Dawn Editorial 14 November 2020

Mixed signals?

IS the direction shifting, or does the main target remain a security establishment that is loath to distance itself from warring politicians? In the most significant press interview of her political career so far, Ms Maryam Nawaz ruled out dialogue with Prime Minister Imran Khan. Although unwilling to go into the specifics of it, she appeared confident that an exit for Prime Minister Khan was just around the corner. Done with this task, she would not be unwilling to engage with the security establishment and called for a transparent dialogue between the powers that be and her PML-N and the opposition PDM alliance as a whole. The PML-N vice president said that a dialogue was already underway in which the people of this country were participating. There were many ‘revealing’ moments in the interview to the BBC in which Ms Nawaz referred to ‘her army’ and trained her guns rather exclusively on the ‘(s)elected’ chief executive of the government. What she is offered was a far more diluted version of the PML-N’s narrative vis-à-vis the defence establishment as opposed to the brash face Mr Sharif has chosen to present, leaving many to wonder whether a door had been left slightly ajar for a compromise of sorts.
But such conjectures were quickly dispelled on Friday, with Mr Sharif in full form. At a rally in Swat, in which he participated through video link, the PML-N leader, while saying he did not hold the entire military responsible for the deeds of some, named names and demanded answers from those elements he held responsible for bringing a ‘puppet’ prime minister to power. He asserted that he did not want answers from Mr Khan but from those who pulled the strings. Ms Nawaz spoke as well, gunning for the prime minister as she did in her interview to the BBC, as well as the interior minister for his recent controversial remarks about the ANP. Is it part of a plan then? For the father to focus on the establishment and the daughter on the present dispensation and governance under Mr Sharif as compared to that under the current rulers? Is the departure of Prime Minister Khan Ms Nawaz’s priority, and the targeting of the establishment Mr Sharif’s? Or do these two goals come together seamlessly as the PML-N’s narrative? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, the conflict between the opposition and government is turning uglier by the day, with the government — from a multitude of spokespersons to the prime minister himself — hitting back. With so much anger all around, with allegations and deep mistrust on all sides, with ugly rhetoric, and the refusal to talk to each other, matters will continue to worsen in an atmosphere of deep political uncertainty. Some midway point has to be reached before it’s too late.

 

 

Economic trends

THE recent macroeconomic trends confirm Prime Minister Imran Khan’s words that a broad-based recovery appears to be underway. The evidence of this turnaround can be seen in the recent rebound in manufacturing as indicated by record cement sales, increased demand for cars, motorbikes and white goods, revival of the construction industry, etc. In short, the resurgence of domestic consumption is pushing the current growth momentum. It is a positive sign that the ongoing spurt in consumption is not driven by imports — at least not at the moment. That is why we have seen large-scale manufacturing revive and the current account post a surplus during the first quarter of the financial year. Other economic indicators such as fiscal deficit and exports — barring food inflation — are also moving in the right direction, according to finance ministry data. The stock market has outperformed other Asian markets and the rupee has strengthened of late. Thus, it can safely be assumed that the country is crawling out of the Covid-induced economic sluggishness that dominated the last quarter of the previous fiscal, even if it is not racing towards growth.
Does this mean that the economy is back on the right track as the prime minister claimed at the launch of the Naya Pakistan Certificates on Thursday? Not really. The resurgence of another ‘economic boom’ doesn’t necessarily mean that the country is once again treading the path of sustainable growth. Challenges remain. For starters, coronavirus infections are again rising, and rapidly, threatening to reverse economic gains. More important, the present economic rebound largely owes to the extensive fiscal stimulus and generous monetary support given by the State Bank to businesses in order to protect them from the adverse impact of the health crisis. Any premature withdrawal of these measures would slow down or delay recovery. More worrying is the fact that the structural issues responsible for dragging down the economy in the past remain unaddressed. For example, little has been done to fix state-owned enterprises and the collapsing energy sector, which have been a major drag on growth. Similarly, tax reforms have been postponed and the issues facing the agriculture sector remain unresolved. With the revival of the IMF programme pushed back further, work on economic and governance reforms will remain suspended for the moment. Only the naïve will expect the current turnaround to last long without implementation of politically tough reforms.

 

 

PSL restarts

THE Pakistan Super League juggernaut is set to start rolling once again at Karachi’s National Stadium today, with four teams ready to battle it out for the title, the quest for which was abruptly suspended in March this year due to Covid-19 concerns. There is much excitement as more than 20 foreign cricket stars are featuring in the remaining PSL games alongside Pakistan’s leading players for Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings. Though the matches of this fifth PSL edition will be played behind closed doors and in empty stadiums, the fans will be able to see the contest live on television screens and are anticipating quality cricket over the next few days. Indeed, the cash-rich PSL, which is the PCB’s flagship event, has made great strides since its inception in 2016 and is ranked only behind the Indian Premier League in terms of popularity among the many T20 leagues being staged around the world. The fact that PSL has evolved into a global event after its five seasons is beyond debate. With every season the league has become bigger and better, attracting leading players from hosts Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, England, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and other nations, besides attracting top sponsors, broadcasters and, most importantly, fans.
It is for this reason that so many foreign players have once again converged on Karachi to play the last four matches to decide the winner. With the New Zealand tour coming up, these games will serve as sound preparation for Pakistan that will be rubbing shoulders with world-class players such as South African captain Faf du Plessis, Carlos Brathwaite and others. Having said that, the rapidly widening gulf between the PSL franchise owners and PCB over the new financial model of the lucrative league is a matter of concern as it could prove detrimental to the future of the extravaganza. The earlier these issues are sorted out, the better it will be for Pakistan cricket.

 

About The CSS Point

The CSS Point is the Pakistan 1st Free Online platform for all CSS aspirants. We provide FREE Books, Notes and Current Affairs Magazines for all CSS Aspirants.

The CSS Point - The Best Place for All CSS Aspirants

March 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
top
Template Design © The CSS Point. All rights reserved.