Public perception matters to all. But it matters most to politicians, particularly in today’s digital world where the 24/7 media scrutiny has made politics more a matter of image than ideas. That is why governments everywhere care for media management. They seek out well crafted media managers and spokespersons to project their leaders and defend their policies.

So was the case with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. But, halfway through his five-year term, he appears to be still experimenting with his team of media managers. The return of Mohiuddin Wanni as his press secretary, at least, suggests so. It marks the fifth such change in 30 months. Though known for keeping several portfolios under him rather than trusting someone else with them, the prime minister’s kaleidoscopic management of his media wing stands out above other government departments.

On occupying his office in June 2013, PM Sharif inherited Shafqat Jalil, a senior officer of the information group, as his press secretary, from his predecessor Raja Parvez Ashraf of PPP. Within a few weeks, however, he brought in Mohiuddin Wanni in place of Mr Jalil.

An officer of the district management group, Mr Wanni had served with the chief minister of Punjab in various positions, including the provincial secretary of information. He had run the media wing of the Prime Minister’s Office for more than 18 months when, all of a sudden, he was sent back to Lahore in January this year – to the key position of secretary services.

Daniyal Gilani, a junior officer of the information group, was deputed in his place to feed the ever hungry media on the day-to-day engagements of the prime minister. All through his nearly six-month stay in the office, the extremely cagey Gilani preferred to interact with media through What’s App message service.

Early in July this year, another senior officer of the Information Ministry, Naeem Khan, was brought in as press secretary to the prime minister. Soft spoken, grey-haired Mr Khan had hardly settled down in his new position when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, before leaving on his two-week-long trips to the UK and US, sent Mr Khan back to the information ministry.

Sources privy to the development told Dawn that Mr Khan had everything ready - visas, tickets etc - to accompany the prime minister when the federal secretary information asked him to report back to the ministry.

And Mr Wanni is back in the saddle again. The prime minister has changed his top bureaucrat to deal with the media five times. What does it tell? Is the prime minister yet to find a press officer competent to his liking? Or he has no interest in media management and others are remote controlling the office?

Concerned government officials and a couple of ministers privy to the development said in background discussions with Dawn that it was partly both – PM Sharif’s occasional unhappiness with media coverage, and his lack of involvement with posting and transfer issues.

“At times, media hostility and criticism of government lacking vision in ending loadshedding and cutting allegedly shady deals in the LNG import from Qatar made him express his uneasiness. Otherwise, he had no issues with who headed the media wing of his office,” said a well-connected member of the ruling PML-N.

Apart from the formal media wing, the prime minister also has a couple of designated spokespersons and media advisers. At the top is information minister, Senator Parvez Rasheed, who is the formal spokesperson for the federal government and the cabinet.

After him comes Dr Mussadik Malik who advises the government on energy-related issues and is often seen defending its energy and other policies in TV talk-shows.

Veteran journalist Irfan Siddiqui, who was press officer to former president Rafiq Tarar, now is special assistant to the prime minister on national affairs. In that capacity, he vets PM Sharif’s press statement on key political issues and participates in writing his speeches, when required.

Of late, however, this expansive set-up seems to have been failing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his government on the media front. That suggests that a public perception of good governance, rather than image building, would save the day for both.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2015

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