CORPORATE WINDOW: Patience wearing thin

Pakistanis deserve better. It is imperative for an elected government to strive to enable people to live lives free from want, fear and indignity. Securing the next International Monetary Fund (IMF) tranche and striving for another longer, larger programme is important. However, history unequivocally demonstrates that a government’s success hinges on recognising its citizens as the purpose and agents of development. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government and his economic team, led by Finance Minister Aurangzeb Khan, need to clarify the vision of the ruling coalition in this regard. The targets of a five-year economic revival plan — currently in development — encompass reducing poverty, creating jobs and improving revenue generation. However, the precise strategy for achieving these objectives remains to be seen, particularly for a resource-starved coalition government pursuing stabilisation policies under the close watch of the IMF.