Daily Times

The caretaking days are finally upon us. On Thursday, an 18-member cabinet of newly-appointed premier Anwaarul Haq took the oath in what can be described as the ideal next step in the journey that would culminate in the next general elections. In an ideal world, there’s not much expected from anyone who agrees to step in the worthy shoes and preside over a smooth baton handoff. Just hold elections in a manner prescribed by the constitution rand job, well done! But not in a country where shrill alarm bells have become the norm and any unbiased exercise that manages to sit well with all quarters, is as rare as a flying unicorn. Here, Mr Kakar and his team of honourable men would not enjoy the luxury of sitting through their tenue, announcing one date and getting done with their job. They have to take care of a crippled economy and a torn-to-bits societal fabric. Between the latest hike in prices of petroleum products and a national tragedy unfolding in Jaranwala, the interim setup is expected to jump to action right away. There’s a lot that needs to be done in addition to the usual assessment. Sandwiched between building bridges with Iran, Russia and the rest of the neighbourhood and overseeing the momentum of crucial alliances, a series of key decisions cannot be allowed to hang in the air until the new government takes charge. Mr Kakar’s nomination might have surprised many but his shining credentials provide ample evidence of his ability to steer through the choppy waters. With a string of accomplished names like Murtaza Solangi, Dr Umar Saif, Dr Shamshad Akhtar and Jalil Abbas Jilani standing alongside, he appears to have had studied for the assignment. After all, he needs to be prepared for the daunting challenges that lay before him: keeping a tab on all sparks that have the potential to develop in to a full-blown crisis on top of working on an election blueprint that appears aggreeable to the political elite. Let the juggling games begin! *