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Pakistan People's Party

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Pakistan People's Party
LeaderBilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman
Asif Ali Zardari Co-Chairman
FounderZulfikar Ali Bhutto
Founded1967
HeadquartersIslamabad, Pakistan
IdeologySocial Democracy, Democratic Socialism
International affiliationSocialist International
ColorsBlack, Red, and Green
Website
http://www.ppp.org.pk/
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The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) (Urdu: پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی): is a centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan. To date, its leader has always been a member of the Bhutto family or the Zardari family. The Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) is a party formed in 2002 by the PPP for the purpose of complying with electoral rules governing Pakistani parties.

The party was founded on November 30, 1967 by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was also its first chairman. The party creed is: "Islam is our faith; democracy is our politics; socialism is our economy; all power to the people."

Although its center lies in the southern province of Sindh, it also has considerable support in the more densely populated province of Punjab. The party has been elected to power four times since its formation.[1]

Notable leaders

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the founder and first chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party. His wife, Nusrat Bhutto, succeeded him as chairperson and held the position[2] into the 1980s. In 1982, Nusrat Bhutto, ill with cancer, was given permission to leave Pakistan for medical treatment and remained abroad for several years. At that point her daughter, Benazir Bhutto, became acting head of the party while Nusrat technically remained its chairman[3] and was referred to as such as late as September 1983.[4] By January 1984, Benazir was being referred to as the party's chairman.[5] She had been proclaimed chairperson for life,[6] and as such was chair until her assassination on December 27, 2007. Her nineteen-year old son, Bilawal Zardari and his father Asif Ali Zardari were appointed party co-chairmen on December 30, 2007.[7]

Chairs
  1. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1967-1979)
  2. Nusrat Bhutto (1979-1984)
  3. Benazir Bhutto (1984-2007)
  4. Bilawal Zardari (2007-To date)
Other prominent current members of the party

Party Structure

The Party is structured from municipal unit levels up to the federal level. The Central Executive Committee of the Party is the supreme body that sets out the strategy for the party. The CEC is headed by the Chairman / Co-Chairman and includes all the major office bearers of the party.

Plane Hijack

Main article: Singapore Airlines Flight 117

On March 26, 1991, Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was hijacked by four male passengers, claiming to be members of the Pakistan Peoples Party. After demands were not met, the hijackers threatened to begin killing hostages. Soon after, commandos stormed the plane, freeing all hostages unhurt and killing the four men.[8]

General Elections 2008

After the assassination of PPP leader Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007, the 2008 General Elections which were scheduled to be held in January were postponed until February 18. The PPP won the most seats, gaining a total of 84 seats in the National Parliament. Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that "Pakistan was on its way of ridding dictatorships for ever", and appealed to the Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to form a coalition controlling over half the seats in Pakistan's 342 seat parliament.

On March 9, 2008 in a press conference held in Muree, Punjab, PML-N Leader Nawaz Sharif and PPP Co-Leader Asif Ali Zardari officially signed an agreement to form a coalition government. Titled the PPP-PML summit declaration, the joint declaration both parties agreed on the reinstatement of judges deposed during the emergency rule imposed on 3 November 2007 by Pervez Musharraf within 30 days after the new federal government was formed. The nominee for the PM would be fully supported by the coalition parties but the PM nominee should carry forward both party agendas. Sharif stated in the press conference that the Charter of Democracy had been formulated by Benazir Bhutto and Sharif. Speaking at the press conference for the first time Zardari stated that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto's dream of PPP-PML-N uniting was her dream and that today her dream came true. This agreement was to become known as the Bhurban Accord. Zardari also offered the PM slot to Sharif, who happily rejected the offer. The first session of the new government opened up on March 17, 2008 where the PPP announced they would confirm who had been chosen as the candidate of Prime Minister, within the next few days, although Nawaz Sharif confirmed with the BBC that the slot for PM had been chosen by the PPP but did not say. Zardari is ineligible to be PM, but will take a seat in the parliament after all his corruption charges were dropped last week. On March 23, 2008 it was announced that the new prime minister of the country would be Yousaf Raza Gilani a former parliament speaker, a fully committed PPP member, it has been confirmed that Gilani would fulfill a full 5 year term, but speculation has been growing that Gilani would complete an interim term as prime minister until Zardari passes the hurdles he needs to overcome to become Prime Minister. Pervez Musharraf has agreed with the decision made by the parliament.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on June 27, 2008, won 3 and 2 five by-election seats, respectively, to the national parliament. Polls were postponed for the 6th seat in Lahore due to Nawaz Sharif's eligibility contest. A court ruled he was ineligible due to the old conviction, amid the government appeal in the Supreme Court, which will hear the case on June 30, thus postponing the vote in the constituency.[9] The 2 parties also won 19 of 23 provincial assembly seats where by-elections were held. The results will not affect the February 18 general election results in which Benazir Bhutto's PPP won 123 seats in the 342-seat National Assembly and Sharif's party came second with 91, while Pervez Musharraf's party came third with 54 seats. Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) won 8 provincial assembly seats, while the PPP won 7 provincial seats.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ http://www.ppp.org.pk/history.html
  2. ^ Reuters News Agency, "Pakistan rally halted before march begins", Globe and Mail, August 29, 1983
  3. ^ Hall, Carla, "The April of Her Freedom Five Years Later, Benazir Bhutto's Plea for Pakistan", Washington Post, April 4, 1984
  4. ^ "Mrs. Bhutto Asks Army To Overthrow Zia", New York Times, September 27, 1983
  5. ^ "Miss Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of the former Prime Minister, Zulfikar Blutto, and chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party has been released from detention and has gone to Paris to be with her cancer-stricken mother", Financial Times, January 11, 1984
  6. ^ Musharraf’s Political Future Appears Troubled, New York Times, David Rohde, December 28, 2007
  7. ^ "Bhutto's son, husband to be co-leaders of party". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
  8. ^ "1991 - SQ 117 Rescue". MINDEF History. Government of Singapore. 2006-04-19.
  9. ^ news.bbc.co.uk, Ruling parties win Pakistan polls
  10. ^ reuters.com, Sharif's party does well in Pakistani by-elections
  11. ^ xinhuanet, Pakistan ruling coalition sweeps by-elections
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