Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari recently visited Quetta. During his short visit, he addressed a gathering where several political heavyweights joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). These included former chief minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, former federal minister General (R) Qadir Baloch, former provincial minister Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani and several other leaders with significant political clout. During the gathering, Bilawal claimed that the PPP will form the next government in Balochistan.
This attempt by the PPP to make inroads in Balochistan appears to be a shortcut. Rather than expanding its organizational structure and gaining support at the grassroots, the PPP wants to win big by merely including turncoats of other parties in its ranks. Nawab Zehri and General Qadir quit the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in December last year, while Nawab Shahwani was in National Party till 2018. By relying on the turncoats of other parties, the PPP is once again opting for the politics of opportunism. This move has drawn great criticism in Balochistan.
Moreover, this move also reinforces the perception PPP is a traditional party, despite its rhetoric of being a pro-people party. This decision is probably based on the assumption that the party cannot win in Balochistan if it relies on its local leaders. At the same time, the party wants to win big in Balochistan in the upcoming elections. That is why it is embracing the leaders who were once critical of PPP. This attitude hints towards the politics of opportunism which never bodes well for the people of Balochistan.
Nawab Zehri’s government was toppled in December 2017. At that time, the PPP was instrumental in bringing down the government of the PML-N in Balochistan, which was led by Nawab Zehri. Back then, Asif Zardari had reportedly sent his trusted deputy Qayyum Soomro to Balochistan so that he could get the support of MPAs of Balochistan to topple the PML-N government. Zardari was under the impression that once the PML-N government was toppled, the defecting members of the party would join the PPP and it would form a government. However, to the dismay of the PPP, disgruntled members of the PML-N joined the Balochistan Awami Party and they are in government today. Therefore, it was a bittersweet moment for both Bilawal and Nawab Zehri when the former put a cloth in PPP colors around the neck of the former. It once again reminded people of the political reality that there are no permanent friends or foes, only interests that dictate the conduct of politicians.
The last PPP government in Balochistan was formed by Nawab Aslam Raisani in 2008
The entry of electables in the PPP may be a good omen for the party. These electables only join a party if they see a future in it. In this case, it seems these politicians have predicted that the PPP could be in power in 2023, as they don’t bet on a losing horse. This means that there is a chance that the PPP can win a significant number of seats in Balochistan to form a government.
For the people of Balochistan, the PPP does not have a good track record, at least at the provincial level. The last PPP government in Balochistan was formed by Nawab Aslam Raisani in 2008. The party only had 10 members in an assembly of 65 and still, it had a very strong government because almost all members of the assembly were part of the cabinet. That tenure of the PPP was infamous for bad governance, corruption, rampant crimes including kidnapping for ransom, etc. It was a time the people of Balochistan want to forget.
Although there were many factors beyond the control of the PPP government at the time, the party was still held responsible for the mess by the public.
After these latest inclusions in PPP, political pundits are discussing the future prospects of the party. Some of these electables will win their seats irrespective of which party they join. Still, that will not be enough for the PPP to have the numbers of form government. It will need more candidates who can win from across Balochistan. Presently, there are no indications of the PPP getting such candidates in a short period of time. Therefore, securing a decisive electoral victory will not be easy for the PPP. A PPP victory is certainly not the writing on the wall as suggested incorrectly by certain political pundits.
Lastly, the unique political dynamics of Balochistan set the stage for an unexpected PPP victory in the upcoming elections. If the PPP is able to form government at the center, then the situation will be completely different in Balochistan. Many political heavyweights who had won as independents or from other parties will either join the PPP or will support it. In such a case, the PPP will easily form a government. Given the recent track record of the PPP in Balochistan, it will not hesitate in making any sort of compromise to get power.
The writer is a journalist and researcher. He can be reached on Twitter: @iAdnanAamir
