Women voters, one (C) holding an election flyer for the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), wait for their turn to cast their vote at a polling station in Karachi May 11, 2013. PHOTO: REUTERS
Going by the unofficial results, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – which ruled the country for the last five years – has faced a major setback and has been effectively confined to Sindh. Top leaders of the party, including Qamar Zaman Kaira and former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, lost their seats in the largest province of the country, Punjab.
Currently, the PPP has a majority in the upper house of Parliament, at least for the next one and a half years. Major legislation would not be possible for the new ruling party without the PPP’s consent.
In the 1970 elections, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s PPP conquered Punjab, with Lahore being considered one of the party’s hubs for some time after that stunning victory. But the unofficial results of the 2013 election show that the party has once again been confined to Sindh, as it was in 1997 when the Benazir Bhutto-led PPP secured less than 20 National Assembly seats.
The party tried hard to restore its image in Punjab during the last five years but apparently its poor performance shattered its dreams. The PPP also promised to bifurcate Punjab, but even this slogan could not earn it votes in south Punjab.
In the 2008 elections, the Asif Ali Zardari-led PPP secured 97 National Assembly seats. After getting 24 reserved seats for women and four reserved seats of minorities, the total number of NA seats for the PPP was 124 in a house of 340. The party formed a coalition government with the help of MQM, ANP and JUI-F.
The list of PPP leaders who lost out in 2013 includes some big names:
Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, two sons of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, former information ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira and Firdous Ashiq Awan, Punjab President of PPP Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, former Public Account Committee chairman Nadeem Afzal Gondal, and Bushra Aitzaz, the wife of Barrister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan.
PPP’s central leader and former federal minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Tasleem Qureshi are also among the losers.
Reaction
“Waqt karta hai parwarish barson/Haadsa aik dum nahi hota,” PPP Senator Babar Awan tweeted on the current elections result. A PPP diehard tweeted that “another bad news, Gillanis also lost their seats in Multan.” However, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari took a very different view on twitter, saying: “Cannot help but celebrate. My mother fought her whole life for this…PPP gave democracy to Pakistan.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2013.
COMMENTS (12)
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The "Arrow" has been reduced from 100 feet to an inch.
PPP is no more a Federal Political Party.
It has been reduced and restricted upto the Provincial Assembly of Sindh.
All the three regional parties and no any central party in the country.
I hope this election will not be considered as a dent to Federation.
Long live Pakistan
I'm from from rural Sindh, and I can tell you this much we tried our best to put PPP saga to an end, but unfortunately due to rigging (in most parts) and unawareness on voters part, the two main factors of PPP's influx in Sindh again. There were people who couldn't read or write, but were promised money in return for a vote, and jobs in some places, and that was all that was needed to buy a vote in this wretched society.
@Salman:
Metro consumes diesel not electricity. Thanks for being funny
Dismal performance by a dismal Government that did what id does best for five years-plunder the nation. Rake them in and make them return the loot.
Federal Government: R.I.P. PPP Provincial Government: Tumor is increasing, death expected in the next election
PPP is finished I do not see any significant leader who can take party forward. PPPP jiyalas will move over to PTI and sind to Nationalist parties. MQM in next election should be prepared for major surprise
this arrow should just snap! dynastic and hereditary politics days are over! Performance is what matters now, and frankly, this arrow way was off the target! Interior sindh folks should learn from KPK!
@Ch. Allah Daad: They've metro bus with no electricity. :)
Sindh should get ready for major load shedding when n league takes its revenge
The positive reaction of PPP on their defeat from Punjab and KPK is promising for democracy. It is the best thing that PTI would make KPK govt and that would test its promises to stop the drones and terrorism which originates mostly from that area. Also the victory of PML-N and formation of federal govt would test the promises of these two rightwing parties to take care of terrorism and stop drones and load shedding. These two parties have been endorsed and protected by PTI and would have no excuses not to try and fulfill their promises. People want peace and progress not empty promises. This election is not very different from the other elections. PPP and PML-N have taken turns to win elections and this victory was not unexpected. In addition this election once again proves that we are not one nation but distinct nations and cultures. Let us give all the powers and cooperation to the winning parties and hold them responsible for their promises. It is a big step forward and a victory of democracy.
Its a good sign that all major players are given one province each. Now its their duty to bring prosperity and peace to their respective provinces. Punjabis gave PML(N) landslide victory, because it was better governed than other provinces. If PTI does the same in KP, then it might perform much better than this time.