Failure to launch

Imran Khan’s admission that he and his party were unprepared for the rigours of governance in 2018 would not have left anyone – except those who cheer them on – surprised.

While his supporters spun this as yet another example of his ‘brave and honest’ leadership, for those who have always been sceptical of such simplistic and populist solutions to complex problems, this was a validation of what they had been vilified, and in many cases censored, for saying: the current regime is not competent enough to take this country forward.

One would have been mistaken for thinking this to be a moment of reflection and an acknowledgement of failure. Far from being an amende honorable, Khan used this opportunity to once again blame everyone except himself. From rueing the 18th Amendment to referencing the limitations of a nebulous ‘system’, the same tired set of excuses were trotted out.

While signing performance agreements with various ministries, PM Khan took the occasion to inform his cabinet members that their time for performance had arrived. Claiming that most of them had come into power for the first time, he ruefully stated that he did not have enough time to prepare for high office and the first few months were consumed in understanding the state of affairs and forming a team. The American presidential system was once more cited, as he declared that an incoming government be briefed and allotted requisite time to prepare for the intricacies of statecraft.

Take a moment to unpack each of these statements. Khan’s announcement that it is time for his cabinet to deliver is a refrain we have become all too familiar with by now. Every few months when the regime faces a threat, a news report is issued about the leader’s stern, and usually final, warning to his team to perform, or a grand event is organised to demonstrate that the government is dedicated to improving the lives of the people over whom it lords.

The government reaffirms its hollow commitment to deliver, only succeeding in providing more reminders of its ineptitude. From the sugar and wheat crises to the gas and petrol shortages, the current government has consistently broken records in its mismanagement of the economy. All these warnings, reminders and press conferences only serve to perpetuate an empty rhetoric and keep the base giddy. Poorly performing ministers are shuffled like a deck of cards and dealt a fresh set of ministries, with accountability reserved only for those who oppose the regime. A far cry from Khan’s inaugural address where he vowed to hold his government to account before pointing a finger elsewhere.

The second claim, of not having enough time to prepare for governance, would be laughable were it not for the state the country is in after the last two and a half years. Prior to taking power, Khan had claimed that he was fully prepared for the job, having ‘struggled’ for 22 years in his bid to lead the country. In photo-ops and unbridled media access, he would boast about having a team of 200 experts who were cognisant of all the ills plaguing our soil, and equipped with solutions for each of them. The number 200 was also bandied around with reference to the billions of dollars that the two preceding elected governments had stashed in their offshore accounts, which Khan vowed to recover overnight. Thus, enabling Pakistan to pay off its loans and lavish the remainder on its citizenry.

Suffice to say, we are yet to see many fresh faces in top positions, with the most critical ministerial slots handed out to those who have done the rounds before. Justifying this selection as expediency rings hollow. But then we are told that taking U-turns is the hallmark of a visionary leader.

Bereft of competent personnel and forced to revert to the IMF and friendly nations for budgetary support after the clamour of bringing back looted wealth proved to be another blatantly false promise, the government has little to show in terms of performance. Its ministers are in front of television cameras multiple times a day – not to talk about their relevant portfolios, but to lampoon the opposition. More than halfway through its tenure, the chaos in its ranks is apparent and efforts at obfuscation have run their course. Despite unrelenting institutional support, the regime is creaking under the weight of its own incompetence.

In all this disorder, the opposition continues to up the ante. While the JUI-F and the more hawkish members of the PML-N play the game of brinkmanship, they would be well-advised to listen to the more pragmatic voices in their ranks. Resignations would only end up cementing one-party rule in the country.

And, while a sustained movement against the current arrangement will weaken it, the unfortunate reality is that it will take us a long time to recover from this debacle.

The writer works as a development practitioner for a local consultancy.

Twitter: @ShahrukhNR