There is good news in the Punjab. The PMLN and the PTI — the latter holding the position of Opposition Leader in the provincial assembly — have agreed on a caretaker Chief Minister. Indeed, it was smooth sailing all the way. Enter Nasir Mehmood Khan Khosa who has a diverse portfolio both in the political and non-political sphere. Regarding the latter, he has, since 2014, held the position of World Bank Alternate Executive Director representing Afghanistan, Algeria, Ghana, Iran, Morocco, Tunisia and Pakistan. This is more than a ceremonial post given that each Executive Director appoints an Alternate who has full authority to act in his or her absence. On the political front, Khosa has served two provinces as chief secretary: Balochistan and the Punjab. This may well explain why the PTI not only supported his nomination but was reportedly the party to thrown his name into the ring on the grounds that he is not a PMLN man. Though he has served under both Sharifs. That being said, Khosa will have to tread carefully; to demonstrate his impartiality. This is not a reflection on his professionalism but of the testing times that both the outgoing regime and Pakistan itself is currently passing through. Which is another way of saying that the caretaker Chief Minister will have to ensure that he neutralises the bureaucratic machinery that has essentially been set up by the PMLN for the PMLN to serve the people over the last 10-year period. This is particularly important given, say, ongoing infrastructure projects. Ditto when it comes to provincial initiatives such as the much-lauded Women on Wheels (WoW) scheme to get women on bikes to help them reclaim the public space. In other words, delivery of such services should not be dependent on who is at the helm. The same must naturally hold true when it comes to the appointment of civil servants. Any caretaker politician faces similar challenges. Though bluntly put, that the Punjab is the seat of federal government places it in a unique position as compared to other provinces. * Published in Daily Times, May 30th 2018.