The drama and comedy of the Senate elections along with the election of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate are finally over for the people of Pakistan. Now, the time has come for Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI-led government to step up its game for the final two years of its mandate.
Many PTI voters, supporters, and Pakistanis yearning for genuine change have become disenchanted and frustrated by PM Khan’s rule during the first two-and-half years. No doubt, the government achieved successes on certain fronts such as foreign policy, environment, expanding the social safety net, tackling the covid crisis, and implementing FATF conditions to avoid blacklisting.
However, the PTI-government has experienced failure on other fronts like inflation, judicial reforms, electoral reforms, civil service reforms, and reining in the various mafias and cartels operating in Pakistan.
The confidence vote in the National Assembly and the successful election of the government-backed candidates for the posts of Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate has given PM Imran Khan a second life that he can’t afford to waste. Also, the results of the recent Senate election show that the government-alliance has 48 seats out of 100, which added to the 178 seats in the National Assembly, the government alliance has 226 votes or a four-vote majority in a joint session to pass legislation if the opposition parties in the Senate decide to continue its obstructionism.
The people of Pakistan regardless of political affiliation want to see the dithering of the first two-and-half years to end and the start of implementing during decisions and reforms that Pakistanis expected from a PTI-government. Therefore, the PTI-government at the center and the provinces where it governs must effectively address a few key issues before the next general election.
The biggest challenge facing PM Imran Khan and his government is tackling inflation as the cost of living and production have been rising unabated for the last two years. There is a necessity for a more concerted effort to combat hoarding and profiteering by all levels of government with the federal government leading the charge. All levers of government like the Competition Commission must become active and take on the various cartels and mafias related to essential goods and commodities.
The recent inflation wave, which has broken the back of the public, not only includes food items, petroleum products, natural gas, and electricity but also medicines. The Prime Minister’s economic team will require new thinking and strategy besides monetary tightening as inflation might rise further due to continuous spikes in international crude oil prices. The longer-term solution for inflation might be the implementation of supply-side policies that enhances our economy’s productive potential.
To kickstart the economy after the coronavirus crisis of last year, the government must vaccinate everyone who wants to be as quickly as possible. The hardest thing for the government is to obtain a steady supply of the vaccine so that every citizen can receive an injection.
The government along with the local pharmaceutical industry should investigate the possible domestic production of the vaccine. The Prime Minister should introduce an awareness campaign for vaccination and set a target of 12 to 18 months for vaccination of all Pakistanis.
The PTI-government must make substantial progress on its flagship megaproject, the Naya Pakistan Housing Program that intends to provide 5 million low-cost/affordable housing units to working-class families. The successful completion of this project would be a huge political boon for PM Imran Khan and PTI, as the beneficiaries of this program would likely vote for PTI in the next election. It might not be realistic to construct 5 million units within the next two years but at least 1 to 2 million before the next election should be the goal.
Before the next general election, PTI-government should maximize the distribution of Sehat Insaf Cards throughout all the provinces that PTI governs, especially Punjab. Regarding enhancing the voter base of PTI, this is another crucial program that needs acceleration. Also, the Prime Minister and his team should attempt to introduce these cards in Balochistan and Sindh.
The Prime Minister needs to pay more attention to the issues affecting Karachi and faster implementation of the Karachi Package. Karachi, the economic heart of Pakistan, is yearning for attention and improvement to its physical and social infrastructure. The time has come for PM Khan and PTI to deliver for Karachi. By doing little or nothing on Karachi issues, the PTI-government might pay a heavy political price in the next election.
The 2018 general election should be the last one using traditional paper ballots. The next general election should be the first one to use electronic voting machines and so, the Prime Minister must introduce and pass the required amendments in relevant laws. Besides electronic voting machines, parliament should pass whatever reforms are necessary to ensure that the electoral process is free, fair, and transparent. If the opposition is willing to support reforms, great, if not, for the sake of the greater national interest, the government should go ahead using its combined strength in a joint session of parliament to do the needful.
Also, the PTI-government must reform the electoral process of the Senate and allow the voters to decide through proportional representation with political parties winning seats according to the percentage of the popular vote in each province. This will end the debate over open ballot or secret ballot and the buying of MNAs and MPAs.
People who follow me on social media know that I am a supporter, voter, and worker of PTI but I am first a Pakistani and humble servant of Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan. I still have hope in the leadership of PM Imran Khan to transform Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state and progressive nation but he must begin to take bold decisions.
As a legendary cricketer and fast bowler, the Prime Minister certainly knows that fortune favors the brave. I would kindly suggest to PM Imran Khan to closely study U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) for inspiration, as FDR became President during the Great Depression and transformed America with his New Deal agenda. Pakistan and Imran Khan are standing at the crossroadsand failure is not an option.
