Selling a purge

Communist regimes in the middle-half of the twentieth century were notorious for what Western historians would later label as “purge”. A purge would occur every few years, entailing a crackdown on party and government officials. More often sinister than benign, these internal cleanups used to help the communist regimes consolidate power, manage dissent, and retain public approval. Except for excesses like Stalin’s Great Purge (1936-38) and our beloved Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution (1966-69).

In post-cold-war era, purges have taken a more political and less violent meaning; even liberal democracies indulge in it as a means to achieve internal revival of competence and external renewal of support. In the US, a cabinet reshuffle is the norm every two years after mid-term elections. In the UK, high cabinet turnover is not an exception amid Brexit chaos. Taking cleanup to a wholesale level are countries like Italy and Australia where heads of government were shuffled seven times in ten years.

Here at home, Imran Khan has also tried his own version of a political purge. Except, this purge doesn’t involve widespread repression or a humiliating sendoff to labour camp for those who “take the capitalist road”. Instead, this purge is about convincing the bourgeoisie base, which is feeling the burn of economic downturn, that their captain has their back. It’s about a show of strength in a time of political weakness.

There are, of course, several political and economic factors behind Thursday’s purge. Khan is, however, framing it in a one-dimensional manner. Whoever doesn’t perform will be demoted or forced out of job. And the purge will be an ongoing exercise. It’s a smart narrative – it creates necessary panic among the ranks to get cracking; it reassures the middle-class base that Khan is reading the pulse; it exalts the premier above reproach; and it gives an impression that the PM still has writ over this government.

Whatever the political commentary on the events of last week, fact is that the Khanate is going to need plenty of “internal revival” and “external renewal” in coming years. Internal revival is about boosting the competence level of the governing team. External is about restoration of people’s belief that the party is willing and able to rejuvenate its governance. Nawaz had an experienced team that knew what needed to be done; but lack of critical self-appraisal, especially on political reforms, led to path of political oblivion.

There are questions whether the reshuffled cabinet will deliver any better than the last one; whether technocrats in key posts will get along with the career politicians in the cabinet; and whether the premier himself will now focus more on his party’s governance than on securing accountability for governors past. There are even rumblings among party faithful over who is really at the helm, if it is not the PM himself.

Those questions will need some time answering. But the mother of all issues facing this government right now is how to stabilize the economy. In Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh’s selection, the government will have an experienced hand minding the deficits and managing affairs associated with the IMF and FATF. Here is to the success of the King’s Hand in time.