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.
We seem to have moved away from political ministers for economic affairs. They are always technocrats who are then given artificial senate seats. Why not move away from political ministers altogether. Let parliamentarians do the parliament’s work and have appointees based on competence for ministers.
Why have ministers and then have minsiters of state? Top of that the advisors! Need to have thinkers, intellectuals to manage our affairs then appoint party members who are appointed merely to appease them that they supported thi sor that political party for long. Surely most appointments are made on this basis.
The interior minister / ministry must be given a new face. Nothing has been coming out of it since almost the past decade, as mayhem in the form of target killings and bomb blasts continue unabated.
I like Ali Athar’s list. There are enough good people to do the job if not weighed down by the nincompoops. PPP has to realize that the biggest charge against them now is of incompetence. Get a good cabinet and you ay be able to salvage things.
Interior Ministry: Replace Rehman Malik with Aitzaz Ahsan. RM is good at making coalitions and hardly gets time to look after his ministry.
Law Ministry: Replace Babar Awan with Raza Rabbani. Seems like Awan is always trying to pick a fight, which doesn’t bode well with PPP reconciliation strategy. And Rabbani is almost through with his constitutional amendments (great job done)
Defence Ministry: Replace Ahmed Mukhtar with Farhatullah Babar. Babar is an excellent communicator to deal with the Army. Besides he is cousin of Gen Naseerullah Babar (a plus). Zardari can always get another spokesperson, i.e., Sherry Rehman.
Water and Power: Replace Raja Pervaiz Ashraf with Naveed Qamar. Qamar becomes the Energy Minister merging Water and Power with Petroleum ministry.
Merge following ministries: Communication, Shipping and Railways (Transport); Defence and Defence Production; Commerce and Textile; KANA and SAFRON; Education, Science and IT; Health and Environment; Law Justice, Human Rights, Parliamentary Affairs and IPC; and reverse the acts of Nov 2008, i.e., carving Postal from Comm., livestock from food and agriculture, special initiatives from industries, etc.
Keep the PM (consensus builder), Finance guys (IMF/Army-supported technocrats), Shah Qureshi (next PM), Amin Fahim, Kaira, Assef Ali and Shahabuddin.Give two important ministry to MQM (transport) and ANP (housing) and only Religious min. to JUI-F.
nice visit this
http://www.mostbeautifulpakistan.blogspot.com