Youth of Lahore are not happy with the anointment of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the next chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Lahore, Jan 1 : Youth of Lahore are not happy with the anointment of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the next chairperson of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
The Student Action Committee (SAC) in Lahore, the city's most vocal student movement in recent months, has termed this development as "the classic sub-continental tradition of considering lineage more important than capabilities or experience."
Reiterating their call for a boycott of the elections and demanding Musharraf's resignation the student union of the city said: "They are actually behaving like a monarchy, like those in underdeveloped countries who, when they have no heir, anoint teenagers."
"A 19-year-old is far too young. They should have at least taken a democratic route and had candidates contesting," the Dawn quoted an LUMS student, Sundas Hurain, as saying.
Halima Mansoor, an arts student, said that Bilawal could be used as a "puppet", while a student of the City Law College believe that the PPP was no more than a "family party".
"There were a whole host of good candidates to pick from, including Aitzaz Ahsan and many others, and I don't know why they've reverted to dynastic politics. It's very disheartening," the law college student added.
However, a student organisation like Pakistan Students Federation who has association with the PPP has hailed the development saying, "Who can be a better leader than Bilawal? Nobody was as beloved as she was, and now he's following in her footsteps at Oxford. I'm sure he'll make a fine leader."
Sufyan Arshad, spokesperson for the Committee for Democracy Rule of Law in Pakistan (CDRLP, said: "The PPP has shown it is consistently against the establishment and not on their side. We welcome this move as a positive step in the struggle for democracy and we hope they will be good partners."
The Pakistan Students Association (PSA), a pro-Musharraf student alliance, has also expressed its happiness over the PPP's decision. Their spokesman Hashim Shafqat said: "The loss of Benazir was a great tragedy for Pakistan. We're glad they've chosen a youthful leader who will have zest and lead with enthusiasm, and placed their trust in the future of Pakistan rather than reverting to the old guard."
ANI