Report card: First 100 days of PTI

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf came into power after winning majority in National and two provincial assemblies and formed a coalition government in Balochistan. The party had an ambitious plan for first 100 days in office with Imran Khan at the helm as the Prime Minister. In the run-up to the election, Imran Khan made many promises, which he pledged to achieve within the first 100 days of taking office. His plans included cleaning up corruption, improving governance and saving public finances through an austerity drive.

How much it has been able to achieve out of mentioned objectives is a matter of continuous discussion. Objective analysis reveals that PTI has not managed to realize most of it’s promised goals, but it has been a bittersweet period for the ruling party with a few success stories and equally poignant failures. Though it has managed to earn enough credence among the people that public mood is somewhat favorable.

Moving aside from political noise, it is the economic sector most interesting to our readers. PTI had promised to bring about an economic turnaround in its first 100 days. What came to be was a bunch of U-turns and repeated claims of ‘all is well’ until news came that it was not. From backtracking on claims of no IMF bailout to going for the said bailout should serve as a classic example of economic policies.

PM Khan did not attend the UNGA conference but twice visited Saudi Arabia and UAE along with China and Malaysia with the sole aim of getting cash assistance. What he accomplished during these foreign tours has still not materialized but as the country stands today, it has managed to avoid the imminent Balance of Payments crisis and IMF bailout is still required. Much of the precariousness of PTI’s economic policies can be attributed to its inexperience of ruling at federal level and the nation waits for Khan group to find its feet.