KARACHI:
Two and a half years into its tenure, the incumbent government has shuffled the federal cabinet for a sixth time. Shaukat Tarin is the new finance minister, a fourth in the current setup. This not only indicates that one of the serious challenges facing Imran Khan is finding the right man for the right job, but it also contradicts PTI’s claim of having a fully prepared and competent team to bring about a substantial change in the country.
There seems to be no end to this game of musical chairs in the ministerial cabinet. It is still unclear how replacing one portfolio for another in the case of non-performing ministers is likely to lead to an overall performance boost. The best the ruling party can hope to achieve with this strategy is allow for ministers doing relatively well to take over ministries that the Prime Minister wants to focus on. This only helps specific portfolios.
Apart from this, the government needs to make economic structural changes by utilising all available resources in order to plan a path out of the current debt crisis. Ministers are expected to set a policy direction for their assigned domains and provide the framework for how to meld governance vision with project implementation. This requires clarity of vision and consistency of execution.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what is lacking under the PTI government’s watch. With almost half of its five-year term consumed with little progress, it may be prudent for PM Imran to settle down with a team that will see this government through till the next election. Such fluctuations take a toll on the overall performance of the government.
Salma Tahir
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2021.
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