IN the backdrop of the financial squeeze caused by the economic turmoil and the need for an experienced and energetic team, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has opted to have a lean but strong federal cabinet, as evident from the picks he made for the first phase of the cabinet. At the recommendation of the Prime Minister, President Asif Ali Zardari administered oath on Monday to a 19-member cabinet that includes not only familiar faces but also new ones, sending a strong message that the government means business and this was also reflected in the first meeting of the new cabinet, where the Prime Minister emphasized that they have no time to waste.
It is, indeed, a coalition government but so far the PPP, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), National Party (NP) and PML(Zia) are not represented in the cabinet and allocation of important portfolios to towering and seasoned personalities means there are dim chances of PPP joining the team and in case of change of the heart a major reshuffle will have to be made. Despite the categorical stand taken by JUI(F) not to join the coalition led by PML(N), the two parties remain in contact and the former may review its decision leading to its inclusion in the cabinet in the second phase. The cabinet includes members both from the National Assembly and the Senate besides representation of all the four provinces. A lone woman – Shaza Fatima Khawaja has also been inducted in the cabinet and going by the fact that the women representation is not adequate, more inductions are likely in future. As was expected, there are also surprises in the selection of the cabinet as the PML(N) opted not to allocate the portfolio of Finance and Economic Affairs to one of its stalwart Ishaq Dar, who, otherwise, is considered to be obvious choice of the party for the coveted slot because of his previous experience. However, he has been assigned another much-sought-after portfolio of Foreign Affairs and it is believed that he might be able to complement efforts of the Government to improve the economy as he is familiar with the leadership of several countries of importance for Pakistan and enjoys personal rapport with them. Muhammad Aurangzeb has left a lucrative job in the Habib Bank Ltd and abandoned his foreign citizenship to accept the offer to head the Finance Ministry. Based on his rich background and reputation as a trouble-shooter, it is expected that the new Finance Minister would adopt a viable strategy to address the malaise without further burdening the common man. However, much depends on how skilfully he negotiates with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is now interfering in almost all aspects of governance because of our financial vulnerability. It may also be pointed out that people are fed up with unbridled inflation and they have no capacity to absorb more shocks whereas the new Minister has forewarned that the current year (2024) might be difficult, which effectively means little hope for relief in the forthcoming budget. However, addressing the first meeting of the cabinet after oath-taking, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that it was the responsibility of the government to protect the rights of consumers, especially the vulnerable segments of the society. He also underscored the need for enhancing the tax net without burdening the honest tax payers and plugging the loopholes which led to tax-evasion of billions of rupees. People can, therefore, expect there will be no additional tax burden on them provided guidelines of the Prime Minister are kept in view while formulating plans and policies to expand the tax net, which is, of course, a need of the hour. As for other inductions in the cabinet, Mohsin Naqvi, who established his credentials as a good administrator during his tenure as interim Chief Minister of Punjab, has been assigned the portfolio of Interior. His appointment as Interior Minister is a firm message that there would be zero tolerance for those who create law and order situation as a peaceful environment was a prerequisite for implementation of the Government’s road-map for economic recovery. Ahad Khan Cheema, who is known as a sincere implementer, would look after the Economic Affairs and Establishment divisions. Coalition partners like MQM(P), PML(Q) and IPP have also been accommodated against important ministries and hopefully they would also contribute their share towards achievement of the cherished objective of good governance. Similarly, all the Ministers belonging to PML(N) enjoy a good reputation and they have the potential to help improve the working of their ministry vis-à-vis resolution of the problems of the people.
