Zulfikar Bhutto Jr. Launches New Political Party “Jiay Awam”

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, grandson of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, announced the formation of a new political party dedicated to protecting farmers’ rights during a press conference at Lahore Press Club on Friday. The move signals a potential challenge to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which has dominated Sindh’s politics since 2008.

Bhutto Jr. emphasised his party would truly implement Bhuttoism, accusing the PPP of failing to uphold his grandfather’s legacy. The new party will adopt the slogan “Jiay Awam” (Long Live the People) and focus on empowering labourers and farmers through genuine devolution of power. Civil society activists and members of Anjuman Mazarain Punjab, including Dr. Ammar Ali Jan and Ghulam Abbas, joined Bhutto Jr. in highlighting farmers’ grievances.

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The political newcomer strongly opposed the government’s corporate farming initiatives, arguing they dispossessed farmers of their lands under the guise of progress. He also rejected the “Green Pakistan” initiative, calling it exploitative. On water distribution, Bhutto Jr. warned against constructing six new canals from the Indus River in Cholistan, stating it would exacerbate Sindh’s water crisis. He advocated for a national water framework modelled after the Sindh Accord.

Read: Zulfiqar Bhutto Junior Announces to Join Politics

Dr. Ammar Ali Jan and Ghulam Abbas echoed concerns about loan payment notices harassing farmers and condemned public-private partnerships that disadvantage agricultural communities. They demanded immediate policy changes to protect small-scale farmers from exploitation.

As the son of late Mir Murtaza Bhutto (founder of PPP-Shaheed Bhutto), Bhutto Jr.’s entry into politics could fragment PPP’s traditional support base in Sindh. While the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) previously failed to unseat PPP, analysts suggest this new party led by a Bhutto scion might reshape Sindh’s political landscape, especially with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari representing the party’s new generation.