By: Rana Farooq Ashraf
Published By: ANI News Agency
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has a remarkable political history in Punjab. It was this province that provided the popular strength behind Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s political movement, supported Benazir Bhutto’s struggle for democracy and played a decisive role in bringing the party to federal power. Yet, the political landscape has changed dramatically. Today, the PPP is struggling to maintain its organisational influence, electoral presence and connection with the people of Punjab. The fundamental question is: how did a party that once shaped Punjab’s political direction reach a position where it is struggling to rebuild its own political identity?
The decline cannot be attributed to a single electoral defeat or political decision. The boycott of the 1985 non-party elections during General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime created opportunities for local political groups to consolidate their influence. Subsequently, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz strengthened its position through an extensive electoral network, local alliances and constituency-based politics. Meanwhile, the PPP gradually lost much of its traditional support base and organisational strength.
The elections of 2013 and 2018 further exposed this decline. The 2024 general elections presented another difficult reality. In Lahore’s NA-127 constituency, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari secured only 15,005 votes, while PML-N candidate Attaullah Tarar won with 98,210 votes. This result was particularly significant because Lahore has historically been an important political centre for the PPP.
Another factor affecting the party’s political identity in Punjab is its relationship with the PML-N. Political cooperation at the federal level may be justified as parliamentary strategy, but it creates a challenge when the PPP attempts to present itself as an independent political voice in Punjab. Voters need clarity on where the party stands on inflation, electricity prices, unemployment, agricultural issues and the economic difficulties facing ordinary citizens.
However, the responsibility for the party’s organisational condition cannot be separated from its provincial leadership. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, President of PPP Central Punjab, has considerable parliamentary and political experience. Nevertheless, past achievements cannot replace present organisational performance. His responsibility is to strengthen the party at district and constituency levels, restore workers’ confidence and develop effective local leadership. The central question remains: what measurable improvement has taken place in the party’s public presence and electoral strength under his provincial leadership?
Similar questions arise regarding Hassan Murtaza, General Secretary of PPP Central Punjab. Complaints among sections of the party's longstanding workers suggest that organisational decisions have favoured personally preferred but politically inactive individuals, while committed and experienced workers have been sidelined. Some workers have also complained of disrespectful treatment and humiliation. Such allegations deserve serious attention because a political party cannot survive by alienating the very people who have sustained it during difficult periods.
Another controversial question concerns what critics describe as Hassan Murtaza’s alleged reliance on Fiqhi politics in Central Punjab. This raises concerns about whether sectarian or jurisprudential considerations are influencing organisational decisions within a mainstream national political party. A general secretary is expected to unite workers across different backgrounds, not allow personal, factional or ideological preferences to undermine organisational cohesion. The party leadership should clarify these concerns rather than leave them unanswered.
Perhaps the most significant issue is the seven-member Organisational Review and Advisory Committee established on January 29, 2026. According to a report published by Dawn, the committee was formed to address the grievances of disgruntled PPP workers in Central Punjab. The notification was issued by Hassan Murtaza on the instructions of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, with Usman Malik appointed as convener. The committee was tasked with obtaining written reservations from former organisational officials, reviewing complaints and submitting recommendations to the party leadership.
This development raises two fundamental questions. First, if the complaints concern the performance, decisions and organisational conduct of the provincial president and general secretary, on what basis are both officials continuing in their positions without a publicly explained accountability process? There is an obvious institutional contradiction when the leadership responsible for the organisation is also the subject of organisational grievances.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, where is the committee’s final review report? Party workers were expecting the findings and recommendations to be shared with the leadership, the media and the party organisation. Yet its publicly accessible status remains unclear. Has the report been completed? If so, why have its findings not been made public? If it has not been completed, what explains the delay? Were recommendations made regarding controversial appointments, workers’ grievances and the performance of office-bearers? These questions deserve direct answers.
The report must not become another internal exercise that begins with promises of transparency and ends without accountability. If the committee was established to restore confidence among workers, withholding its findings from those workers would defeat its very purpose. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Hassan Murtaza should clarify the report’s status and explain what action has been taken on its recommendations.
The PPP cannot rebuild its political strength through organisational notifications, occasional meetings and press conferences alone. It needs to restore the dignity of longstanding workers, provide opportunities to young leadership, strengthen district organisations and reconnect with farmers, labourers, professionals and the middle class.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also faces a significant challenge in Punjab. The legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto remains an important part of Pakistan’s political history, but the younger generation needs more than historical references. It expects credible policies on employment, education, economic security and political representation.
The real question is no longer when the PPP will organise its next rally in Punjab. It is whether its workers can once again approach people in their neighbourhoods, villages and constituencies with confidence and credibility.
Before confronting its political opponents, the PPP must confront its own organisational crisis. Bhutto’s legacy cannot be preserved through slogans alone. It requires democratic values, accountability, ideological commitment and respect for the workers who built the party.
