Is it capable of delivering? Only time will tell
Things are moving ahead fast. Within two days of the prime minister’s oath taking, the new cabinet has been sworn in. The peculiarities of the mandate received by the PML-N were bound to be reflected in the shape of the cabinet. With the bulk of PML-N parliamentarians winning from Punjab, the cabinet was bound to be dominated by members from the biggest province. This explains why in a cabinet of 25 there are only seven members from outside the province. The PML-N has appointed three ministers from Sindh, including the sole winner of the party from Karachi, a member of the NPP now merged in the ruling party and another one from the allied PML-F. From Balochistan it now has three ministers, two of them winning on the PML-N ticket and an independent who later joined the party. The cabinet also has a minister from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa who had won his seat on party ticket from Hazara. A better arrangement under the circumstances might not have been possible.
The prime minister has kept two additional portfolios with himself. The crucial ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence have traditionally been the domain of the military establishment, causing anomalies and confrontations and making misadventures possible. It was widely understood that since 1977, decisions on major foreign policy issues, particularly those related to India, Afghanistan, and US were being taken by the military. In January last year, there was a sensational standoff between former Prime Minister Gilani and the Army Chief when Gilani claimed that the statements given by the army and ISI chiefs to the Supreme Court in connection with the alleged memo controversy did not have the approval of the PM. The statement led to a demand from the military that Gilani either clarify or retract his criticism of the army and the spy agency. Again, the Kargil misadventure could take place because matters related to defence were considered outside the purview of the civilian administration. Hopefully the move to bring foreign and defence ministries under the PM would strengthen the Foreign Office as the right place to prepare foreign policies while it would also help establish the supremacy of the civilian government over armed forces.
The new cabinet is dominated by dependable PML-N loyalists who have been allotted the key ministries. It is overwhelmingly a cabinet of Mian Nawaz Sharif’s choice with only a handful of members nominated due to alliance or federal compulsions. This provides Nawaz Sharif a golden opportunity to retrieve the promises he has made to the nation. One hears that a number of brainstorming sessions have already been held where vital guidelines on important issues were formulated. While the PML-N chief is keen to hold consultations with parties in the opposition also, it is the PML-N which is to be held accountable in days to come. Only time will tell whether the new cabinet is capable of coming up to the people’s expectations.
