The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) convened a two-day meeting in Lahore, led by the “King of Reconciliation” Asif Zardari.
During this meeting, Asif Zardari urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other party members to avoid confrontational policies regarding the prevailing political landscape, including interactions with the PML-N and other allies.
Asif Zardari was unexpectedly given broad autonomy by the PPP CEC to promote equitable opportunities in the next elections. This choice signaled a change from the originally tense environment of the meeting, where strong opinions were aired on the attitudes and policies of the erstwhile ally, the PML-N, and the establishment.
According to sources, members expressed regret over the results of the 2018 elections, pointing to the aggressive discrediting of over 225 PPP candidates in Punjab, which led to the party's fall in the province and its eventual alignment with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
In addition, concerns were expressed that the PPP is once more being singled out for criticism in the lead-up to the next election owing to allegations of unfair competition and undue favoring of the PML-N in terms of leadership positions and development money.
The PPP chairman made it clear that his party's involvement in the government was intended to address the country's ongoing crises, not only win ministries. Despite prior cooperation, he made clear that PPP cannot be counted on to make continuous sacrifices.
With emotions running high, this CEC meeting is remembered as one of the most heated in the party's history. The party's co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, gave members free autonomy to raise issues in meetings and advised them to value conversation over combative politics. He spoke in favor of finding common ground to settle differences, but he also insisted that PPP has the right to resist if necessary.
