IDEOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION IN PAKISTAN PEOPLE’S PARTY: FROM Z.A BHUTTO TO ASIF ALI ZARDARI (1970- 2008)

Abstract

The ideological position of the Pakistan People Party (PPP) shifted from the concept of Islamic Socialism to the open market capitalism from its inception at the time of 1970 elections to its accent to power in 2008 elections. Z. A Bhutto the founder of the PPP has introduced the principles of socialism because the wealth was concentrated in few hands during the Ayub regime. It is due to this reason that the appeal of socialist ideas assured the electoral victory to Z.A Bhutto. However, with the demise of Z.A Bhutto, the leadership of the party went into the hands of her daughter, Benazir Bhutto. She reversed the socialist ideas of her father because no longer the voter wanted the discourse of socialism beucase the Islamization of Zia-ul-Haq regime and the war against the USSR in Afghanistan has constructed the socialism as something evil, it is due to this reason that Benazir Bhutto brought a shift in ideological position of PPP and promoted the idea of free market economy. This was continued in the elections manifesto of PPP from 1988 to 2008. This research study has discussed the Why a socialist political party became popular in Pakistan that had already decided to be in western capitalist bloc? Why has the transformation of PPP transpired from a resistance force against the status quo to a party of reconciliation? To what extent Z. A Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari had attained the unrestrained monopoly over the central government? It is argued in the present research that the PPP changed its ideology of Islamic socialism to open market capitalism to win over the potential voter and ensure the electoral victory.