Second Start

Some off-road vehicles have a feature called ‘second start’. You activate that when the vehicle is stuck and you need a burst of power and traction to extricate and continue. The PTI government just nine months into its five-year tenure has felt the need for a ‘second start’ type boost and has reshuffled key cabinet posts and inducted a bevy of technocrats to get out it of its difficulties and move forward.

To be fair to IK (Imran Khan) it must be noted that he had said that he would review performance and make changes if required. And he has done so. There was a clamor from financial and economic analysts criticizing the finance minister and asking for a change that could deliver. The financial and economic indicators were plummeting. So an experienced internationally known technocrat has been brought in to replace the finance minister. The health ministry needed to be rescued from policies that were sending drug prices sky-rocketing and pharmaceutical companies up in arms. So an internationally known and experienced technocrat is the new ‘Adviser’ on Health issues and the minister has been given another portfolio. It is the same story in the Petroleum and information ministries. The Interior ministry was with the Prime Minister himself with a minister of state handling it. Now an Interior minister has been appointed who is former military and his experience includes stints in the ISI, as Director General (DG) anti-narcotics, as the DG Intelligence Bureau and as Punjab’s Home Secretary—impressive credentials for an important job that includes implementing the National Action Plan (NAP). So the second start feature is fully activated.

Read Complete Article: Second Start