People have given their verdict against five years of poor governance, cronyism, rampant corruption, lawlessness and crippling power shortages that made the lives of citizens, rich or poor, unbearable and agonising. The PML-N benefited from the failures of the ruling coalition, which in the name of reconciliation had compromised on its primary obligation to provide education, health and security to the citizens.
The first vital test for Nawaz Sharif will be the choices he makes when it comes to appointing men of integrity to head state corporations or financial institutions. He will be closely watched by an independent media and a relatively more awakened electorate with regard to his economic revival schemes and commitment to taxing everybody, including retail traders who are the biggest tax evaders. Mr Sharif needs to select men of integrity to head state regulatory bodies such as the SECP, the State Bank of Pakistan, Ogra, etc. to ensure that strict regulatory controls are exercised for the benefit of taxpayers and consumers, instead of vested interests, which had been dominating these organisations.
Gull Zaman
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2013.
