ISLAMABAD: The political sojourn of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to South Punjab has proved to be another political failure as the young party leader miserably failed to woo any political bigwig during his visit to Southern Punjab – a traditional stronghold of the party.
Over the past few days, Bilawal visited Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffar Garh, Multan and Vehari districts but failed to attract any political bigwigs. Even the political gatherings he addressed were poorly attended.
Prior to the visit of Bilawal, PPP’s local leaders had made tall claims about joining of sitting lawmakers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), especially the parliamentary group of Jahangir Tareen. However, neither a lawmaker nor a political heavyweight joined the party.
No major political figure from these districts could join the party and the local leadership of the PPP, led by former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, failed to attract any influential political personality from Southern Punjab to join the party.
During the past few days, only three politicians joined the PPP.
Only one among those who met Bilawal and announced to join the PPP had contested 2018 elections. Engineer Atif Imran who formally joined the PPP had only bagged 128 votes in the 2018 general elections by contesting from the platform of Future Pakistan Party.
“Engr Atif Imran is a miserable choice. In the 2018 elections, the PPP could not even get any candidate from NA-155 Multan to contest against PTI’s MNA Malik Amir Dogar. Hence, now the PPP may claim that they have at least a candidate but it’s a poor choice,” said Malik Hamid Thaheem, a political commentator from Multan told Pakistan Today.
Another significant joining came on Tuesday as the son-in-law of PTI’s former president of South Punjab Noor Khan Bhaba joined the PPP from Mailsi. Imran Khan Bhaba, the son in law of former MPA and former PTI South Punjab President Noor Khan Bhaba from Mailsi has no political background. However, the move could be seen significant as PTI’s Noor Khan Bhaba may have pushed him to join the PPP just to build pressure on the ruling party leadership who have notified Senator Aun Abbas Bappi as new president of the PTI South Punjab.
Another joining with the PPP is Mian Mazhar Abbas, who was inducted into the PPP two days ago with the PPP claiming him a ticket holder from PML-Q from NA-156 Multan. PML-Q leaders however have disowned Mazhar, saying he had never participated in the elections and claim that the PML-Q never gave him a ticket.
Hamid Thaheem said that in utter desperation, the PPP leaders were trying to paint cats into leopards.
“It’s a pity that politicians like Yousaf Raza Gilani have failed to woo any political bigwig. Not a single sitting or former lawmaker is ready to join the PPP. Bilawal is young and he is being fooled by the senior politicians around him. Bilawal needs to rethink and reevaluate the situation,” said Malik Hamid Thaheem.
When contacted, PPP’s senior leader and Secretary Finance Haider Zaman Qureshi strongly contested the claim that Bilawal’s Southern Punjab visit had failed.
“We have not failed. The tour is going on and has not yet ended. A lot of people have met Chairman Bilawal and joing will be shared later. We are going down to every district and Tehsil and electables will come when they see the wave of people,” said Qureshi who is a close relative of PTI’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Haider Zaman Qureshi said that just today, Imran Khan Bhaba, the son in law of former MPA and PTI South Punjab President Noor Khan Bhaba from Mailsi joined the PPP.
“We have many high-profile joinings have been lined-up and will unfold as the tour progresses. Please wait and premature story will be counter productive,” he concluded.
