- Imran Khan should be ready to face harsh realities
Within the next few days Imran Khan will achieve his lifelong aim of becoming the prime minister of Pakistan. His government will however face momentous issues that include critical economic challenges, threats to internal security, a rising wave of extremism, tit-for-tat relations with the US, and outstanding issues that remain unresolved with Pakistan’s neighbouring countries.
Foreign exchange reserves have fallen from the peak they hit in October 2016 and what with stagnating exports and a narrow tax base there seems to be no end to the fall. The new government will be approaching the IMF at a time when it is already under pressure from the US on bringing the Afghan Taliban to the peace talks. After FATF the US will have an additional lever to get its demands accepted.
To improve the economy, the new government will have to take unpopular decisions that the PML-N shied away from like documenting the large informal sector and bringing into the tax net a section the super-rich which continues to dodge taxes.
The deadly terrorist attacks that have taken place within the last few weeks underline the severity of the internal security threats. The working of the security agencies has therefore to be improved. The extremist organisations have to be stopped from spreading hatred and intolerance and preparing an environment conducive to the production of terrorists.
The NACTA has to be assigned the central role in collating information from all other agencies, sending real time intelligence to provincial governments and ensuring that necessary action is urgently taken. Petty institutional rivalries that stand in the way have to be removed. This is by no means an easy task
Imran Khan has spelt out the contours of a realistic foreign policy envisaging friendly relations with countries in the region including India. While many will welcome it, he will be judged not by his words but by his performance.
The new government faces a strong opposition in the parliament. To cope with the daunting challenges that lie ahead it will have to improve working relations with the opposition. For this the government will have to go the extra mile.
