Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP)

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), the parliamentary wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was founded in 1967, on November 30 by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who became its first chairman and later Prime Minister of Pakistan. Pakistan Peoples Party is the largest political party of Pakistan. This party has been active in Pakistani Politics after the separation of East Wing from the rest of Pakistan. The party gained much popularity and support from masses in era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The party won the 1971 elections on socialist mandate of "Roti, Kapra, Makan" (bread, clothes, shelter). PPP took control of the country after the Indian supported Civil War of 1971. After the first parliamentary term, PPP secured a landslide victory in 1977 elections to rule for further five years.

Opposition parties claimed that the election was heavily rigged by PPP. Tensions mounted and despite the agreement was reached between opposition and PPP, martial law was imposed in the country by Gen. Zia ul Haq. Bhutto was hanged in 1977 after a very controversial trial in which he was found guilty of murder of a political opponent. His daughter Benazir Bhutto was elected twice as the prime minister but her government was dismissed both times on corruption charges, none of them proven in the court despite many years of proceedings.

PPP (was a socialist nationalist party when formed by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but moved toward the right under Benazir Bhutto. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto wanted closer ties with China and more attention to the lower classes. Benazir Bhutto adopted conservative privatization policies in order to secure funding from the United States and the World Bank. Although twice elected Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto was criticized for corruptions and extra-judicial killings.

The PPP currently holds 81 seats in the national assembly and 11 seats in the senate. It forms the provincial government in Sindh is the official opposition in Punjab. In the Angus-Reid pre-election polls of 22-December-2007, it was in first place, with about 30% of the vote. It is strong in the rural areas of Sindh and Punjab.