Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf contested the 2018 general elections under its banner for change. Its manifesto promised to eradicate corruption and recover the plundered monies from foreign bank accounts where they were alleged to have been kept. It said the rupee would be strengthened and investors from around the world persuaded to invest in Pakistan. It said a meritocracy will be established and provisions for public education and health would be spending priorities. It said the poor would be lifted out of poverty, the begging bowl would be broken. By all accounts it was a tall order. In his campaign speeches Imran Khan invoked teachings of the Holy Quran and Hadith and promised to turn Pakistan into a welfare state in the likeness of the city state of Medina under the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Calphs. He mentioned his success in his campaigns to build the Shaukat Khanum Hospital and in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. The people of Pakistan apparently bought into the dream of a new Pakistan that was going to be fundamentally differents. In taking the plunge they were not deterred by those pointing out that a large number of turncoats who had been part of previous govrnments were jumping onto the PTI bandwagon and were being welcomed in its ranks. In his maiden speech as pime minister, Imran Khan set out to outline a 100-days plan reiterating his manifesto promises. Among his immediate gestures was an austerity drive resulting in liqidation of cars and cattle at the Prime Minister’s House and a vow to set up a top university at what had been the chief executive’s official residence. A number of task forces were set up to turn the Naya Pakistan dream into reality. For many, however, the formation of the federal cabinet came as a rude shock. Most of the new ministers had served in previous cabinets. Some people would recall the maxim that “the more things change, the more they remain the same”. Usman Buzdar was handpicked by the prime minister to be the chief minister of Punjab. As early criticism started, people were requested to be patient and give the new government some time to settle in. There was much self-congratulation as the government completed 100 days in power. Most of the analysts in mainstream media, however, took the prime minister and his party to task for failing to follow through on their promises. Some of the PTI leaders once again asked the people to give the government some more time. In his maiden speech as pime minister, Imran Khan set out to outline a 100-day plan reiterating his manifesto promises. Among his immediate gestures was an austerity drive resulting in liqidation of cars and cattle at the Prime Minister’s House and a vow to set up a top university at what had been the chief executive’s official residence Today, 7 months after the government took charge, it may be argued that the ruling party and its leader can be judged on the touchstone of their performance. All along, the PTI has talked of its good intentions and sought to wave aside the criticism levelled at it. Is it time finally to ask whether mere good intentions can be enough to ignore the economic woes of the people or not? So far, the PTI has been long on promises and short on delivery. Despite what Mirza Shahzad Akbar, the prime minister’s special assistant on accountability, has been saying, not a single dollar has been recovered so far out of the money stashed abroad. As for legislation, not a single bill has been introduced in the National Assembly, leave alone being signed into law. The proverbial man in the street has the feeling that he was fed on false hopes. A slew of new taxes has been introduced. The prices have gone up. Utility bills for electricity, natural gas, drinking water, and telephone are bigger, to say nothing of the price of petrol. The US dollar stands at 141.18 rupees. People shudder to think what the future holds for them. Wearing a broad smile, Asad Umar, the finance minister, trots out economic jargon to browbeat the lay man into agreeing that the economy being in dire straits, drastic steps are indeed needed. He points an accusing finger at the past governments. A simple, if blunt, question is in order: how can the PTI be expected to bring about positive change, when it is seen copying from the playbooks of previous governments? One is reminded of an Einstein quote popularized in this country by none other than Imran Khan: “insanity is (defined as) doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. This is indeed a sad state of affairs. The PTI should not add to the travails of those living below the poverty line. It emerged on the political horizon as a ray of hope. It should not dash the hopes of those, who reposed their confidence in it. The sooner it starts delivering on its promises, the better. Meanwhile, let us keep our fingers crossed. The writer is a Lahore-based lawyer