Another Board of Investment (BoI) Chairperson bites the dust. Atif Bokhari is the third head of the ill-omened department to prematurely leave office in the last three years. So much for the skipper’s dream of good times being ahead! Mr Bokhari’s abrupt farewell has once again brought back the economic uncertainty into focus. For how can Islamabad dispel bad press over its commitment to fixing the economy with such frequent changes in big wheels? It does seem a bit unfair to sell PM Khan down the river given the similar pattern of changing heads in the last tenure (five chairpersons during the past five years). However, the kaptaan’s misfortune continues to haunt him for he still lacks the golden eleven he used to promise the nation. It was the same when financial czar, Asad Umar, had to be removed. There were great hopes pinned to the next experiment with Dr Hafeez Shaikh. But call it the unfortunate consequence of his shock defeat in Senate, he could not survive the political upheaval despite the government cashing in all its chips. For whatever reason floated the administration’s boat, the next minister, Hammad Azhar, only lasted three weeks. Thankfully, the newest captain, Shaukat Tarin is cushioned comfortably in his seat of captaincy. Surviving all odds, Mr Tarin is still hopeful of putting the economy back on the recovery path. But as the finance minister stands tall, the same cannot be said about Pakistan’s premier investment promotion agency. Mr Bokhari was expected to sit tight and complete his term given his good reputation in the official circles. His track was considerably different from that of Zubair Gillani (who succumbed to political interventionism) and Haroon Sharif (who fell out of favour of powers that be). Yet, the dreary outcome remained the same. The chairperson’s wicket is down, and uncertainty hangs heavy in the air. Things have come well beyond a point where the prime minister is left with no other choice but to have a deeper look within. Is it really just a stroke of bad luck that Mr Khan is always stuck with team members who are not worthy enough? Many quarters are now abuzz with speculations that they are not adequately briefed about the state’s expectations. Undeniably, those who sit on the hot seat should know for themselves that they are boarding a ship in turbulent waters. Still, if they are determined to spend their days building castles in the air, the government should be the ones rolling up its sleeves. For utmost clarity about the job description would leave no room for excuses later. And we cannot afford another endless round of unbelievable excuses. Then again, there have been some grave accusations against the no-questions-asked policies of PM’s Advisor on Commerce, Abdur Razzak Dawood. Rumbustious elements should not be allowed to overshadow other portfolios. Last we checked, a functioning democracy rests on specific boundaries regarding repertoires, not a hotch-potch of working quarters. *