BY HASSAN ABBAS 

The Pakistan Peoples Party fails to organise its traders wing in Central Punjab and particularly in Lahore which is the second biggest city of Pakistan and economic and cultural hub since Benazir Bhutto' s assassination in 2007.

It is a matter of grave concern that a party which was once the biggest party of the province has no presence in the traders community of Lahore and yet the leaders of the central Punjab and particularly the leaders of Lahore are giving false impression to chairman Bilawal Bhutto that party is very weak and no body is interesting in joining the party nor wants to work with the party.

Contrary to this the reality is that the majority of the present leadership don't want that other than them should meet or any body have liason with the chairman Bilawal Bhutto

Some party workers who were associated with the traders wing in the past told "Peoples Voice" that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s in his upcoming visit to Lahore which is scheduled to be on January 20 should himself take interst in the restructuring of the party and it's allied wings which had practically no presence in the province.

The workers suggested that chairman Bilawal Bhutto should give chance to the young people who want to work. They suggested that Bilawal Bhutto should liberate the workers of Pakistan Peoples Party of Central Punjab and Lahore from " selfie mafia" who don't have any presence at grass root level and they are sitting on key positions. 

One worker on the condition of anonymity told that Bilawal Bhutto should give key position to those who have in roads at grass root levels. He should also give preference to professional people like doctors, engineers, lawyers and journalists, writers and IT professionals who wants to serve the party.

The traders wing of other parties like 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamaat- e- Islami and Tehreek-e- Labaik Pakistan are very strong but unfortunately PPP has no presence in traders.

The PPP's focus in Punjab has traditionally been on rural areas and smaller towns, where it has a strong base of support among farmers and agricultural workers. This focus on rural areas has led the party to neglect the urban areas of central Punjab, where the traders' community is concentrated.

The PTI and PML-N, on the other hand, have actively courted the traders' community in central Punjab. Both parties have established strong traders' wings in the region, which have been instrumental in mobilizing support for their respective parties.

The lack of a strong traders' wing in central Punjab has been a significant disadvantage for the PPP in recent years. The party has struggled to compete with the PTI and PML-N in urban areas, where the traders' vote is crucial.

The party faces stiff competition from the PTI and PML-N, which have a strong hold on the traders' vote. The PPP will need to work hard to win back the trust of the traders' community and establish itself as a viable alternative to the other two parties.

The Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) traders' wing in central Punjab, particularly in Lahore, was a formidable force during the tenure of Benazir Bhutto. Under her leadership, the PPP had established a strong presence among the trading community, with many prominent traders and businessmen openly supporting the party.

Benazir Bhutto's connection with the traders' community in Lahore dated back to the 1980s, when she first emerged as a major political force in Pakistan. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had also enjoyed significant support among traders and businessmen during his time as Prime Minister.

The PPP's traders' wing in Lahore was known for its organizational skills and ability to mobilize large numbers of traders and businessmen in support of the party. The wing was also instrumental in helping the PPP to win several key seats in Lahore during the 1988 and 1993 general elections.

One of the key factors that contributed to the PPP's success among traders in Lahore was Benazir Bhutto's economic policies. Her government's decision to reduce taxes and tariffs on imported goods helped to boost trade and commerce in Lahore, which in turn benefited the city's traders and businessmen.

The PPP's traders' wing in Lahore also played a key role in promoting the party's ideology and policies among the trading community. The wing organized numerous rallies, seminars, and workshops, which helped to mobilize support for the PPP and its policies.

Despite the PPP's strong presence among traders in Lahore during Benazir Bhutto's time, the party's influence in the city's trading community has declined significantly since her death in 2007. The party's traders' wing in Lahore is no longer as active or influential as it once was, and many of its former leaders have either defected to other parties or retired from politics.

However, the legacy of the PPP's traders' wing in Lahore during Benazir Bhutto's time continues to be remembered fondly by many in the city's trading community. The wing's ability to mobilize support for the PPP and its policies among traders and businessmen in Lahore helped to establish the party as a major force in the city's politics, and its influence can still be seen in the city's political landscape today.