After two and a half years of governance, during which we have faced multiple crises, including a sugar crisis that has been repeated twice, a wheat crisis that has also been repeated twice and now a gas shortage crisis which returned for the second time, we have been told by the prime minister that the government is, in fact, still in its learning phase. This is somewhat alarming, given that the PTI government elected in 2018 has completed nearly half its tenure in power. It is also true that when the government came to power in 2018, the current prime minister had said he was glad the party was now prepared to take on the task of governance, having gained experience since 2013 by ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and with its ministers now set to do the job.
This week, though, the PM seems to have rethought some of his previous claims and during an event said that there are government ministers that are inexperienced and therefore need more time to learn their trade. This is curious. There are many members in the team that Imran Khan had promised would be expertly selected who have remained in government before. Khan himself may not have been Prime Minister, but many of his ministers have held various portfolios in earlier governments. It is therefore difficult to believe the argument that sheer inexperience has led the government to disaster. It’s also true that the famous years of struggle the PTI had before it came to power could have been used as preparation for the task of governance, as has been the case in other countries with potential ministers studying ministries and how they operate, or what methods could be used to improve their actions.
PM Imran Khan had also promised a small cabinet consisting of about 20 members. He now has a cabinet of 53. This cabinet has, however, still failed to solve the issues of the country despite the advisers, special assistants and others who also make a part of it. It is difficult to see how simply switching ministers from one portfolio to the other will solve any problem or help them learn their trade. Changing ministries will not make a difference to governance. Indeed, it may be better if the stable government was maintained so that people could truly learn. At the same time, as the prime minister has said, many ministers have failed to perform in these two years. They should perhaps be taken to task for this so that an example can be set for the future and an improvement made in the running of governance.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/763345-the-learning-curve
The learning curve: edit in The News, Dec 24, 2020
After two and a half years of governance, during which we have faced multiple crises, including a sugar crisis that has been repeated twice, a wheat crisis that has also been repeated twice and now a gas shortage crisis which returned for the second time, we have been told by the prime minister that the government is, in fact, still in its learning phase. This is somewhat alarming, given that the PTI government elected in 2018 has completed nearly half its tenure in power. It is also true that when the government came to power in 2018, the current prime minister had said he was glad the party was now prepared to take on the task of governance, having gained experience since 2013 by ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and with its ministers now set to do the job.
This week, though, the PM seems to have rethought some of his previous claims and during an event said that there are government ministers that are inexperienced and therefore need more time to learn their trade. This is curious. There are many members in the team that Imran Khan had promised would be expertly selected who have remained in government before. Khan himself may not have been Prime Minister, but many of his ministers have held various portfolios in earlier governments. It is therefore difficult to believe the argument that sheer inexperience has led the government to disaster. It’s also true that the famous years of struggle the PTI had before it came to power could have been used as preparation for the task of governance, as has been the case in other countries with potential ministers studying ministries and how they operate, or what methods could be used to improve their actions.
PM Imran Khan had also promised a small cabinet consisting of about 20 members. He now has a cabinet of 53. This cabinet has, however, still failed to solve the issues of the country despite the advisers, special assistants and others who also make a part of it. It is difficult to see how simply switching ministers from one portfolio to the other will solve any problem or help them learn their trade. Changing ministries will not make a difference to governance. Indeed, it may be better if the stable government was maintained so that people could truly learn. At the same time, as the prime minister has said, many ministers have failed to perform in these two years. They should perhaps be taken to task for this so that an example can be set for the future and an improvement made in the running of governance.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/763345-the-learning-curve
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan