Please excuse the confusion but did the federal government count the eggs before they hatched as it took the boats out over the glorious revival of the IMF programme that would steadily guide the finance ship through seriously choppy waters? The ongoing spat between federal finance minister Miftah Ismael and his northwestern counterpart Taimur Khan Jhagra gives a whiff of the much-talked-about light at the end of the tunnel drifting further away. There is no denying the extraordinary circumstances befallen the provincial administration as it rolls up its sleeves to battle the “extreme flooding wreaking havoc in Swat, DI Khan and Tank,” the operating expenses of which are bound “to run into the tens of billions.” However, waiting for the last second–just three days before a key meeting–to flash out such a phenomenal piece of bad news does not sound appropriate for an MoU signatory, whose active share to the provision of around Rs 750 billion cash surplus was a key requirement of the Memorandum of Economic and Fiscal Policies signed with the IMF. Fuming at a hurriedly-called press conference, Mr Ismail was quite right in his concerns about the dire implications for the resumption of the $6 billion loan programme. “It was not the time to write the letter ahead of the IMF meeting and play politics,” he seethingly remarked, determined to land the much-needed $1.2 billion, one way or another. That the ruling party could have waited for a few days to raise its reservations or approached the centre in a manner that did not merrily make rounds on social media do not sound entirely off the mark either. But the other side of the picture is just as disgruntled. Why couldn’t the ministry be bothered to find some time in its busy schedule to meet with the representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkwa about the realisation of prior commitments in the last month-and-a-half? The flickering fire between the centre and Sindh during the last tenure should have been enough of a lesson for the ruling coalition to disband the politics of hollow promises and instead harness fruitful collaborations with the provinces. Budget allocations for erstwhile FATA have long been a burning issue. Similarly pressing is the matter of monthly transfers of Net Hydel Profits guaranteed by an MoU signed in 2016. In stark contrast to what Mr Ismael posed in front of cameras, it is not the case of someone tightening the government’s screws over “six, seven issues,” but a necessary trust-building exercise that would not only ensure Peshwar keeps up its end of the bargain but also thinks about moving beyond political inclinations in matters of governance. Whether the IMF deal has taken a hit by this waving of the white flag would only be clear after Monday, but until then, both parties involved might benefit from taking a look within and reflecting on the consequences of their knee-jerk approaches. *