Reviving confidence: Loyalists dream of PPP revival in Punjab

LAHORE: In a frenetic but fuzzy display of emotions, die-hard loyalists of the Pakistan Peoples Party danced their way through a party rally in the belief that their present leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will somehow manage to reactivate their party in Punjab, its erstwhile bastion.

Several PPP activists, approached by The Express Tribune for comments, said it is the PPP which will rid the country of ‘corrupt’ rulers and bring commodity prices back to what they were in the PPP’s last tenure. Most participants found resonance between the words of Bilawal and his slain mother Benazir Bhutto and were impressed by his style of speech, his enthusiasm and the way he waved to the workers from the roof of his bullet-proof vehicle.

Jiyalas, who were asked by the party leadership to join the rally at Sheikhupura Road near Faizpur Motorway interchange, welcomed their party leadership by dancing and chanting the typical party slogans to the drumbeats.



Bilawal House in Lahore – from where the rally commenced – was adorned with party flags and other decorations. An armoured car was arranged for the PPP chairman who led the public rally from Lahore to Faisalabad.

Senior leaders of the party in Punjab– Qamar Zaman Kaira and Raja Parvez Ashraf accompanied the party’s youthful chief. Before leaving Bilawal House, Chann tied an Imam Zamin around Bilawal’s arm – a tradition which his mother also followed before proceeding for rallies.

The rally was joined by groups of PPP activists throughout the way and it swelled to a procession of many thousand people when it reached Sheikhupura, where the leadership was given a great reception by local leaders and party workers.

Sheikh Asif Raza, a travel agent from Sheikhupura and a participant of the rally, told The Express Tribune that this PPP movement would be the last nail in the coffin of ‘gift corruption’ of the rulers.

“I have firm belief that my leader Bilawal will soon reorganise the party in Punjab and it will be the most popular party of the province,” he said, adding, “Bilawal will infuse the true spirit of Bhuttos in the PPP.”

Another activist Muhammad Tahir termed the rally a success. He pointed out that the price of sugar was Rs30 per kg during the PPP’s tenure but now it is Rs60 per kg. He said it is the PPP which is the true party of the people. “This rally is an answer to the PML-N and the PTI that the jiyalas of Bhutto are on the roads against them,” he said.



Addressing media before the rally, PPP Central Punjab president Qamar Zaman Kaira said the party has decided to send the rulers packing as they have failed to accept PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s four demands for democratic accountability.

“The party has decided to increase pressure on the government with public support. The party has initiated its anti-government campaign from Lahore and this campaign will end with termination of the present government’s rule,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2017.