LAHORE: Shah Mahmood Qureshi, vice chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has asserted that a “new PPP” is taking shape, led by figures aligned with Asif Ali Zardari rather than the traditional Bhutto legacy.
The remarks were shared in a handwritten letter from Kot Lakhpat Jail on Monday.
Qureshi, who left the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over a decade ago, stated that Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have firmly taken over the party’s leadership, succeeding Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.
“This transformation is not just about leadership but also reflected in those representing the PPP today,” Qureshi wrote. He described Sharjeel Memon as the party’s prominent face while figures like Aitzaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani, Farhatullah Babar, and Taj Haider have been relegated to the sidelines.
He further criticized the party’s evolution, saying, “The PPP’s ideology has shifted from ‘Jeeay Bhutto’ to ‘Jeeay Zardari.’” According to Qureshi, this shift has impacted the party’s principles, accusing it of voting for measures that undermine judicial independence and stifle free speech, including amendments to the Peca Act of 2016.
The PTI leader also alleged that the PPP, once a champion of social democracy, now supports what he described as a “hybrid democracy.” He claimed this deviation from its founding principles has contributed to a decline in popularity among its traditional voter base.
“The vision of Bhutto has been replaced by Zardari’s pragmatism,” Qureshi stated, adding that “Bhutto loyalists” are dwindling while “Zardari admirers” are gaining influence within the party.
He further suggested that “political engineers” are shaping this new PPP, with provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab distancing themselves from the party since the 2013 and 2018 elections. “The two-colored PTI flag has replaced the tri-colored PPP flag in KP and Punjab,” he noted, predicting growing dissatisfaction in rural Sindh.
In a related development, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) recorded the testimonies of four witnesses in a case involving Qureshi and other PTI leaders. The charges relate to alleged provocative speeches and incidents at Sherpao Bridge during the May 9 riots.
Judge Arshad Javed presided over the proceedings, held inside Kot Lakhpat Jail, where the prosecution has so far recorded statements from 22 witnesses. The court has summoned additional witnesses for the next hearing on February 6.
