Could Imran Khan become a casualty of his own charisma?
There is no doubt about it: Being an opposition leader is far easier, and more enjoyable, than being the head of government. The opposition leader’s main vocation is to mercilessly criticize government policies and actions, while the Prime Minister has to go about the business of actually delivering to the public. But eight months into his government tenure, Prime Minister Imran Khan seems unsure about how to navigate out of a tricky labyrinth of inherited, as well as other problems.
To top it off, the parliament has been rendered paralyzed by government-opposition squabbles, and has barely focused on its main function of legislating.
But it is the economy that has trumped a long and daunting list of problems. The common man can live with an inefficient legislature but not with soaring food and fuel prices. Coupled with this, negotiations with the IMF — the very body Khan had once sworn he would never turn to — are going to complicate matters a lot more before things get better.
Though the country resorted to the help of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, China and the UAE to the tune of billions of dollars, and though this strengthened Pakistan’s negotiating position with the IMF, the fund’s programs are going to be tailored around better tax collection and reduced public expenditure. Slow growth rates will be a natural consequence of this, and the only antidote will be massive foreign direct investment pouring in to get the economy out of the woods.
The recent, surprise cabinet reshuffle and a new finance adviser (read: de facto finance minister) and central bank governor has brought in entrants with experience of international financial institutions, and right before a grandly awaited annual budget.
Clearly, the Prime Minister is uncomfortable with a parliamentary form of government wherein cabinet members have to be elected members of parliament. Khan realized after the elections that his parliament was short of much required technical expertise and this led to him appointing some ministers, though his elected colleagues begrudged the appointments.
Imran Khan’s honeymoon period with the public is over and people want delivery of promises made over two strong election campaigns by the PTI.
Javed Hafeez
Moreover, the 18th amendment of 2012 has given the bulk of functional space and financial resources to the provinces and reduced the financial kitty at the center, which constricts Khan in making huge economic decisions.
If Khan were to amend the constitution to enhance Islamabad’s fiscal space or functional areas, he would require the requite majority in both houses of parliament. That would not be possible for another two years when half of the senate members retire. And so he has no choice but to function within his given space.
Perhaps, more than anything else, Khan could now fall victim to his own talent for expectation-building while he was in opposition. His famed charisma and the happy presumptions that preceded his election built an irrational, national belief around his leadership abilities. In essence, he set himself up for very harsh judgment.
For example, inflation will rise further before it improves. But for the people who were promised swift change, a revolutionary change in fact, this will exacerbate their crisis of expectations.
Still, Khan doesn’t seem like someone who would give in easily. He wants to introduce a three-tier government system in which local bodies, including city mayors, can play a significant role. The idea is to allow people at the grass roots level to collect revenue and spend it according to their wishes, through elected representatives. City mayors will be directly elected by residents. This will not only give the man in the street a sense of participation, but will also groom a future leadership.
One thing is for sure. The time for flogging the dead horses of the past and of criticizing previous governments is gone. Imran Khan’s honeymoon period with the public is over and people want delivery of promises made over two strong election campaigns by the PTI. They want accountability and economic security for themselves and their children. And even though it is still too early to critically evaluate the leadership of Khan, he needs to bring cohesion into his governance plans and lead from the front just as he has shown and claimed for his entire political career. Now, all eyes are truly on him.
– Javed Hafeez is a former Pakistani diplomat with much experience of the Middle East. He writes weekly columns in Pakistani and Gulf newspapers and appears regularly on satellite TV channels as a defense and political analyst.
Twitter: @hafiz_javed
