Daily Times

There is one thing that must be commended about Pakistani politicians. They always return. And with the co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari, the returns have always been surprising. Just when politicians and political pundits rule him out, he makes a comeback. Back in 2013, after Zardari completed his term as President of Pakistan, many predicted that he would not face the courts. There were six pending cases against him in the Accountability Court Islamabad and the PPP government refused to open them during its government because Zardari enjoyed presidential immunity. Once there was no longer legal cover for Zardari, he was expected to flee the country. Instead, Zardari defied all of these supposed sages, and faced the music. This is far more than what can be said of the former military dictator, General retired Pervez Musharraf. True, he did come back but when things got tough, he ignominiously went into self-imposed exile.

This time the circumstances are somewhat different for Zardari. He fled the country when his close aide Dr. Asim Hussain was under the detention of the Rangers. Many saw Dr. Hussain’s investigation’s as a means by the military establishment to get to Zardari. And the charges against Dr. Hussain were very serious: facilitating terrorists. It was in these circumstances that Zardari lashed out at the military in an unprecedentedly direct language. He even went as far as to remind the military leadership that it was only there for three years while he will be in his position for a long time. Whether this invective was a last resort by a politician who thought he was cornered or a serious lapse in judgment by Zardari or both is hard to hard ascertain, but what followed was a self imposed exile of 18 months from which Zardari is now set to return.

There are two significant things that have changed during those 18 months. First is the transition in the military leadership. Perhaps, this is where perceived threats by Zardari have been allayed but any definitive commentary on this would be more in the domain of conjecture. Second is the renewed vigour with which co-chairman of PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been launched in the political arena. The PPP needed a new face and Bilawal has provided that face. After all, the notoriety surrounding Zardari is hardly conducive to a successful election campaign. Where Bilawal has given new hope for the party, something that appeared to be lost following PPP’s abysmal defeat in the 2013 elections, Zardari would provide the experience needed to make the most political capital out of it. And with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf falling drastically short of the inflated expectation that it had itself built up, there is another chance for the PPP to wrest the slogan of change from it. Hence, Zardari’s return is the latest move by the PPP on the political chestborad, a move that may prove to be beneficial for it after all. *