Nawaz survives
The government has reportedly quite a party planned to celebrate its second year in power. Things weren’t smooth all the way, of course. Not long ago there were serious threats to the administration’s survival. PTI and PAT had mounted considerable pressure, and more than a few people predicted a sudden collapse of the government. There was repeated talk of a third umpire. Yet the government, quite smartly, deflected the threat. It chose to play a more back foot role with regard to the military, seemingly, rather than let PTI bulldoze it out of power.
But fortune has also been kind to Nawaz Sharif in his third term. Calling the joint session at the height of the dharna might have been smart politics, aided and advised by Nawaz’s friend Asif Zardari, but the economy cooling off owed to factors far beyond Ishaq Dar’s control. International Brent crude went through the floor, and inflation subsequently fell across the board, Pakistan being no exception. It’s a completely different matter, of course, that here the government took complete ownership of the ease in prices.
However, it’s not as if the government has been off the mark all along. The Corridor, for example, is a unique accomplishment. At a time when the security situation continues to shy away foreign investment, the Chinese money flow is nothing short of a miracle. Even the opposition has accepted this as a landmark achievement. But the government still needs to connect with the common man. So far its focus has been on the high profile glitter and glamour of mega projects. Yet by their very nature they have very little, if anything, to offer the common man. That is one of the most important lessons PML-N needs to learn from its third term so far. It is benefitting a certain sector of society, but it is leaving behind a big chunk of Pakistanis. For the moment Nawaz survives, but whether Pakistan thrives is another matter.