PPP urged to 'quit fence-sitting'
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) must seriously weigh the option of shifting to the opposition benches if it hopes to make inroads in Punjab and stand a fighting chance in the next general elections, senior PPP leaders say, stressing that "no one is going to hand us the prime minister's slot on a silver platter".
Amid simmering discontent within party ranks over its ambivalent posture — being neither fully in government nor truly in opposition — a media report claimed that the PPP has agreed to join the federal cabinet under pressure from powerful quarters.
Citing unnamed sources, the report claimed that the division of ministries will be settled by next month.
However, a senior PPP leader from Punjab, speaking to The Express Tribune, said he was completely unaware of any such development, though he did not entirely rule out the possibility.
When approached for official comment, the PPP strongly denied the reports, calling them baseless and reiterating that such rumours routinely force the party to issue clarifications.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, former federal minister and PPP Information Secretary Shazia Marri said the party had made no decision to join the federal cabinet. Terming the report "mere conjecture" and "an outright lie," she emphasised that the PPP follows a structured internal process for decision-making.
She said that if such a decision was even under consideration, it would have been discussed at some level, adding that final authority in the party rested with the CEC.
Marri added that the party had, on multiple occasions in the past, had to issue similar clarifications to counter unverified stories.
Contrary to these rumours, many within the party have been urging the leadership to formally join the opposition benches to carve out more political room, especially in Punjab, where the PPP's electoral presence remains marginal.
A senior leader from Punjab said, "If this trajectory continues, Bilawal Bhutto will have no chance of becoming the next PM".
Noting that the PML-N was comfortably nestled in with the establishment, he asked why the powers-that-be would gamble on a new party when their current pick was delivering exceptionally well by their standards.
"Next in line is Maryam Nawaz," he cautioned.
The leader noted that since PTI was a spent force under current conditions, the scenario has left the field wide open for the PPP in Punjab, but only if the party stopped straddling the fence.
He stressed the need to join the opposition benches if the party hoped to earn genuine support in Punjab.
He added that PPP must rope in independent members who have distanced themselves from PTI and stressed the need for new leadership and fresh faces. "The chairman [Bilawal] needs to give more time to Punjab, walking its streets and meeting common people," he said. "He is being played like a fiddle with false hopes of becoming the next PM. Without Punjab, there is no hope."
According to the same leader, the establishment does not even need PML-N anymore. "They've secured the blessing of the global establishment, which has effectively relegated the role of the prime minister and his coterie."
Another senior party figure concurred, saying that remaining an ally has cost PPP public goodwill.
"People often say we are part of the government because we hold constitutional positions. It becomes very difficult to explain how we are not in power. For a common person, we are in the government."
He said the party would eventually have to consider moving to the opposition.
Citing recent election results in Punjab, he noted that the outcome reflected what PPP should expect in future contests. He recalled how party Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Gondal had also admitted during a press conference that PPP's alliance with PML-N had cost them their seat.
Former caretaker Punjab chief minister and political analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi noted that the PPP's strategy of enjoying the best of both worlds was detrimental to its prospects.
"PPP has no chance of forming the next government this way," he said, urging the party to engage in real, issue-based politics in Punjab.
"PML-N will not cede any space to PPP in Punjab. That province remains a sore thumb for PPP."
He said that PPP would have to articulate clear issues relevant to Punjab. "PPP cannot sell 'Jiye Bhutto' here. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gained popularity because he became the voice of the lowest strata in Punjab."
Askari stressed that the party should quit the government, including relinquishing the presidency, and begin grassroots issue-based politics. "Despite Maryam's best efforts, there remains a great deal of alienation among the public in Punjab, which gives some opening for an opposition."
When asked about PPP's lack of political traction in Punjab, Shazia Marri acknowledged the importance of the province. "There are some shortcomings and we are not denying them," she said, adding that Bilawal Bhutto's recent advocacy trip had won hearts even among Gen Z. "There is a need to capitalise on that sentiment."
On the question of joining the opposition, she said, "We are an independent party with no long-term commitment or understanding with PML-N. If the government continues to deliver up to our expectations or even close to them, we will continue supporting it. Otherwise, our options remain open."
"For now, we want to play the role of a constructive ally as we did during the finance bill," she added.