Seen by many as a sign of commitment to good governance, the self-imposed 100-day deadline offered up by the PTI-led government has now come to pass. Political observers have been busy marking their respective scorecards this week. As political assessments usually go, it’s a qualitative exercise prone to subjectivity – and it probably matters little to the ruled so early in a first-time ruler’s reign.
Perhaps the only consequential indicator to examine at this stage is whether a different “direction” has been set on matters of economic, diplomatic, security, political and social importance. It appears that the direction has been set right on several fronts – but there are question marks on administrative capacity to deliver.
The macroeconomic arena required a drastic course correction. Expectations were running high after PM Khan assembled a strong economic team which identified balance of payment (BOP) as the immediate issue needing attention. But gradually it became clear that the finance wizard was short of necessary homework. The vagueness about stabilization measures continues to this day. Also, it didn’t help the market’s confidence when the PM’s visits abroad were prematurely advertised as BOP rescue missions.
In the diplomatic arena, the new government made the right moves in many areas. In the region, peace overtures were made to India early on – but progress won’t come until Modi sarkar’s likely re-election next year. Earlier misgivings about CPEC with the Chinese now also stand resolved. After his China trip, PM Khan is now seen defending CPEC’s merits enthusiastically.
Several visits to the two Gulf powers also yielded qualified success. The government went on to restore normal contact with the Americans. Normalcy is required to pacify a mercurial President’s administration if Pakistan is to secure its economic interests at fora like the IMF and the FATF. One hopes that the progress made would not be lost after the PM’s direct response to Trump’s recent tirade against Pakistan.
As for internal security, the Khan government inherited much more peace & quiet compared to what befell Nawaz and Zardari administrations in 2013 and 2008, respectively. Now a different challenge, this time from religious hardliners from the Punjab heartland, is stalking the state. But it’s good to finally see the civil-military-judicial trio on the same page vis-à-vis the state’s responsibility to uphold the rule of law. A fresh, institutional push to deal with religious extremism, however, is urgently required.
On the political front, the government doesn’t face any serious competition as the top leadership of the two major parties is in the dock. (It would be wise for top government ministers to not waste time commenting on those controversies). But lack of competition can also be a bad thing. Some observers suggest that having Punjab firmly in the bag is serving as a dis-incentive for the PTI to build competence to perform in the largest province.
On the social front, the government’s plan to construct five million housing units is something that can positively influence the country’s social fabric for a long time to come. A policy framework has been launched with the help of a task force. But it remains unclear which ministry/division will lead this initiative, where will the funds come from, and most importantly how will the projects be scaled across the country?
In short, on several fronts, the government’s heart was in the right place, but the head needs to do some more thinking. Plans and policies are no good if execution capacity is found wanting. Towards that end, the sooner institutional reforms kick in, the better. The premier looks at remarkable ease despite several issues facing his administration. One hopes this relaxed attitude owes to confidence and not to complacency.