For over 4 years, PPP had a chance to rule with full support of establishment, but except for failures, scams, brinkmanship and street smart intrigues they have nothing else to offer. By nominating a man as PM, who is identified with crippling electrical shortages, the PPP has sent a very wrong message to masses whose patience has already run out with no electricity.The man at the helm thought it was all about power politics and for deliverance other than slogans it was a never ending tale of miseries and corruption for the people, driving them to desperation. Their hopes for relief after 8 long years of dictatorship were dashed. This was a party founded by ZAB, whose biggest critics could not accuse him of corruption, or being a man without any credibility. How unfortunate that an opportunity offered by bold decision of Chief Justice Iftikhar to defy a military dictator set into motion a chain of events which facilitated both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Shariff to return back, the former after her self-imposed exile, the latter after his forced exile. On her first day of arrival in Pakistan, her procession was attacked in Karachi, killing over 180 citizens in Oct 2007. She miraculously escaped only to fall victim to another attack in Rawalpindi. This created a void and a wave of sympathy swept a beleaguered PPP to win seats short of a majority. This coalition setup focused their energies on brinkmanship of power politics and totally disregarded welfare of masses, or security of life for those who had elected them. Today wheels of industry have grinded to a halt because of crippling power shortages rendering millions of daily wagers unemployed. Prices of all essential agriculture produce were hiked to international level for benefit of few feudal landlords, with no similar rise in wages or subsidy for poor. Thousands of residents of Karachi have been killed in target killings, while trade and business activity in the financial hub of Pakistan marginalised by lawlessness, extortion and kidnappings. The nation’s public sector corporations have been destroyed with losses and liabilities in most cases exceeding assets only because of massive corruption and mismanagement by incompetent political cronies. In four years, this government has piled the national debt to almost double of what it was in previous 60 years with nothing to show as far as infrastructure, or development, but instead massive deterioration in all sectors.MALIK TARIQ ALI, Lahore, June 22.