Adil Najam
Pakistan’s Federal Cabinet – which, according to the official website of the government of Pakistan has 54 Ministers at the time of writing this post – is going to be ‘right-sized.’ If you were asked to assist the Prime Minister in choosing his new cabinet (including retaining or not existing Ministers and positions), who would you ask him to include?
Reportedly, and according to statements from the government’s two key spokespeople – Minister of Information Qamar Zaman Kaira and Minister of Law Babar Awan – this could include (a) reducing the number of actual ministries and Ministers, (b) inducting some new people, or (c) removing, replacing or reassigning existing Ministers. There are particular dynamics of Pakistan politics that have led to this decision, but cabinet changes are a regular and even expected feature of most governments and course correction is always wise, as much in our national affairs as in our personal life.
So, what is your advise for the Prime Minister as he devises a new cabinet? Who should remain? Who might be brought in? How might the portfolios themselves be reorganized beyond what is already mandated by recent constitutional changes?
Looking for a list outlining the composition of the current cabinet, I found this list of Ministers on the official website of the government of Pakistan. A little confused because at least some of the names here have reportedly left their Ministerial posts; but maybe the notifications have not yet gone through or the website has not been updated. But, this list is really the right one to base this discussion on since this is the cabinet that is being ‘right-sized.’
P.S. OK, here is the customary invocation that many readers will summarily dismiss. But let us request seriously because it is a serious request: Cynicism is easy, it can also be a retreat from reason and a deflection from thinking hard about hard problems, and usually it is not funny (there are exceptions, but they are very infrequent… There really are very few Oscar Wilde’s around). So, please spare us the wisecracks and cynicism. If we want serious politics in this country, we need to get serious about politics ourselves.
The entire US cabinet is 14 ‘secretaries’ (equal to our Ministers) plus an Attorney General and plus the Vice President. If they can manage the world’s superpower, why do we need this army of dunces on our cabinet!
I would start by changing the Prime Minister!
I guess to be realistic we should think of people from within PPP circles who they would actually bring, rather than just a wish list.
I would drop, or certainly change Babar Awan. Give him something where he is not in front of camera every day.
Bring someone like Aitizaz Ahsan or Raza Rabanni as Law Minister.
I think the Foreign Minister is OK and should stay.
The one ministry I would remove is religious affairs. What DO they really DO?
Just looking at the picture above and the list below, first step is to cut it down to size. You want a real management team, you cannot really have anything more than around 20. That has to be first step.
Good luck with keeping the comments ‘serious’ and ‘non-cynical’!
But let me set the ball rolling with a controversial opinion:
I would KEEP Rahman Malik as Minister of Interior. He is my least favorite person but is also an effective Minister of Interior. He knows the apparatus like no other, he is always there, seems incredibly hard working, for that job is just right. I would take him OFF political duty of MQM-management, but keep him as Interior Minister and have him focus on police and terrorism issues.