Daily Times

The myriad of challenges faced by Imran Khan’s government has left us wondering about their future path. Certainly the government needs to adopt austerity measures when it comes to spending. The rising public debt, deterioration in the value of rupee, low tax to GDP ratio, decreasing foreign direct investment and downward trend of our exports presents a sombre view of our economy. However, despite this situation, the government should understand that taking another IMF bail-out package will only make things worse, like the imposition of new taxes on the common citizens. Moves like this will be detrimental to the manifesto of the PTI who vowed to turn Pakistan in to an Islamic welfare state.

First, the government needs to set its sights on the privatization of loss-making entities like PIA, steel mills etc, after seeking the approval from the council of common interests, and privatization commission. These entities have already become a burden on tax revenues and the opportunity cost of keeping them under the control of the state has become too high. The new government should really make stringent efforts in raising the tax to GDP ratio by adopting a progressive taxation policy, and avoid moves made by previous governments, like levying a sales tax on petroleum products.

Second, after the eighteenth amendment, issues related to health, education and environment have been delegated to the provinces. They in turn need to spend more on these essential sectors, and must increase their efforts to augment the capacity and standards of public schools and hospitals to cater to the needs of the common man. With respect to the education sector, the provincial governments should streamline education through a homogenised education policy. At present, there is a three tier education system that includes Matric, O level and the madrassa (religious seminaries) system. This three tier system has led to severe ideological differences and class conflicts. The federal government, in collaboration with provincial governments, should formulate a ‘one education’ policy and implement it across the board, with immediate steps to eliminate the three tier education system.

In 2014, the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan observed that junior grade officers being appointed to higher grade posts — on either deputation, officiating basis, acting charge basis or on additional charge basis — is against the law and is an example of nepotism in the bureaucracy

As far as the environment is concerned, the provinces need to implement the recommendations of the Smog commission report, submitted recently before the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan. They need to make necessary efforts to increase the plantation of trees and clamp down on industrial units which are proving disastrous for the environment, as they give rise to green house gas emissions.

Instead of focusing on mega projects, the provincial governments must strictly adhere to the principles of sustainable development and good governance, and take all the necessary steps to bolster the standards of public schools and hospitals. We must also remember that the superior courts have already directed the federal government to implement a water policy in the country, as Pakistan is facing a dire water shortage unless they do not divert their attention towards building dams and conserving water. In 2017, the honourable Lahore High Court issued a judgment regarding the formulation of a water policy and referring the matter to a council of common interest. Recently, the honourable Supreme Court went one step further, and directed the federal government to take appropriate measures to construct Bhasha dam along with other small dams.

As far as appointments in public sector corporations and in autonomous as well as semi autonomous bodies are concerned, the new government should never compromise on the principles of transparency, fair play and meritocracy which are the cornerstone of good governance principles. In a number of judgments, the superior courts have delineated that in order to adhere to good governance principles, every appointment should be made on merit and that governments abiding by the rule of law should never make appointments that lead to nepotism or corrupt practices. Similarly, in the past it has been observed that governments have not been following statutory rules, and have been favouring their blue eyed civil servants; appointing them to higher grade positions in spite of the presence of more senior or more qualified candidates. In 2014, the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan observed that junior grade officers being appointed to higher grade posts (on either deputation, officiating basis, acting charge basis or on additional charge basis) is against the law and is an example of nepotism in the bureaucracy. The new government should strictly adhere to the statutory rules rather acting in an arbitrary manner.

On the foreign policy front, Imran khan recently supported Turkey against the sanctions imposed by the US due to the detention of an American pastor by the Turkish government. In retaliation, the US increased tariffs in steel and aluminium imports, resulting in a depreciation of the Turkish currency. At the centre of Pakistan-Iran relations is energy sector cooperation, particularly the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline worth about $7.5 billion that has remained defunct for the last five years of the PML-N tenure. Meanwhile, since April of this year, Saudi Arabia has been holding out the prospect of a long term financing arrangement worth $4 billion with the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank that will be used for oil financing. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman also directly called Mr Khan and promised to exchange top level visits in the future as well.

The famous writer Charles Dickens once said “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair”. These words describe Pakistan’s current political scenario quite perfectly. Even though it is a daunting task, and it remains to be seen whether Imran Khan will be able to implement the points highlighted in his party manifesto, yet people are hopeful that the time for real change is nigh.

The writer is a human rights activist, teacher and a constitutional lawyer. He can be contacted at sheraz.zaka@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, August 29^th 2018.