CLASSIC signs of a leadership vacuum are emerging in the cabinet’s ranks. Ministers are openly talking about their inability to deliver on key objectives in their areas of responsibility, and pointing fingers at their colleagues and other government departments as the reason.

A blame game amongst the ministers, poor performance and mounting frustration make the government appear disarticulated, uncoordinated, and increasingly factionalised.

The ministers of petroleum and water and power have both launched a broadside against the Planning Commission and two regulators, saying they are working at odds with the objectives of the government, and in some cases, even pursuing personal goals.

Take a look: Rift surfaces in govt over handling of uplift projects

The Planning Commission has shot back that it will continue to monitor the implementation of public-sector development projects without granting any favours, and carry on with overseeing the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects without succumbing to pressure.

Meanwhile the Punjab chief minister has made public his opposition to the finance minister’s pet proposal of a withholding tax on bank transactions by non-filers of income tax returns.

A complex jigsaw of factionalism and internal rivalry within the ruling party is revealing itself, with reports of important differences between the Punjab chief minister and the finance minister, and between these two versus the ministers of petroleum and water and power.

The Planning Commission, by virtue of being the focal ministry for all CPEC projects, is caught in the crossfire. Whatever the state of the ‘palace intrigue’ may be, it is disheartening to see it breaking into full public view with such bombast — because it clearly suggests that the biggest victim will be governance. This kind of factionalism is highly destructive, and can easily lead different parties to start playing an obstructionist role in each other’s affairs rather than focusing on their objectives.

The prime minister should realise that such frustrations need to be nipped in the bud before they become unmanageable, assuming they haven’t reached that point already.

Ironically enough, the latest salvo in this war of words amongst his own cabinet members was fired when the prime minister was in Sheikhupura, telling a crowd that his government would eliminate the power crisis during its five-year term and the opposition should not play an obstructionist role in this ambition.

Given what was going on in Islamabad even as he spoke these words, it seems that the opposition need not do a thing to obstruct this goal.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2015

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