But is Opposition politics simply about filling the airwaves at a time when no one else is? Isnt that what Imran Khan did after the 2013 elections? While this may be true, there is more to the matter, in the particular context of the PPP.And above all, his recent fiery incarnation which culminated in his train march from Karachi to Larkana seems to lend more credence to this idea.)In other words, Bilawal faced two challenges — to emerge as a leader, but also one who was completely different from his father.This perhaps may not mean much in Sindh, where observers point out BBZ has always been seen as someone closely involved with the running of the province.

The trail from the accounts allegedly leads to government officials, right up to the chief minister of Sindh.He is there to speak eloquently in Parliament (and outperforms the leader of the Opposition whose speaking skills are not much to write home about after all these years in politics); he sounds convincing in his interviews to foreign journalists; and his political legacy is enough for many to vouch for a rosy future for him.(That this was of utmost importance in Punjab was also obvious from the PPP leadership in the province, which was more vocal than their counterparts in Sindh that Zardari should abdicate in favour of BBZ.By arrangement with Dawn.The PPP’s main challenge at the moment is its growing irrelevance in Punjab. Did those who are pushing the accountability campaign ever realise that this could be a major fallout of the fake accounts case? Perhaps we will never know.In addition, an effort was also made to keep the father away when rallies were held to shore up support, especially during election time. The party may claim this is because of the uneven playing field and the rigging — which, of course, has been the excuse for any and every partys perceived or real defeat. Many around BBZ realised this — and not just the ones from Punjab, as many assumed. But in Punjab, this can and will have implications in the long run. And during the fathers absence from the country, PPP leaders spoke (exasperatedly) of how the aunt kept a close eye on BBZ (implying that she did so at the behest of the father, who apparently was not entirely sure of his son). But there is also the largely prevailing perception that the party is corrupt and doesn’t "deliver". He is simply not acceptable to the voter in the land of the five rivers. The PPP has little in its basket apart from Sindh and the cases now pose a threat to this.

The voter in Punjab will find it that much harder to believe in BBZ as a harbinger of change. Once a party which forced the military establishment to put together an alliance to stop it from sweeping the province in 1988, today the PPP has been reduced to a force which cannot even ensure the third place for itself in many electoral contests in Punjab. He threatens (or did he only hint) to bring down the government with a long march and he snipes at the "selected" Prime Minister.Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari seems to be the man of the moment, these days.He may have exercised the Bhutto charisma and shown his mettle at public speaking — but in the process, his attacks on accountability and the fake accounts case are simply bringing him closer to his father in the public perception.But the fake accounts case has shattered this hope of the two being two different brands. And as the head and heir of the party, Bilawal needs to pay attention to the challenges facing him. Some years later, he missed his mothers death anniversary, and it Collapsible Umbrella was reported once again that it was because he had fought with his father over party matters (this is around the time Zardari called him immature publicly).For why else were there leaks (deliberate or otherwise) in the earlier years about BBZ and Zardari not getting along. For many, he has already become an eloquent anti-establishment politician, following in the footsteps of his mother and grandfather. For example, for Punjab, it is the party which gifted the province long, harsh hours of load-shedding, while the PML-N reduced the long hours to shorter, bearable ones. With the PTI in power and the Sharif family in a mood for quiet reconciliation, only BBZ seems to be within reach of the coveted spot of "man of the Opposition". In comparison to the PML-N, which is seen to do so — Shahbaz Sharifs slogan of "kaam ko izzat do" resonates with its voters - the PPP is not seen to be a party that is capable of traditional governance. And all of these issues were highlighted more than once during the train march. In recent days, no one has been able to argue that Benazir Bhutto’s son and Asif Ali Zardari are two different people with a different view and style of politics.Perhaps, he feels he has no choice left. And a jittery PPP has brought out its only blazing gun — BBZ. Perhaps Bilawal now has no choice but to defend the party, its government and his father. In 2013 came the story that the son left the country after arguing about tickets with his dad.He sits next to his chief ministers (past and present) to attack the accountability process and make cracks about militants being given an NRO.The revival of the party, which was not easy to begin with, will be even more difficult because BBZ is now defending the party against corruption. The case threatens not just Asif Ali Zardari, but also the government of Sindh. Indeed, there is no one else who can compete with him to fill the space once dominated by Imran Khan.And this perception has simply worsened since Asif Ali Zardari took over the party.