the captain of the ship and the great baggage of his family’s history weighing him down, he might not achieve as much as he hopes. It is going to be a Herculean task to revive his party as a political force once again, as their performances in the past have discredited them, and it is hard for the public to forget the last PPP government between 2008 and 2013.

If he wants to retain the goodwill of the people, and stay in power, then he has to tackle the issues faced by the public. She needs to revive the education system in ghost schools, provide basic necessities of life to the people of Sindh and interior Sindh respectively, improve the abysmal situation in Thar, and work hard to overcome the bad image of the party that his own father was so instrumental in creating in his time as President of the country.

He needs to understand that the PTI has momentum at the moment and can steal away their primary vote base if his party does not step up their game, and do something for the people, rather than themselves. For that he needs to distance himself from his father’s influence and some of the nefarious factions within the PPP.

At the end of the day, it is the actions he takes and his overall performances that will determine whether Pakistanis are ready to trust him as their leader or not.

Habiba Chishti

Karachi

Published in Daily Times, August 22^nd 2018.