LAHORE: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been “partially” authorised by his father Asif Ali Zardari to handle matters of the party and the Sindh government.

Sources close to the Zardari family told Dawn that finally the party co-chairman and former president Asif Zardari agreed to give ‘some space’ to the party chairman (who otherwise is fully authorised to run the party by virtue of his office) to take some decisions using ‘his own wisdom’. But, the ‘junior’ is not given the mandate to ‘hire or fire’ someone in the party on his own, the sources say.

Earlier, Mr Zardari had said his son needed time to “get politically mature” and asked him to wait for an “appropriate time” when the party’s reins would be handed over to him.

Insiders say the chairman has not been given ‘hire and fire’ power yet

“Zardari sahib has given a certain mandate to young Bilawal to run the affairs of the party and the Sindh government. During the last one week or so Bilawal presided over a number of meetings from PPP legislators of Sindh Assembly to Punjab leaders (who are responsible for running the party affairs in the largest province). Bilawal told the Sindh government to improve governance while he listened to the Punjab party leaders patiently and asked them to wait till Eid as he will make certain decisions on his arrival in Lahore next month,” an aide of Mr Zardari said, seeking anonymity.

He said though the co-chairman accepted the demand of most of the PPP leaders that Bilawal should be given some mandate to run the party, he was cautiously watching over the young man. “You see despite calls from the party ranks to change the leadership in Punjab, Bilawal did not rush to take any decision in haste, showing that perhaps he is not given ‘hire and fire’ powers at this stage,” he said.

Mr Zardari’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar told Dawn that Mr Bilawal was PPP’s chairman and he had become more “active” in the party affairs. “Mr Bilawal has been holding meetings with the party leaders and legislators on a daily basis and he knows to what extent he has to assert himself (in party affairs)”, Mr Babar said.

When asked if Mr Bilawal had been given ‘power’ to call shots in the party and Sindh government affairs, the PPP Senator said: “Mr Bilawal will take decisions in consultation with party leaders.”

The PPP leaders Dawn spoke to on Sunday expressed their satisfaction over the reappearance of Mr Bilawal on the political scene after a gap of seven months or so. His skipping the party’s founding day function last November and extending his stay in London had led to widespread speculation about his “differences” with his father over different issues including not getting a role in running the party.

Though Bilawal returned from abroad on June 1, he actively started holding meetings with the party leaders once his father left for Dubai in the last week of June.

“Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is the last hope of the party. He will revive the party in Punjab and make it a stronghold of jialas again,” PPP stalwart former information minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told Dawn.

Ms Awan, who called on Mr Bilawal in Karachi last week said the workers were getting excited on the arrival of Mr Bilawal in Punjab after Eid and under his leadership the party would take the largest province back from the PML-N.

She said that she had reservations over the way the party affairs were being run in Punjab but it did not mean she had any plan to quit.

“Some elements in the party are spreading rumours about my quitting the party to join the PTI. They are trying to create an environment in which more and more leaders quit the party for their vested interest. I am committed to the party and I have full confidence in the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari,” she said.

The PPP vice-president further said she had told the chairman about the “spread of cancer” in the party’s Punjab chapter that required an immediate “surgery”. “If this cancer was not treated at this stage it may spread in other provinces as well,” she warned.

Another leader hoped once Bilawal started ‘roaring on the political front’ the ground the PPP conceded to the PTI in Punjab would be retrieved.

Meanwhile, senior PPP leader Raja Riaz has said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will visit Lahore every month after Eid.

Talking to Dawn on Sunday the former opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly said the PPP chairman had assured party leaders of his monthly visits to Lahore.

“Mr Bilawal will sit in Lahore and strengthen the party,” Raja Riaz said, who also had a meeting with the chairman in Karachi recently.

Mr Riaz said thousands of PPP workers would welcome Mr Bilawal on his arrival here after Eid.

He said the PPP would make a comeback in Punjab under the leadership of Bilawal, adding that those leaving the party would soon repent their decision as they would not get respect in the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2015

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