Glossary: Pakistan Peoples Party

Definition: The Pakistan Peoples Party is Pakistan's largest, left-leaning, secular political parties. Socialism defines many of its principles, though not its accomplishments, which have been scant since Zulikfar Ali Bhutto founded it in November 1967. The PPP has more often been bedeviled by corruption and nepotism than principled leadership.

The PPP's twin principles: Creating an egalitarian democracy through socialism and opposing military dictatorship. Dictatorships such as Pervez Musharraf's (1999-2008) have ruled Pakistan for half its existence.

The Party has been led exclusively by members of the Bhutto family since its founding. The party's chairmen are as follows:

• Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1967-1979)
• Nusrat Bhutto (1979-1984)
• Benazir Bhutto (1984-2007)
• Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (Since 2007).

In Pakistan's February 2008 parliamentary election, the PPP won 94 seats to the 272-member elected assembly, the largest share. (The assembly is actually made up of 336 members, but 272 are elected. The rest are appointed proportionately to represent women and minorities. Of those appointed positions, the PPP has 28, for a total of 121.)