Bhutto’s Grandson Announces New Political Party for Farmers’ Rights

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, the grandson of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, has revealed plans to establish a new political entity focused on safeguarding the rights of farmers.

During a press briefing at the Lahore Press Club on Friday, Bhutto Jr. articulated that the party’s central goal will be to advocate for and assist the agricultural sector, which he described as the foundation of Pakistan’s economic system.

Civil society figures and members of Anjuman Mazarain Punjab, including Dr. Ammar Ali Jan and Ghulam Abbas, were present at the event.

Bhutto Junior is the son of the late Mir Murtaza Bhutto, who established PPP-Shaheed Bhutto in 1993. Murtaza also held a seat as a Member of the Sindh Assembly representing Larkana from 1993 until his death in 1996.

Bhutto Junior asserted that the PPP had not successfully put Bhuttoism into practice and stated that his party would operate under the principles of Zulfiqar Bhutto, promoting the slogan ‘Jiay Awam.’

He emphasized the immediate requirement for genuine power devolution to the people and the implementation of initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of laborers and farmers.

In response to a question, ZAB Junior affirmed his strong conviction that the 18th Amendment to the Constitution should not be compromised when it comes to provincial autonomy.

Regarding the proposal to build six canals originating from the Indus River in the Cholistan area, he cautioned that Sindh is already grappling with a critical water shortage and that this project would further diminish Sindh’s water allocation. He stressed the importance of a national water distribution system based on the Sindh Accord.

ZAB Junior dismissed the ‘Green Pakistan’ initiative, claiming that farmers’ lands were being taken over under the guise of development. He contended that farmers were being exploited via corporate farming and that extensive land leasing had resulted in farmers losing their properties.

Civil society activist Dr. Ammar Ali Jan and farmer leader Ghulam Abbas also voiced concerns during the event about loan repayment notices issued to farmers by the government. They called for an end to the exploitation of farmers through public-private partnerships.

The emergence of a new political party, led by the grandson of PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, could pose a challenge to the PPP, which has governed Sindh continuously since 2008.

Despite the presence of prominent Sindh politicians such as Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, and Dr. Safdar Abbasi, the GDA was unable to present a serious challenge to the PPP, which is primarily led by Asif Zardari. With Bilawal Bhutto representing a new generation of leaders, an intriguing political landscape is anticipated in Sindh.