Lately there has been a well-orchestrated media blitzkrieg against PPP its Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari. Even some senior journalists have started painting doomsday scenario regarding PPP's future obviously casting doubts on its present. The overall picture has doubly confounded the confusion. As a detached observer sitting half the world away from Pakistan I have reasons to assume that everything that is being churned out is overly linked to divert the attention from the ramifications of the murder of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the larger conspiracy behind the dastardly deed to obliterate PPP from the body politics of Pakistan-a long standing objective of the establishment and vested interests. The other day a PPP minister in the Frontier Coalition had expressed his concern over the activities of some of the old Trojan horses in the party trying to destabilise it or undermine it perhaps to promote their own selfish interests after having been sidelined in the larger interest of the party in the post-BB assassination period. His statement has definitely become relevant in view of the recent moves by Amin Fahim, Naheed Khan, Safdar Abbasi and host of others. They virtually took over the party in the period of BB's exile and long incarceration of Zardari. While BB denied enough care to her children while her spouse was in jail - to keep the party intact, those who styled themselves as her so-called trusted aides did everything they could possibly do to weaken the party. Attempts to destroy the PPP and undermine its strength have not been new. Ever since its populist ascendancy and acquisition of a permanent unchallenged position in Pakistan's politics under the leadership of its founder Shaheed Bhutto and later under Mohtarma Benazir as the sole challenger to the establishment's power troika, the party has successfully braved all storms, machinations and internal conspiracies by leaders who have either tried to take it over or break it. When Zia staged a coup against ZAB the majority of the PPP leaders and workers remained loyal and stood steadfast by him. A few quislings did try to break or hijack the party. Though in prison ZAB had seen through the game and was aware of Zia's conspiracy to take over the party, he chose his his brave wife Nusrat Bhutto to lead the PPP with the help of his dearest daughter. And when Begum Sahiba's health deteriorated following an unhealed head injury inflicted on her by Zia's storm troopers in Lahore, Benazir was passed on the mantle of leadership through a consensus of ZAB loyalists. Benazir's ascendancy as party leader was not aimed at continuing Bhutto family's hold on the party but to protect and preserve ZAB's political legacy. Some who had ambitions of their own sought to establish their own brands of fake PPPs (such as Progressive People's Party, National People's Party and later more so as Shaheed groups) only to be shown boot by the masses. The moment these leaders deserted PPP betraying the Shaheed Baba, the masses rendered them into political dwarfs. Expelled by PPP many of them remain political orphans to this day more or less like Leghari. Had ZAB not handed the party leadership over to his dauntless wife to be succeeded by his courageous daughter the PPP by now would have been rendered into yet another PML-Q. I can claim with least fear of contradiction that preservation of Bhutto-iite identity of PPP and through it service to the people of Pakistan, preservation of the federation, alleviation of the sufferings of the downtrodden masses, empowerment of less privileged including women, minorities and children - were more dear to her than her life. At the same time she was overly conscious of the attempts that were made to hijack the party in the past and had remained apprehensive of imminence of such attempt to her end. What had shaken her confidence in some of those people in her party who owed their political careers to her was the betrayal by Leghari. I am privy to a hand-written letter from him to BB soon after her father's execution assuring her that as a Baloch he was honour bound to stand by her through thick and thin like a brother and even to give his life for her. I wish Sardar Sherbaz Mazari had published his memoirs earlier. One would have learnt about the "other side" of the character of the Tahajudguzar Tamundar of New Choti. It would have made Bibi think twice before nominating him for the presidency. It is indeed divine justice that the person who once was the president is a political pariah. When 2002 elections were called we knew that BB would not be allowed to contest. Her assessment was absolutely right. Benazir-specific laws were introduced to keep her out. Not only that, such a mechanism was contrived that she could not be in a position to lead the party and if PPP had to contest it had to get registered with a new chairman. In such a situation Makhdoom Amin Fahim, being the senior vice president would have taken over. Bibi's case was once bitten twice shy. Besides, she had an excellent network of eyes and ears that kept feeding her what was being conspired in the corridors of power in Islamabad. I was summoned early in the morning to her flat to discuss the situation. I knew it must have been something important that made her call me that early. She said: "Wajid Bhai, advise me what to do. I think there is a conspiracy to take over PPP from me. Since they won't register it with me as Chairperson we won't be able to contest." After many mugs of black coffee something struck my mind. In a laconic suggestion I uttered "Bibi, why don't you have PPPP". She did not grasp at first but then I explained she could have a new party registered titled Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian with Fahim as its president. And that was it. No questions asked. PPPP was found. She sat on the computer, I on a chair next to her and she started typing with instructions to me not to interrupt, just to take the finished paper from the printer, read it, make any corrections " if needed. As a journalist who had written millions of words in a career spread over decades " I confess I have never seen the like of her. In an hour's time she had churned out a constitution for the PPPP. Not many changes were required, copies made and then she said, "Wajid Bhai, let us reward ourselves for such a brilliant idea" and out we went to a nearby Gloucester Road coffee shop to have tea, coffee and muffins that she was very fond of. Later in the day she called all the PPP leaders and surprised them with the PPPP package. It was opposed by every one. They had different reasons for rejecting the suggestion of setting up another PPP. Some believed they would badly fare in elections. Others thought it was a joke. They all became serious when she told them point blank "take it or leave it" " "I will not hand over Bhutto Sahib's PPP to anyone " whether one likes it or not". She also explained to them with irrefutable arguments that "by propping up PPPP I have punctured a plot to take over the original party". And finally she convinced most of them while one or two among them must have started immediately toying with the idea of their becoming PM. PPPP move paid off, it got largest number of seats and MAF thought he would be the PM. Throughout the period of her exile she continuously knocked one door after the other with a hope that some day there would be an opening and foreign supporters of dictatorship in Pakistan will realise that there is no substitute to democracy. A decade of global networking by her led to successes that made elections inevitable. Think tanks and experts had been forecasting an unavoidable denouement writ large as Pakistan's fate especially when powers that be wanted SMBB to stay away from Pakistan. But Bhutto had to return - at the cost of her life " to try to save the federation. Though she had all the evidence that she had been consigned to death by her enemies, she took upon them with steeled courage and determination to save her country. After all it was her countrywide popular acceptance as the saviour of Pakistan " like her father that had kept the four federating units together notwithstanding the disenchantment of the people of the three smaller provinces who have had enough of exploitation by Bonapartist rulers. Much before she boarded the plane on her fatal journey, BB knew well that she was walking into the hornet's nest. Just on the eve of her departure she told me she wanted me to stay in London " "you never know what is in store for me." I expressed my fears about her life in view of the venomous hatred for her among her enemies. As usual she responded "life and death is in the hands of Allah". It was a brave heart's force of her conviction to save Pakistan that compelled her to smilingly die for the cause that was dearest to her. The will " in her unwavering handwriting that I can recognise from far and in green ink " the colour that she loved most " will be remembered as the historic parchment engrained on the sands of time by the force of her conviction. Those who planned BB's murder must have taken it for granted that Faheem will become the party chairman and PM after her death. But they did not know that BB was always two steps ahead of them and that she would leave a will and nominate her successor. I am sure Makhdoom Sahib and others would recall discussions that were held even when BB was alive as to who would be the prime minister for three months. She used to say that she would appoint Faryal Talpur or Azra as interim prime minister." She did not want history of 2002 repeat when a forward block had been made in the party. Writing her will just at that time " no doubt an act of rare courage " while nominating Zardari as her successor was not only to avoid spilt in the party but to protect and preserve its integrity. Indeed, her apprehensions are proving right. And like Leghari, those who could have been least expected of betraying her due to their claim to be closest to her stand exposed as major villains of the piece. Those who think there can be a split in PPP are most certainly wrong. Many in the past too tried but all their attempts fell flat on their faces and they rest in pieces in the dustbin of history. I am sure if Zardari continues with BB's policies as PPP's co-chairman those who want to do meaningful politics they will have no choice but to follow him. Whatever, he must remain on guard against the snakes in the grass and scotch them before they bite him. He must remember Bhutto commitment " power to the people. PPP's strength is not in some bunch of heavyweight opportunists but in the heart and soul of the poor masses. He must get down to real business of translating party manifesto of roti, kapra and makan. That would be the best answer to his critics. Zardari must remember that he has qualities of leadership in him. He proved it once when he saved the country by standing up like a rock to defend Ms Bhutto's federal Pakistan against the angry slogans of Pakistan Na-Khappe in Sindh and other smaller provinces. He can bury all his critics through action and performance by alleviating the sufferings of the masses. The writer is the High Commissioner of Pakistan in UK