- How long can PTI continue like this?
Never in the past had a ruling party faced internal dissensions or challenges from allies within less than a year and a half of its coming to power. Never had it encountered shortages of the basic most commodities of daily use with people pointing finger at government related figures calling them a mafia responsible for the shortages. Never in the past had a government with an agenda to put the economy on rails had mismanaged it in a way that was to force all sections of population from factory workers, peasants, urban middle class and the entire spectrum of business community to cry out in agony.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised everyone a pie in the sky: South Punjab province to be carved out for those in Seraiki areas; 10 million jobs for the unemployed; 5 million housing units for the needy; massive cut in taxes on electricity, gas and petrol; declaration of agricultural emergency, provision of certified seeds, subsidies on electricity and action against the sugar mills mafia to provide relief to the farmers and provision of all resources required to strengthen the capacity of the armed forces.
A year and a half later every section of society feels it had been led down the garden path. What worries everyone is that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. With the economy badly mismanaged, tax revenue targets remain elusive whereas on the external front the export sector has witnessed an insignificant growth. With industries reducing production or closing down, there is rise in unemployment. The stagflation characterised by high inflation and lowest rate of production and employment effects every segment of society, civilian as well as military
Confident of getting unending support from those who helped him to reach the corridors of power, the situation has so far bothered the PM the least as he continues to revel in throwing more and more of his political opponents into the slammer. But it must be testing the nerves of his allies and patrons who have all along supported the PTI. The PM may continue to retain political allies through concessions at the expense of good governance but would it be as easy to persuade the third umpire not to raise his finger?
