Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the winner of the 2018 General Elections, and its Chairman, Imran Khan, is poised to become the next prime minister of the country. The idea of a Naya Pakistan has worked and motivated people to leave their comfort zone and vote for change.

A simple analysis shows that the party will form the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is in a good position to do so in Punjab as well. In Sindh, the party will form a strong opposition to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government.

Khan has made an incredible first speech after being voted into power. He has set his difference aside and clarified that he is going to move forward. He has said that he will establish close brotherly relations with all major Islamic countries. He also stressed that the rule of law will be the top priority for his government.

The incoming PTI government will focus on education, health, police reforms, job creation, fiscal and foreign policy. It will also work with overseas Pakistanis to reform local institutions. The party’s first challenge will be the implementation of a uniform education policy for all four provinces. For this, the direction needs to come from the centre itself. Universities such as NAMAL need to be established throughout the country.

The job doesn’t end there, a job market has to be pumped with energy so that new graduates do not have to worry about unemployment. Students should also be given scholarships for MPhil and PhD degrees so that they can research their respective fields.

The incoming PTI government will focus on education, health, police reforms, job creation, fiscal and foreign policy. It will also work with overseas Pakistanis to reform local institutions

Khan’s government will also have to look at the healthcare sector. Existing hospitals need to be upgraded while new facilities are the need of the hour. Each province needs its own free-of-cost cancer hospital.

The energy crisis has been very critical in Pakistan because of the demand and supply gap. PTI will have to spearhead the construction of new dams such as the Diamer-Bhasha dam. PTI can take Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s efforts forward and keep the fund raising going. The previous government failed to tackle this issue, and PTI’s government will need to resolve it on war footing.

The party will also need to address the depreciation of the rupee against the dollar. A team of economists should be engaged to develop viable strategies. In this regard, the services of policy think thanks, including Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Islamabad would be the key to give the best policy advise. The country also needs a robust foreign policy. It is imperative that Pakistan adopts a clear policy on how it will engage with the US, Russia, and our old friend China.

PTI also has to see that we gain access to international markets to improve and increase exports. For this, we need to establish industrial zones and economic zones.

Local governance is also an important factor that requires attention. This should be a federal subject so that there is a uniform model that is applied all through the country.

These are many challenges, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. Khan has his work cut out for him, but the public trusts him.

If all these issues are resolved, the people of Pakistan will retain their positive image of PTI and its visionary leadership.

The writer is a Kandhkot, District Kashmore-based researcher in Policy matters, Political Science, Political Economy, Education, governance, society, Development Planning and Human Rights. He can be reached at armalik067@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, July 30^th 2018.