Prime Minister Imran Khan had to steer the crescent-adorned ship through all sorts of waves this year: some choppy, some smooth. There is no denying how impossible of a task it is to come out of a mountain of debt but thank heavens for moving beyond the econometric of cows and desi chickens to initiatives that actually matter. The initiation of the Sehat Card across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for starters, is a great campaign that resonates well with the citizen-centric mandate of the ruling party. Amid the heartening opening act where official mouthpieces could not stop talking about the somewhat better economic trajectory, the miraculous recovery from the initial pandemic strains and the successful conclusion of the fifth season of the IMF review, a sliver of hope had pierced through the usual Nostromdamean talk of doom and gloom. However, encouraging silver linings of record remittances from the Pakistani diaspora, a phenomenal growth rate of above nine per cent in the industrial position, and the much-needed salve of 3.94 per cent GDP growth were seemingly not enough lifelines to ease the pressure off our cash-strapped economy. The growth in the construction sector (followed by a boom in the related industries), as well as an uptick in real estate, are definitely paying off. But picturesque statistics is a futile exercise if not followed by public welfare. That exceptional performance by the agriculture sector (especially wheat and sugarcane) have done nothing against the back-breaking rise in prices of commodities like sugar is a stark reminder of how ill-planned policies (never mind, the noble intent) always find a way to turn even a hail-mary-pass into a gross crisis. As if intolerable high inflation was not worrisome enough, energy crunches and staggering unemployment cloud an ominous threat of dark, dark times. This is not to say that the government has not sensed the change in the tide. Frequent changes in the finance team (from policymakers all the way to the minister) have been the hallmark of the PTI’s 2021 but to date, no sparkly rabbit out of the magician’s hat has been able to deliver anything worthwhile. Come 2022, Islamabad needs some serious image-building exercises for a positive spin on the IMF-requested expenditure cuts to the tune of about Rs 600 billion. Ever-so-eager Energy Minister is anticipating positive news from the FATF but the multi-million question posits: are the Big Brothers ready to greenlight Pakistan? Since the long-awaited olive branch from Jeddah has finally arrived, the government is in a much better position to transfer at least some of the sweeteners down the chain. Whether it actually makes up its mind to take its foot off the rationing pedal and turbo-charge relief packages (though rumour mills can’t stop processing an onslaught of indirect taxes worth Rs 360 billion) would decide how much of a bumpy ride next year is. Godspeed! *