PM Shehbaz Sharif has inherited serious economic problems. Terrorism is once again on the rise, multiplying security challenges, and there would be an influx of millions of refugees if conditions in Afghanistan deteriorate. Dealing with these challenges requires a stable government committed to putting the country on track.
Two major parties and a number of minor ones joined hands to send the PTI government home. It was easier to bring them together on a single point; it would be a tough task to keep them united after the goal has been achieved. Each one of these several parties has its own programme and its own constituency. The PML(N) and the PPP have a long history of rivalry and mutual suspicions that still persist. It was widely noted that soon after Mr Sharif was sworn in, the hall rang with slogans that reflected the rivalries between the PML(N) and the PPP. Soon after an MQM leader complained that Mr Sharif made no mention of recovering the missing persons which was a cardinalpoint in the agreement reached with the MQM. What aggravates the problem is that while working together the two major parties remember that they will be contesting against each other in the next elections. What provides a ray of hope is that despite their rivalries, they managed to reach a historic consensus on the 18th Amendment.
The new PM is required to form a cabinet representing the allied parties. This requires distribution of important constitutional appointments and federal ministries in a way that does not cause friction. The ANP eyes the gubernatorial post in KP that a PML(N) leader also lays claim to. The key posts of the National Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker and Chairman Senate too might have rival claimants.
Soon after being sworn in, Shahbaz Sharif appointed senior bureaucrat Tauqeer Shah principal secretary to the PM. On his first day as PM he reached office earlier than the staff, ordered opening government offices at eight o’clock rather than 10 o’clock for six days a week instead of five. This was in line with his image as a ‘can-do’ administrator. Much more would however be required to keep the alliance intact and run an efficient allied government.
