Karachi, July 29, 2025: In a significant political development, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr, grandson of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, announced on Tuesday that he and his sister Fatima Bhutto will soon launch a new political party, distancing themselves from the current leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Speaking at a press conference at his residence in Karachi’s Clifton area, Bhutto Jr made it clear that the new platform would operate independently, without any support from the establishment. “I have no support from the establishment — this is a lie. I am building my identity on my own,” he asserted. “My sister Fatima Bhutto is joining me, and together we will unveil our party soon. Our youth wing will also be announced alongside.”
Bhutto Jr categorically rejected any alliance or collaboration with the PPP, calling it a hijacked version of its original vision. “We reject the Zardari League. This is not the PPP of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed or Mir Murtaza Bhutto Shaheed. We will never align ourselves with the current PPP,” he stated.
He accused the present-day PPP of working in tandem with the establishment and claimed the party had placed obstacles in the path of his late uncle, Mir Murtaza Bhutto. “The PPP, as it exists today, has no future. It has lost its direction and spirit,” he said.
The political scion also announced his intention to contest elections from Lyari, expressing solidarity with residents affected by recent demolitions in the Baghdadi area. “I am standing with the people of Lyari, especially those impacted by the sealing of around 150 buildings. These are not beggars; they are citizens asking for their rights,” he emphasized.
Criticizing urban development priorities in Karachi, Bhutto Jr slammed the recently completed Shahrah-e-Bhutto as a “useless project” and “a slap in the face of the people of Karachi.” He questioned why resources were being spent on such projects while citizens remained homeless. “If you can build Shahrah-e-Bhutto, why can’t you provide homes to the displaced people of Lyari?”
Bhutto Jr clarified that while he had previously hinted at forming a party during an event with farmers in Lahore, the formal launch — including the party name — would be announced in the coming days, jointly with Fatima Bhutto.
Positioning his movement as a break from dynastic and elitist politics, Bhutto Jr said both the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were catering to the interests of the wealthy elite. “The Zardari League and PML-N do politics for the rich, not for the poor. I am not satisfied with the performance of the provincial governments in Sindh and Punjab.”
He called for the restoration of the Constitution in its original form and aligned himself with the opposition in the ongoing political struggle. “We stand with the opposition to protect democracy. The Constitution must be restored in its true shape,” he declared.
On foreign policy, Bhutto Jr endorsed a one-state solution for Palestine and raised serious concerns about human rights violations in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan. He demanded the release of political prisoners and an end to state repression in these regions.
Concluding his address, Bhutto Jr pledged to revive the values of equality, justice, and grassroots empowerment that he said once defined the original PPP. “There is not just one Lyari — there are many like it across Pakistan. We will visit every province. Our mission is to return to the original values of the PPP, but not through the party in its current form.”
