Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, the grandson of former Prime Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, has unveiled plans to form a new political party centred on championing the rights of farmers and the working class.
Speaking at a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Friday, Bhutto Jr expressed dissatisfaction with the PPP’s current direction, claiming the party had abandoned the ideals of Bhuttoism. He pledged that his new platform would uphold the legacy of his grandfather by promoting people-centric policies under the banner of Jiay Awam.
“The country’s farmers and labourers, who are the backbone of the economy, have long been ignored. It’s time to return power to the people and stand up for their rights,” he stated.
Bhutto Jr, son of the late Mir Murtaza Bhutto, was joined by activists and farmer representatives, including Dr Ammar Ali Jan and Ghulam Abbas, who criticised the government’s treatment of the rural population and called for an end to the exploitation of farmers under public-private development projects.
He voiced strong opposition to the federal government’s “Green Pakistan” initiative, claiming that agricultural lands were being handed over to corporations at the expense of small farmers. He also warned that the proposed construction of six canals from the Indus River to Cholistan would further deplete Sindh’s already strained water supply.
Highlighting his stance on governance, Bhutto Jr stressed the importance of provincial autonomy and defended the 18th Amendment as essential to genuine devolution.
As PPP continues its uninterrupted rule in Sindh since 2008, Bhutto Jr’s political ambitions may present a fresh challenge, particularly given his family’s legacy and renewed focus on rural and agrarian concerns.