Imran Khan’s first 100 days in office
Cricket legendturned-politician’s anti-corruption, foreign policy and social services campaigns hailed but his U-turns draw flak
From building five million homes to creating 10 million jobs to rooting out corruption and lifting people out of poverty, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan made big promises when his term started in August 2018.
Based on six main themes, Imran’s 100-day agenda focused on better governance, economic reforms, national security, the strengthening of the federation, moves to uplift the agricultural sector and improved social services — health care, education and water provision included.
Even as the opposition branded his agenda ‘mission impossible’, here are some of the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of Imran’s first 100 days in office:
One of the first decisions Imran announced after assuming office was an austerity drive to cut down on unnecessary expenses. He led by example by moving into a smaller house instead of the Prime Minister’s House, in addition to auctioning off luxury cars and reducing the size of his entourage.
The PTI in September established a special task force to recover looted wealth, signing agreements with 10 countries, including the UK, to bring back nearly Rs700 billion (Dh18.33 billion) in such funds. More than 5,000 fake accounts allegedly used for money laundering were also identified.
Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where he secured cash assistance to the tune of $6 billion (Dh22 billion), averted a balance of payment crisis.
Visits to the UAE, China and Malaysia saw several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed to further boost the confidence of investors. Imran has failed to control inflation, and the resultant price hikes.
Five million homes, 10 million jobs, improved access to health care and education were all highlights of the 100-day agenda. The government launched the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme, which will see affordable houses for low-income families built in the next five years.
One of the most welcoming initiatives was a shelter for the homeless in Lahore. The government is also in the process of introducing health cards in Punjab. In November, the government launched the ‘National Education Policy Framework 2018’ to enrol more children in school and improve education.
The most important challenge that still threatens the credibility of the PTI government is the twin-headed threat of terrorism and radicalism.
Although Khan’s rivals have hailed the effective crackdown on Islamic militants, especially hardliner TLP leaders, the government is yet to come up with an effective strategy to deal with extremism.
Imran’s repeated offers for peace talks with India have won the appreciation of the international community despite the gesture not being responded to positively. In his first 100 days, Imran visited both the UAE and Saudi Arabia twice. He also held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Malaysian President Dr Mahathir Mohamad. On his second Saudi Arabia trip, Imran secured the $6 billion assistance and oil on deferred payments.