Nisar’s back too
If all it took was Shahbaz Sharif talking to Ch Nisar about a dozen times to get the interior minister to bury the hatchet with the prime minister, then perhaps such an arrangement could have been though of sooner. At least cabinet would not have been paralysed. Or perhaps a three month hiatus was simply too long, and the budget strategy paper could not be put on hold any longer, and the estranged N-leaguers made up for appearances sake, if nothing else.
But if the latter is true, then the alleged and reported grudge between Ch Nisar and some of the PML-N high command remains as is. So a lot will become clear in the coming days and weeks. If there is movement on Nacta and NAP, for example, then a measured thaw, at least, has definitely been engineered. And credit must go to the Punjab chief minister. This is the second time he’s helped Nawaz and Nisar work out their differences. The first time was at the height of the dharna pressure. Whether or not the ruling party can resume normal work flow and communication and coordination between ministries, of course, remains to be seen.
However, now that cabinet has met again the budget is the main concern for the moment. It wouldn’t have put the finance ministry in very good light that almost all of last year’s targets, including GDP growth, have been missed. And though that is normal practice, there should have been some disappointment in the cabinet meeting. It would also have made their bold claims about next year that much more suspect. Nawaz chose to concentrate more on good things, advising the finance ministry to concentrate more on the common man, distribute fruits of economic gains more equitably among the masses, etc. None of that, though, is real economics. They did not discuss reasons for repeatedly missing targets. And neither the tax net nor exports increase simply because the PM wanted to at a cabinet meeting. These things need a well thought out and workable strategy that is implemented over the near to medium term. So far, Nawaz and Nisar might be friends again, but the government, especially the finance ministry, definitely needs to hit the reset button.
