Challenges Before PM Shahbaz Sharif

“Shahbaz Sharif can deliver.” This is a common perception but this time the job is new and the challenges ahead are even tougher. Being the new Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif will have to have a multipronged strategy in order to overcome the multiple economic and political challenges. He himself admitted, while giving his maiden speech in National Assembly as Prime Minister, that governing the country at this critical time will be a tough nut to crack but ensured the nation that he will do his best to deliver the goods.

On the political front, the most daunting challenge from the get-go will be former prime minister Imran Khan’s mass mobilization against the newly formed setup. By putting the public pressure Imran Khan will try to bring the Shahbaz government to announce early elections. So, it will not be smooth-sailing for the new administration.

There are always chances of reconciliation while fighting political crises but a crumbling economy does not need reconciliation, it needs solutions. It goes without saying that the toughest challenge for Shahbaz Sharif will be to bring back the economy from the ventilator back on its feet. The task becomes even harder when the previous government has left a widening deficit, rising inflation, depreciating rupee, declining exports, and rising imports. Though the stock exchange has shown positive signs yet it is not enough because in order to move the wheel of the economy a lot more has to be done on ‘Pakistan Speed’, Mr. Shahbaz Sharif himself said in the National Assembly.

Besides facing the record fiscal and current account deficit, the new government will also need to resume negotiations with the IMF. Keeping in mind the damage done to Pakistan-US relations due to Imran Khan’s recent rhetoric, the new government will need to repair relations with American and Western powers for resumption of talks for a new IMF loan.

On the foreign policy front, the challenges are equally serious, especially after the mess former prime minister Imran Khan created with his so-called ‘foreign conspiracy’ and regime change allegations.

On the foreign policy front, the challenges are equally serious, especially after the mess former prime minister Imran Khan created with his so-called ‘foreign conspiracy’ and regime change allegations.

As the Shahbaz government faces formidable political and economic issues, it must come up with ‘out of the box’ solutions to meet public expectations. Despite all the challenges, the new government has to deliver for its political survival though it does not have many options on the table to deal with crises.