SUKKUR: Estranged Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Dr Safdar Abbasi, who now heads his own PPP faction by the name of PPP-Workers, has said that he may consider a political reunion if [PPP chairperson] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari adopts the policies of [PPP founder chairman] Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Speaking at a press conference in a local hotel on Friday, Dr Abbasi said that the PPP chairman would have to abandon the policies pursued by his father [PPP co-chairman] Asif Ali Zardari.

“Mr Zardari should remove his burden from the shoulders of Bilawal,” the PPP-W leader remarked.

He referred to the findings of the investigations conducted by independent agencies and international organisations into the assassination of Ms Bhutto, and said that the revelations were rejected by the PPP leadership without making them public. He said that being close aides to Ms Bhutto, he and his like-minded people were not satisfied with the way the investigation and prosecution in he assassination case were being carried out.

Dr Abbasi said that Mr Zardari had actually done away with the PPP as a party and turned it into a non-governmental organisation (NGO) for all purposes other than politics. Ms Bhutto’s then secretary Naheed Khan had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court about two and a half years ago to get the genuine leadership of the PPP determined but it was pending adjudication till date, he added.

He alleged that massive corruption by Mr Zardari and his hand-picked team had reduced the party’s support base to as small as 15 per cent.

Dr Abbasi observed that Ms Bhutto’s death had left a void in the country’s national leadership as no one even from other parties could fill. He said the nation had pinned high hopes on the leadership of [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief] Nawaz Sharif but it appeared disappointed as the prime minister’s moves, handling of the country’s affairs and attitude were understandable to no one.

Regarding the oncoming census in Sindh, the PPP-W leader said the process was of great importance as a nation’s progress and uplift depended on the statistics collected through the process. Unfortunately, he added, the census process was being politicised and it was the very reason that it could not be held over the past 17 years.

Announcing that the third PPP-W workers convention was scheduled to be held on Feb 27, Dr Abbasi said his party was bringing more estranged PPP stalwarts into its fold.

In reply to a question, he said Mr Sharif’s recent harsh remarks that “elected governments are harassed and not allowed to work” clearly showed that his government and the establishment were not on the same page. He said the prime minister also disapproved of the National Accountability Bureau’s handling of corruption cases in Punjab.

Haji Munawwar Abbasi, Ghulam Qadir Bhutto and other PPP-W leaders were also present.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2016