Wilting of the People’s Party of Pakistan

Published on

At the time of Independence, the political and social elites of Pakistan came from Hindu- and Sikh-dominated urban centres of Punjab, while Muslim politics was dominated by rural feudals, large landowners and bradri (caste) chieftains. After the departure of the non-Muslim elite, traditional rural feudal politicians, incapable of grasping the essentials of running a modern state, kept themselves occupied with palace conspiracies. The reins of the Pakistani state thus came to rest, by default, mostly in the hands of culturally alien migrated elites of Uttar Pradesh. The traditional brand of politicking did not cease either in the pre-Martial Law parliamentary stunts of the 1947-1958 era, or during Ayub Khan´s hybrid political system of "Basic Democracy". The mass of the population remained un-empowered. It was waiting for a new leadership to take the place of the migrated non-Muslim elites. This was the situation when the Pakistan People´s Party (PPP) made its entrance and the party, founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, led the first-ever socio-political revolution in the heartland of Punjab, which is its real power base.

At the time of Independence, the political and social elites of Pakistan came from Hindu- and Sikh-dominated urban centres of Punjab, while Muslim politics was dominated by rural feudals, large landowners and bradri (caste) chieftains. After the departure of the non-Muslim elite, traditional rural feudal politicians, incapable of grasping the essentials of running a modern state, kept themselves occupied with palace conspiracies. The reins of the Pakistani state thus came to rest, by default, mostly in the hands of culturally alien migrated elites of Uttar Pradesh. The traditional brand of politicking did not cease either in the pre-Martial Law parliamentary stunts of the 1947-1958 era, or during Ayub Khan´s hybrid political system of "Basic Democracy". The mass of the population remained un-empowered. It was waiting for a new leadership to take the place of the migrated non-Muslim elites. This was the situation when the Pakistan People´s Party (PPP) made its entrance and the party, founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, led the first-ever socio-political revolution in the heartland of Punjab, which is its real power base.

Loading content, please wait...
Himal Southasian
www.himalmag.com