The way the N League runs government requires much
On Thursday Nawaz Sharif attended the proceedings of the National Assembly for an eighth time in 11 months. His last attendance was on January 27 when he announced the four-member government team he had appointed to hold talks with the TTP. The prime minister could have taken the House into confidence regarding the successes achieved, if any, since the formation of the peace committee four months back. Similarly, he could have shared with the house the progress made in the ongoing Karachi operation that was approved in September last year and has remained undiscussed in the house. This was all the more needed since only a day before the prime minister had presided over a meeting of the topmost civil and military leaders in Karachi on security issues.
Nawaz Sharif’s failure to speak on the two matters that concern many raises questions. Does the prime minister have nothing to tell the House because he thinks there has been no worthwhile development vis a vis TTP talks or security situation in the country’s financial capital? His continued enthusiasm for the talks and his unending commitment to the Karachi operation would suggest otherwise. Does he then think it is not worthwhile to take the House into confidence?
The prime minister came to the house at a time when the government is facing several domestic challenges. A new factor was added to the tensions between the army and the civilian administration caused by Musharraf’s trial and the government’s policy to placate the TTP when the government failed to intervene to stop the Geo-ISI tussle. The subsequent rallies by the PTI and PAT were seen by many as an offshoot of the bitterness between civil-military relations. The new PTI-PML-Q understanding has been referred to by some as an attempt to create another IJI. While Sharif remained tightlipped, Ishaq Dar presented a rosy picture of the economy. Foreign exchange reserves had crossed $15bn in July, inflation rate stood at 8.6 per cent, GDP growth rate at 3.4 percent and tax collection had recorded a growth of 15.6 percent. Exports had meanwhile risen to $19 billion. In other words with PML-N in power, everything is honky dory.
The cabinet meeting held in the afternoon was no different. Two major briefings concerned with the national economy and the polio threat. The economy was in safe hands and on the right track. As there were problems with polio that could not be papered over, the PM wants to deal with the issue on a war footing.
