ISLAMABAD: The promises PTI has made such as providing 10 million jobs, five million houses and utilities on subsidised rates will have to be fulfilled through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the country has no other option but another bail-out package.

Civil military relations and foreign policy will also be major challenges for the new government, speakers of a seminar on Post-Election Political Developments, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Monday said.

Senior journalist Zahid Hussain said the PTI was going to make a minority government and will have to take a number of steps to run it smoothly.

Civil-military relations, foreign policy will be major challenges for new government, speakers say

“Imran Khan needs to reach out to other political parties or he will not be able to implement his reform programme and his government may not last more than two years. The civil-military imbalance has increased and civilian supremacy cannot be ensured in a day. Politicians have to strengthen civilian institutions, especially parliament, to which Nawaz Sharif never gave importance. Civilian law enforcement agencies need to be strengthened and the National Accountability Bureau needs to be reconstructed,” he said.

Mr Hussain added that if PTI wants to build good relations with India, it should discuss the matter in parliament.

“However, I think the major challenge will be dealing with extremism and I fear the PTI may not take strict steps on sectarian politics,” he said.

Discussing the controversy regarding rigged elections, Mr Hussain said all past elections have faced controversies and that PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari had called the 2013 elections the returning officer’s election.

“This time, all surveys were indicating that PTI will win the elections. I think PTI got unexpectedly more seats in Karachi due to the disintegration of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which made the difference,” he said.

Former ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel said relations with Afghanistan will be crucial as it will affect peace in the country.

“It is a good thing that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani took the initiative and called Imran Khan, who also gave a positive response. The US has started negotiations with the Taliban and so the distance between the US and Pakistan will be reduced,” he said.

Mr Kakakhel also said civil institutions need to be strengthened because the civil-military equation is imbalanced due to weak civilian institutions.

SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qayyum Suleri said despite all controversies and concerns over the result transmission system, it was a positive thing that democracy is evolving in the country.

Though Imran Khan’s victory speech was impressive, the IMF will ask the government how the country’s revenue will be increased, he added.

“We will be advised to increase taxes and asked if we have cushion to give subsidies for utilities. It is worrying that the circular debt is more than the defence budget,” he said.

Past governments have tried to privatise the Pakistan International Airlines and steel mills but the PTI has opposed these suggestions, he said.

“Now PTI may try to privatise corporations but the opposition will resist the move,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2018