Why did the politics of Asif Zardari become unpopular in Punjab?
Pakistan Peoples Party was once the most popular political party in the province of Punjab. In its maiden election in 1970, PPP swept the polls in Punjab. Then, Benazir Bhutto received a resounding welcome in 1986 after the judicial killing of the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Accordingly, PPP remained popular in the 1988, 1990 and 1993 elections. Although it could not perform better in the 1997 election, it revived better fortunes in the 2002 and 2008 elections.
The cold-blooded murder of Benazir Bhutto gave a blow to PPPP in the province of Punjab. Although factions of PML remained the most popular, PPPP was always competitive until the 2008 elections. With the emergence of Asif Ali Zardari and the demise of Bhuttos in the PPPP, a newly crafted PPPP took over the traditional PPPP. The new PPPP was more crafty, manipulative and traditionalist. Moreover, it slowly but surely lost its leftist ideology and became a power-hungry group. Secondly, it was more effective in manipulation than governance. Governance and political values are significant for the people in Punjab. Therefore, it lost all its support in the Punjab. However, now, there is not a single seat in Punjab that PPPP could win without an electable. The Zardari style of politics is unpopular in Punjab.
Even in rural Sindh, Asif Ali Zardari has been manipulative. He has organized all electives, peers and landlords into his fold, and virtually, there is no competition. Asif Zardari has been able to do it because there is neither rival political competition nor has he lost his government in Sindh. Accordingly, he has the governmental power to manipulate.
However, he has also been able to control Non-Urdu areas of Karachi through manipulation and investment. This style of politics may work in parts of Sindh for multiple reasons; however, it cannot become popular in Punjab or KPK.
Lastly, Asif Ali Zardari is not a successful politician. He might be successful in patches and parts, but he has made PPPP a regional political party from the stature of a national political party. The party once could win elections on its own, is only manipulating now to come into power depending upon seen and unseen forces. The latest episode of the elections of Mayer in Karachi manifested Asif Ali’s style of politics.
