“What an irony!” Many in the Pakistan People’s Party are heard exclaiming these days.

They feel distressed that despite having seasoned and battle-hardened leaders like Aitzaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Qamar Zaman Kaira and others, the leadership thought it fit to pin hopes on the young Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (BBZ) to revive the party’s lost fortunes.

Granted his middle name still has emotional appeal for the masses but whether this inexperienced Bhutto can win same trust that his mother and grandfather were able to win is a question only time will answer.

PPP has chosen a somber date, October 18, for his formal entry into the political arena. Seven years ago, on that date, a huge rally had greeted Benazir Bhutto at Karachi airport on her return from self-exile and was taking her home when terrorists struck her convoy, killing and wounding hundreds.

She survived the attack, only to be killed even more violently in Rawalpindi 10 weeks later.

Agreed, it is hard for the PPP leadership to forget its past full of tragedies. Maybe PPP strategists want her son BZB to enter Pakistan’s murky politics riding a sympathy wave. But the question remains how far the wave can carry him? In recent history, the PPP has managed good crowds only on poor BB’s death anniversaries.

More puzzling is the timing of BBZ’s launch into active politics. General elections are far off, in 2018. When the question is put to PPP leaders, those hailing from Punjab all have one response: “Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is fast emerging as the main challenger to the ruling PML-N monolith. And only a Bhutto can help regain our lost political space in Punjab.”

In the 2013 general elections, PPP won just two National Assembly seats in Punjab in comparison with the 47 in the 2008 elections.

A senior PPP leader from Punjab, who preferred to speak off the record, said that the PTI’s long march and street agitation have hurt not just PML-N. “We are also feeling the heat in our constituencies.”

What he found more disturbing was that PPP leaders of Punjab are increasingly being asked by voters, ‘When are you going to join PTI?” They see Imran Khan as the only effective and combative opponent to the Sharif brothers.

A PPP office bearer, close to party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, said, “the party leadership is aware of these undercurrents and closely watching the situation.”

In the recent PPP meetings at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, the leaders from Punjab literally begged BBZ and co-chairman Zardari to come to their rescue, according to the worried PPP Punjab leader.

Since the current political gridlock started building up in mid-August, the PPP, for all practical purposes, has become a mere appendage of the PML-N, both inside and outside the parliament. A former lawmaker from Punjab had heated arguments with Mr Zardari who was unwilling to throw BBZ to rough waters of active politics then.

“We cannot just watch and wait for the PTI and the PML-N to settle their scores. That will leave the electoral fight to the two and the PPP will become history,” the PPP leader said.

Although it was a cameo appearance, he said BBZ’s visit to flood affected areas of Punjab brought smiles to the grave faces of PPP leaders of the province. And the young scion of Bhutto family has announced to spend more time in Punjab and supervise re-organization of the party personally. In an attempt to calm down disgruntled party workers, BBZ offered an unconditional apology to them in an open letter this week, leading that the loyalists stay with the party.

“Because of the PTI’s relentless campaign against the government, and targeting the PPP as well, we find ourselves caught a bit between the devil and the deep sea,” said a PPP office-bearer. “If we side with PTI, we will be accused by others of siding with the anti-democratic forces.”

Notwithstanding the paradox, political analysts generally say young BBZ must focus on governance in Sindh and help improve lives of his fellow Sindhis before thinking of making big in politics. With 24/7 media coverage and strict scrutiny by opposition parties, performance will be the only yardstick for winning people and their votes to the PPP.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2014