The unveiling of a 10-point manifesto by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has sparked scepticism among political observers, who question the practicality of the promises made during a public meeting commemorating the death anniversary of his mother and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.

“These are no more than hollow promises. It is a political gimmick to hoodwink voters once again,” said Naveed Hussain, Chief Editor of The Express Tribune, while speaking in the Express News political talk-show, “Experts”, moderated by anchor Dua Jamil.

“The PPP and PML-N have taken turns in power over the past 76 years and brought the country to the economic morass that we find ourselves in today,” he said.

Hussain believes Bilawal’s promises are impractical because the country needs economic stability to offer free electricity, hike salaries by 100%, and increase budgetary allocations for health and education.

“For economic revival, you need political stability, but do you think a political dispensation coming into power as a result of the current sham election would be able to stabilise the country politically?”

He regretted that the country’s political parties have not learnt any lessons from the past. “In 2018, the economy was wrecked by manipulating the electoral process in favour of PTI, all other political parties agitated the brazen political engineering throughout the tenure of Imran Khan,” he said, adding that today the same parties have become willing pawns on the political chessboard to banish a democratic force from the arena.

Hussain voiced his criticism of Bilawal’s political attack on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), stating that the PPP also doesn’t have any concerns for democracy in the country. He pointed out that Bilawal’s party had also voted in favour of a slew of controversial legislations that the PDM government rushed through parliament in the final months of its 16-month tenure.

He advised the PPP to present an economic revival plan because Pakistan’s young voters are politically aware and hence cannot be deceived into believing in empty promises.

Read also: Nawaz’s regime was dictatorial for PPP workers: Bilawal

Faisal Husain, Express News Bureau Chief in Karachi, raised concerns about Bilawal’s political maturity, referencing Asif Ali Zardari’s statement suggesting that Bilawal is still undergoing political training. “How can you trust his words while he is still under training?” Husain said.

He likened the PPP manifesto to previous promises made by Imran Khan, questioning the feasibility of the proposed initiatives.

Amir Ilyas Rana, Express News Bureau Chief in Islamabad, criticised the PPP’s governance in Sindh, pointing out that the manifesto’s points could have been implemented during their 15-year rule if there was genuine intent.

He pointed out the dependency on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stressing that decisions cannot be made without their consent.

Referencing historical elections, Rana argued that if the 1977 elections, with the exception of Balochistan, had not been rigged during PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s tenure, the course of Pakistan’s history might have been different.

Ayaz Khan, Group Editor Daily Express, observed a shift in Bilawal’s focus from criticising Zardari to targeting the PML-N and Imran Khan. He labelled promises of free electricity as « lollipops for voters » and urged attention to essential economic elements.

Mohammad Ilyas, Express News Bureau Chief in Lahore, also questioned the feasibility and timeline of the manifesto’s implementation, cautioning against empty slogans that might not materialise within the stipulated timeframe.

As the PPP’s ten-point manifesto faces scrutiny from seasoned political observers, the scepticism raised suggests a need for a more detailed and concrete economic revival plan to win over an increasingly politically aware electorate.