ISLAMABAD, 1 January 2008 — The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) might have anointed slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s son Bilawal as its new head but effective control will be in the hands of her husband Asif Zardari, editorials in major English newspapers yesterday said.

“Bilawal (has) said he would take up the reins of the party after completing his education...This effectively puts the party in co-chairman Asif Zardari’s hands,” Dawn said in an editorial headlined “PPP’s new leader.”

“There is no doubt that Mr. Zardari would be calling the shots,” The News said in an editorial titled “The new PPP.”

“Mr. Zardari will lead the party as Regent,” Daily Times said in an editorial headlined “Zardari takes charge.”

The PPP announced Sunday that even though Benazir had named Zardari as her successor in her will, he had declined the job and the mantle would pass on to Bilawal, with his father serving as the PPP co-chairman.

“For the moment,” Dawn said, “most of the decisions taken by a traumatized PPP appear politically prudent. The party wishes to try and turn the tragedy of losing its leader into an electoral victory by continuing to have a Bhutto at the helm even if only as a figurehead for now and garnering the sympathy vote.”

It also noted the “unfortunate reality of South Asia’s dynastic politics” in deciding the succession issue, adding: “Pakistan does not have a long democratic tradition but even democratic India is not immune from the magical attraction of political dynasties. “Sadly, both here and across the border these dynasties are also haunted by tragedies.”

According to The News, the PPP decision “to hand over the party command effectively to Asif Zardari... with son Bilawal stepping in as the figurehead chairman, until he is sufficiently groomed to make his own decisions, comes as the natural and easier choice in the current crisis.” “That in her will Benazir Bhutto wanted Mr. Zardari as chairman and he decided that young Bilawal, still in his sophomore year at the Oxford, should be the party head, is a convenient political move,” the newspaper added.

Stating that there was “no doubt” Zardari “would be calling the shots”, The News maintained that “his image of the past notwithstanding, the role and perception about Mr. Zardari has undergone a sea change in recent years, especially with his long years of incarceration, his brave fight against military authoritarianism and lately his pragmatism to deal with the establishment.” According to Daily Times, the manner in which the PPP resolved the succession issue “makes a lot of practical sense” because the party “is poised as never before to sweep the polls on the crest of a wave of sympathy for Ms. Bhutto.”

In this context, it noted that Zardari had made a “pointed statement” when he said, “Our battle is not with the Pakistan Army.”

“Equally, he referred to Ms. Bhutto’s e-mail to her friend Mark Segal several times in which she wrote that President (Pervez) ‘Musharraf should be held responsible’ if something happened to her, suggesting that far from letting Musharraf off the hook the PPP is going to exploit the mass sentiment against him.

“As he put it, the best revenge is to win the election and put Ms. Bhutto’s picture in the president’s and prime minister’s house,” Daily Times said.