KARACHI, Ocst 18: The country inched a little closer towards a more acceptable democratic order when tens of thousands of people converged here to receive Benazir Bhutto, the self-exiled Pakistan People’s Party leader, who returned to the country to lead her party in the coming general elections.

None of the party leaders was willing to divulge the size of the budget dedicated to put up the grand show in Karachi after such a long gap during which the party kept a low-profile in the absence of their leader.

“It was a challenge but our the reception holds testimony to the fact that people of the country are craving for a change, a change towards a more equitable peaceful Pakistan”, a PPP leader from Larkana, the hometown of the Bhuttos, said in response to a question while avoiding to comment on the financial aspect of the whole exercise.

The last attempt by the PPP to demonstrate its street strength in Karachi on May 12 failed and ended up in a fiasco for reasons discussed extensively in media. Some, however, felt that overreaction of the city and the province administration on that day actually diverted the focus from the low turnout of PPP workers to receive the Chief Justice that day.

But welcome procession on Thursday dispelled misgivings about the organisational capability and mass appeal that Pakistan People’s Party commands.

According to an estimate, the cost of mobilisation and transportation could be around Rs300 million. This includes expenses incurred on advertisements in the print and electronic media, graffiti, banners, posters and stickers. A major head that must have eaten up a major chunk of the funds is the cost of providing transport and food to party supporters brought from places as far as Mardan and Quetta. Lodging, I was told, was not arranged on a big scale and most workers were asked to spend night in the busses that had brought them to Karachi.

According to our investigations, the rental minus fuel charges of a bus cost ranged between Rs8,000 and Rs20,000 depending on the distance covered and the size and quality of the vehicle. About 1,000 such vehicles were seen parked on the Sharea Faisal on Thursday.

“We have come to receive our leader from Mardan. We left home on the 16th and it took us two days to reach Karachi,” Yawar Khan told Dawn. He was sitting on the Natha Khan Bridge with his group of friends in the sweltering Karachi afternoon, waiting to join the welcome procession.

“We came in a rally of 25 buses and many private vehicles from Quetta,” Raziq Baloch and Azam resting in the shadow of a huge bus adorned with PPP banners told this correspondent.

“We have a transport company and all our 200 buses have been at the party’s disposal for the past two days”, a gentleman from Nawabshah said.

A lady from Rawalpindi who had travelled with her group by train told Dawn that members of her group had themselves paid the fare. “We reached Karachi yesterday and stayed the night on our own at some relatives’ place to join in on time for the procession”.

However, most of the people interviewed said that their local party leaders had raised funds for the purpose.

A central PPP leader told Dawn that it was not a centrally planned operation. “Our leadership outlined the general contours of the programme but the execution was left to local leaders.”

“Perception counts. When a political party is perceived as a winning party many supporters crop up from nowhere. We had no difficulty in raising money for Mohtarma’s reception as she is presumed to be the next prime minister of the country despite all odds against her,” a party leader from Punjab said.

Some arrangements for drinking water had been made by the organisers along the route of the procession, but no stalls of eatables were seen anywhere. Possibly, memory of May 12 kept petty food hawkers away. They certainly could have done a roaring business on Thursday. Some people were seen crossing over the rail lines at Natha Khan to reach the Drigh Colony market to get food and drinks.

Some leaders had arranged food packets for people who came with them but many were seen fending for themselves.