Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr, grandson of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, announced on Tuesday that he and his sister Fatima Bhutto will soon launch a new political party, which distances themselves from the current leadership of the Popular Party (PPP) of Pakistan.
Speaking at a press conference in his residence in the Karachi Clifton area, Bhutto JR said he had no support of the establishment and that he was building his political identity independently. “I have no support from the establishment; this is a lie. I am trying to build myself on my own. My sister Fatima Bhutto comes, and together we will announce the party. Our youth wing will be with us.”
Bhutto JR categorically ruled out any collaboration with the PPP, saying that the party had been kidnapped and no longer represented the ideals of its founding leadership. “We reject the Zardari League. This is not the PPP of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto or Mir Murtaza Bhutto Shaheed. We will never work with this PPP.”
He said the PPP today was working for the establishment and had placed obstacles on the path of his late uncle. “The PPP is over. If the current situation persists, it has no future.”
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Bhutto JR announced his intention to dispute Lyari’s elections and expressed solidarity with the residents of the area, particularly those affected by demolitions and the sealing of buildings in the Baghdadi area.
“I am here for the victims of the Baghdadi incident. Around 150 buildings have been sealed in Lyari. The provincial government of the PPP must provide homes to those affected. These people are not begging, they are asking for their rights.”
Criticizing the recent urban development initiatives in Karachi, described Shahrah-E-Bhutto as a “useless project” and “a slap in front of the people of Karachi.” He questioned why such projects were prioritized about housing for displaced. “If you can build Shahrah-E-Bhutto, why can’t you give homes to the people of Lyari?”
Bhutto JR said he had previously announced the formation of his party during a press conference with farmers in Lahore. However, the official launch would take place with Fatima Bhutto in the next few days, and the name of the party was still under consideration.
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Rejecting the dynastic and elitist policy, he accused both the PPP and PML-n of serving the interests of the rich. “The Zarari League and the PML-N are doing politics for the rich, not for the poor. I am not satisfied with the performance of the provincial governments in Sindh and Punjab.”
He emphasized the need to restore the Constitution to its original form and said that its movement was with the current opposition to protect democratic norms. “We are with the opposition. We must protect the Constitution. It must be restored in its true form.”
In foreign policy, Bhutto JR said he thought there should be a state under the name of Palestine and not a solution of two states. He also expressed concern about human rights problems in Baluchistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, asking for the liberation of political prisoners and the end of the repression of the State.
Bhutto JR concluded by saying that the word “equality” of the original slogan of the PPP would be revived through its new platform. “There is no Lyari in Pakistan, there are many. We will visit all the provinces. We will return to the original values of the PPP, but not with the party in its current form.”
