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Thursday March 28, 2024

PTI missing Tareen?

By Mujtaba A. Pirzada
March 12, 2019

On 18th August, the premier of the current party in power, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan took oath as the country's chief executive. Since then, the people of Pakistan have been looking at PTI as an emblem of hope and change, although the party seems to have been gravely struggling from critics since there has been a somewhat conundrum governance situation in Punjab.

The existing expectations of the populace and gap between the existing conditions is vast, consequently, the romance of change and 'Naya' appears to evaporate instantly. Thus, the people are filled with frustration. Although, it is worth mentioning that financial corruption has been extremely minimised at the political level, mostly because of Khan's hawk eye on the ministers and representatives of the incumbent party. The masses must also recognise that the first five months are quite regardless to show any actual impact on the country by the government for example infrastructure, transport, health and development sectors.

However, this government took the courage to remove and take decisive action against the land mafia tycoons which no previous government thought of considering, or maybe they were incapable of removing these land goons. Anyhow, PTI took the courage and showed its will and capacity to finish them.

The government's developmental scale has not been an average one either in this short time span, the establishment of shelter homes has been proof of a humanity cause, although they may be insufficient for the problems but it is a step towards progress. Homeless people taken in consideration for the first time by any regime. The housing sector and local body reforms have also been prior aims, approval of the southern loop ring-road Lahore, by Usman Buzdar has also been an efficient move in the transport sector. He also has shown interest for the upkeep of under-developed tourism and aims to enhance it.

PTI might just do fine in its regime but disqualification ofJahangir Khan Tareen, the kingpin of the party, has been a serious setback to the current governance. He was disqualified not because he laundered money or financial corruption rather because of a technical interpretation of his honesty and integrity. Moreover, apparently there was a planned effort to oust him from the mainstream governance structure because the political adversaries saw him more of a threat rather than Khan himself. It was either a planned motive or either the judiciary maintained a balance to nurture the perception of an 'independent' judiciary.

PTI is facing vast economic issues and the absence of Tareen is costing them a lot, he is probably the only person in the top leadership who has the will and capacity to engender conditions conclusive for an actual change in the governance structure and implementation of PTI's intentions. He is also the most able administrator in the party and his reforms which he gave in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were definitely a reason for their vast majority in the provincial assembly. Although, once again Tareen's review petition has not worked out and the CJP Saqib Nisar upheld it's court's decision for his 'sustained' and 'impartial' courtroom. There is no doubt that his candidacy for a vital position hurdled the many for their political self-oriented gains. He may have been not the perfect or the idealistic man in the governance structure but without any doubt, would have had a vision, administrative power and will to implement as a man of action. His presence would have definitely given an immense positive outcome especially in the agricultural-economic sector. Thus, the curtain on his political career may reopen sooner or late.

Moreover, the criticism on Usman Buzdar, incumbent chief minister of the biggest province has been outburst by the opposition and the people as well. It must be recognised that the previous chief ministers had kept a centralised governing body which was a cardinal feature in their chain of command and operated much of the province themselves rather than delegating initiatives to the ministers of various departments which harmed the true nature of democratic electoral representation, consequently in effect to the notion of democracy. The provincial ministers in Punjab must take responsibility of their respective departments since the ministerial power has increased and the chief executive of Punjab has not centralised the governance. Therefore, it may be concluded that the direction and intention of the regime seems clear but implementation and action is yet to take place.

The write is a law student in university of London international degree programme.

mujtabaamjad36@gmail.com