Will Bilawal Bhutto save a political legacy?

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was born in Karachi on 21 September 1988. He was hardly 19 when he inherited a role in a dynasty whose history is steeped in power and bloodshed.

He is the son of former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and assassinated ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Three days after his mother’s assassination in December 2007, Bilawal over her position as chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

Despite suddenly being catapulted to the top of the political echelon, he initially kept a low profile, focusing instead on finishing his history degree at Oxford University.

Early life abroad

Bilawal has spent most of his life outside Pakistan, travelling with his mother – who went into self-imposed exile in 1999 – moving between London and Dubai, and then studying in Oxford. Since 2010 he has spent most of his time in Pakistan.

He does speak Urdu but, like Benazir, his first language is English and his Urdu accent just as Anglicised as that of his mother.

However, language never stopped her from reaching a mass audience, and it remains to be seen if it will present a long-term barrier to her son.

Bilawal is described as a keen sportsman who enjoys cricket, shooting and horse-riding. He also has a black belt in taekwondo.

In joining Oxford’s Christ Church College, he followed in the footsteps of both his mother and his grandfather.

Formal entry into Pakistani politics

Pakistan People`s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made his formal entry into the hurly-burly of Pakistani politics at an event on December 2012 that marked the fifth death anniversary of his mother Benazir Bhutto.

On the occasion, Bilawal vowed to fight militancy and extremism to maintain democracy and peace in Pakistan, in his first major political speech.

Bilawal’s first chance

Ever since becoming party head in 2012, Bilawal had been affirming in his speeches that he is a progressive party, a way forward. He frequently talks up the need to continue his mother’s mission to serve the nation.

Bilawal considered as a new star

Pakistanis, as well as Bhutto supporters and PPP voters, took Bilawal as a new star, expecting him to struggle for a direct connection with them and venture into populist activities.

The party leader and supporters also expected that he would have his own chosen team as his mother did by freeing herself from party ‘uncles’.

Bilawal also claimed he would play a greater role in his party. But that miracle is yet to happen.

Under his father’s political shadow

In his speeches, Bilawal is bold, progressive and pro-people. But it was reported that he is facing an internal conflict despite 13 years period: whether to follow his mother and his grandfather’s legacies or practical politics like his father.

The performance of Bilawal shows that he has still not come out of his father’s political shadow, and maybe he does not want to. So is Bilawal the party head in name only while decisions are made by his father who is actually running the show?

Lack of personal experience

Yet to rise as an independent leader, Bilawal has no personal following even after more than 13 years as chairman; whatever he has is because of his mother’s and grandfather’s legacy.

Lack of personal experience, plus having no sway in nominating party candidates, he will not be in a position to play a meaningful role in the post-election landscape.

A poster boy for the PPP

William Shakespeare said, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” Bilawal falls in the third category in this saying.

His public persona of life is alarmingly being affected due to his offensive speeches against the on-going trial of his father, aunt, and their accomplices in corruption cases.

Bilawal is making an ineffective effort to mold public opinion regarding such a person whose life is full of unfolded stories of corruption being gossiped at every nook and cranny of the country.

The latest surfaced money laundering and fake bank accounts case is just a minor example of it.

But people, especially in Sindh and Karachi have nothing to do with all such fuss as he is engaged in the “war of survival” due to his ailing economic condition.

Keeping in view the current situation of the PPP, it is sorry to say that both brother and sister have accomplished the unfinished agenda of General Ziaul Haq by bringing the party at the brink of destruction with their conservative and conventional approach to the politics.

Bilawal neither has adventured like his mother nor experienced the hardships of life before stepping in politics. He has been presented the party’s leadership after getting some knowhow classes regarding local as well as international politics.

His rivals call him a poster boy for the PPP with nothing to show for his claims. They say he speaks well, but will he walk the talk?

The worst situation in Sindh

Reviewing consecutive three tenures of PPP’s performance, the Sindh government has done nothing for the development and prosperity of the people of the province.

The people are still living in the Stone Age. According to some political pundits, the PPP would have been washed away in the general election – 2018, if people had a good alternate in the province.

But it was fortunate for PPP that there was not a single strong opposition, so it successfully made a hat-trick in constituting its provincial government.

Country’s political history

Keeping in view the country’s political history, it is sorry to say that whenever a corrupt elite ruling class has been taken to task; it has given a false impression to the public as well as the world that democracy is in danger in Pakistan.

Therefore, it has been facilitated with an escape route in the shape of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) due to internal and external pressure.

The ongoing accountability process against the corrupt elite ruling mafia has opened a new Pandora box in political circles of the country. They are accusing the incumbent government of doing the politics of victimization.

Bilawal should take a lesson from his mother

Bilawal should take a lesson from his mother, who made unwavering efforts to revive the party structure after the judicial murder of her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Although it was a gigantic task for her to regain the lost glory of PPP because of the unconducive environment and imbalanced level playing field, she proved her mettle and succeeded to become Prime Minister of the country twice.

Happy Birthday Bilawal

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who has turned 32-year-old today is celebrating his birthday and receiving birthday messages from world leaders, political parties head and workers of his party. MM News also wished him birthday, with prayers and good wishes.