NO doubt that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s first government job will be a trial by fire. The son of Benazir and Asif, who became foreign minister on Wednesday, will face a host of challenges as he takes up duties at the Foreign Office; be it fraying ties with one global superpower or the recent cooling of Islamabad’s relationship with our massive neighbour to the northeast. Allegations of a US-backed conspiracy and the deteriorating ties with an increasingly right-wing India will also be nipping at the heels of the young prodigy.

Surrounded by family members and political supporters — all beaming with pride — Bilawal took oath as the country’s youngest foreign minister. The occasion was so momentous that even his normally camera-shy aunt, Sanam Bhutto, came out to witness it.

But even as the young Bilawal, who some have already started comparing to his grandfather, Zulfikar, said his hellos and made his way down the corridors of the Foreign Office building on Constitution Avenue, the expectant eyes who followed his gait were all thinking the same thing…

Can this 33-year-old rescue Pakistan from the dire straits it finds itself in, internationally?

Those close to the prodigious PPP leader say the variety of voices in his close circle could serve him well at a time Pakistan’s foreign policy is in dire straits

His close aides, party colleagues and fellow members of parliament agree that taking charge of the foreign ministry would be a mammoth ask for the young man. But there are two sides to this coin.

On one hand, Bilawal’s family legacy and his international profile give him a distinct advantage; but on the other, his lack of diplomatic experience could be counterproductive to Islamabad’s cause at the global stage.

In background interviews, aides to Mr Bhutto-Zardari, senior PPP leaders and those who are close to the party chairman believe that this position could be a chance he needed to make his own name, in both national and international politics.

The Oxford graduate, they say, has learned most of the tricks of the trade and now would be the time to put his skills to the test.

Father’s ‘guiding hand’

“The perception that he’s heavily under the influence of his father and takes each and every decision as per his guidance, it is absolutely incorrect,” says a senior party leader.

“Not just once or twice, rather I have personally seen him disagreeing with his father on several issues, and the party finally takes a consensus decision under the opinion developed by the chairman. You would see him the same way on the [foreign policy] front as well,” he said, indicating that the young chairman has his own way of approaching various issues, which some may even regard as ‘unconventional’.

An example of this would be the Nov 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan election campaign; it was Bilawal’s idea to lead the campaign himself, despite resistance from some quarters within the party.

Those resisting even tried to get Asif Zardari to dissuade the PPP chairman for engaging himself in this “low-profile” political activity. But even then, Mr Zardari wasn’t able to prevail upon his son, who went ahead and campaigned aggressively.

Variety of voices

Apart from the party’s central executive committee, senior leaders and his mother’s old confidants, Mr Bhutto-Zardari also has the support of a fiercely loyal circle of close young friends from all walks of life.

“You will find lawyers, rights activists, digital media experts and even journalists [among his inner circle],” says one of his aides.

“You can call them like-minded people, but they are not leaders or activists. He talks to them, hears them and even consults them for advice. He’s a smart man and the best thing about this smartness is that he never let you feel how intelligent he’s. He always hears you out, gives weight to your opinion and is always ready for disagreement or debate. That variety of voices in his inner circle helps him understand and keep track of the world outside the party,” the aide says.

The aide adds that although there is a long list of problems in front of him on the international front, if Bilawal manages to fix even three out of 10 major issues, his term will be seem as a success and he will be able to establish himself as an asset to Pakistani politics.

Right now, Islamabad badly needs someone who can carry out hectic shuttle diplomacy, from both traditional and backchannels, to help stabilise the country’s standing in the global community, which has taken a hit of late.

Success in Sindh versus performance on global front

But if Bilawal is as smart as the aide would have us believe, why has he failed to address the systemic issues that have been plaguing Sindh for the nearly 14 years that his party has been in power there. Why are there growing questions over its governance and serious charges of corruption against his party’s regime and if he couldn’t do much about that, how would the PPP chairman fare any differently as foreign minister?

These questions haunt many, both in and out of government. But for those who matter within the party, the governance in Sindh and success on the foreign policy front are two absolutely different things.

On the local front, he has to compromise on a lot of things — some matters are best left untouched.

But, insiders say, if he does the same in his new role, there is a chance that things may slip through the cracks and damage not just his hold over his ministry but also Pakistan’s already precarious standing within the global community.

Benazir’s son

PPP leaders who are sincerely happy with Bilawal’s appointment as foreign minister include a large number of those who were once trusted aides to his mother, and they have their own reasons to be happy.

“I am happy more for Pakistan than for Bilawal, to be honest,” says a senior PPP leader, who was once considered very close to Benazir Bhutto and held most constitutional positions while the party was in government.

“To the outside world, he doesn’t need to introduce himself; who he is and where he has come from — the world already knows him quite well. Now, it’ll be a test of his skills and political grooming, and I am very optimistic that he won’t disappoint Pakistan.”

The leader says that dozens of foreign ministers and several prime ministers had come and gone, but no one had enjoyed more respect and honour in the history of Pakistan’s politics than the Bhuttos.

“I know him and I see what a good grip he has on crucial issues; secondly, he knows how to assert himself. He is also extremely articulate and can put across Pakistan’s point of view very forcefully.”

The leader, who has followed Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s career every step of the way, relates a brilliant anecdote to substantiate his optimism.

“I remember it was in May 2016, when Bilawal embarked on his first-ever road show from Islamabad to Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The day after his rally in Muzaffarabad, I was in Multan at [former prime minister Yousuf Raza] Gilani’s residence when Mr Gilani came to me and showed his cellphone. There was a message from Hilary Clinton. The message read: ‘I just saw Bilawal on TV and he sounds just like his mother. Tell him I said good luck and I hope he achieves the success his mother was trying to achieve’.”

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2022