Ideological Orientation of Pakistan People’s Party: Evolution, Illusion and Reality

Abstract

Political party is a cluster of populace, organized to obtain and implement political power. Parties develop a political programme that defines their ideology and sets out the agenda they would follow, to win elective office or get power through constitutional means. Different countries have single party, two parties or multi party systems. The single party system is established in the states where true political argument is not allowed. The two parties and multi-party system presents way of resolving political difference among plural culture and hence are analytical of democratic system. As Pakistan is a plural society thus multi-party system where parties have different political trends, beliefs and programmes is suitable. In the 1970 General Elections, Pakistan had seen for the first time mobilization and iinter-play of diversified ideologies. Along with other ideologies „Socialism‟,was the base of Pakistan People‟s Party which generated very serious debate in the country during the elections. Afterwards „Socialism‟ is no more an idea like a far cry, it became a household ideology and evolved because of peculiar religio-social fabric of Pakistani society into „Islamic Socialism‟, Musawat-i-Muhammadi‟, and „Bhuttoism‟. Pakistan People‟s Party was founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on December 1, 1967 at Lahore. Bhutto was accompanied by stalwart ideologues like Mubashir Hasan, J.A. Rahim, Mairaj Mohammad Khan, Mumtaz Bhutto, Rafi Raza, Mustafa Khar, and Hayat Sherpao, at the historic place of Mubashir Hasan‟s residence. The motto took up for the party was: “Islam is our faith; Democracy is our polity; Socialism is our economy; All power to the people.” To address common mindset an explanatory popular slogan added to the ideological basis, i.e. Roti, Kapra aur Makan (Bread, Clothing, and Shelter). The Party ideology had become a continuous cause of sizzling discussion before pre and post 1970 election scenario. PPP leadership was shrewd enough to read the pulse of the populace in the country and accordingly brought amalgamated version of Socialism with the majority belief, i.e. Islam. The exhibition of that norm could be seen in the evolution of the basic catch-word, Socialism through the voyage of Islamic Socialism transformed into pure popular Islamic idea, „Musawat-e-Muhammadi‟. However, as South Asian Society has tendency of hero-worship, therefore, simplified version of PPP ideology is now known as „Bhuttoism‟. In this paper an effort is made to analyze the ideological evolutionary process of PPP along with the assessment in the context of ideological illusion and reality.