A 10-POINT priority agenda evolved during various conversations convened by the Sanober Institute was laid out in my article, ‘Setting priorities’, last week. However, setting priorities can only be effective if accompanied by an implementable action plan. To that end, there are essentially five sets of actions that the government should consider in order to implement these priorities.

First, to achieve sustainable and uninterruptable political stability, the prime minister should invite the opposition for a national dialogue involving all political parties in parliament as well as major institutions, including the judiciary, ECP, the military, intelligence agencies, the civil bureaucracy, and those representing trade and industry.

The dialogue should focus on a five-point agenda: (i) strengthening local governments, which are not receiving their due share from the resources devolved to the provinces; (ii) strengthening the ECP, which must ensure intra-party elections and transparently acquired funding for poll campaigns; (iii) reforming NAB, which has been politicised, thus depleting the confidence of bureaucracy and business; (iv) reconsidering the NFC award, which has left the centre too resource-deficient to handle debt payments and defence costs; and (v) a solemn commitment by all stakeholders to ensure, within their respective domains, merit, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

The outcome of the dialogue should be a national consensus to strengthen democratic norms and conduct, ensure the rule of law and meritocracy; and enable the continuity of economic policies — a kind of charter of democracy, good governance, and economy.

A national dialogue is needed to achieve political stability.

Second, restoring economic stability needs multipronged actions. The prime minister has already constituted a committee to suggest ways to reduce wasteful expenditure in the central government. The real test would be to implement the recommendations. A similar effort is required in the provinces. Federal ministries dealing with subjects already devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment should be immediately dissolved. It is a welcome development that the process of privatisation of loss-making SOEs like PIA and the Steel Mills has gained momentum. And the new finance minister has prioritised negotiations with the IMF for a Pakistan-owned, Pakistan-led programme, debt restructuring, broadening the tax base, exports-led growth, and digitising the economy.

For relief from the pressure of price hikes affecting ordinary people, regional trade opportunities, however limited in scope, should be explored, particularly for the provision of vegetables, fruit and other essential commodities. The government should not spend scarce resources on populist measures like dole-outs and charity programmes. Instead, efforts should be focused on creating jobs via an enabling environment for IT and microfinance. The much-needed civil service reforms should be implemented. No new task force or commission is required as considerable work has already been done, including by the Ishrat Husain-led committee, which had made doable and cost-effective recommendations.

Third, the nearly completed port in Gwadar should be immediately operationalised to handle more commercial traffic, with a mandatory share of jobs for Gwadar and other Balochistan residents. Border markets with Iran should be expanded at the three main crossing points to create jobs for Balochistan’s people. The new government has shown seriousness about setting up Special Economic Zones. Likewise, opening SIFC to private sector investments could stimulate act­ion in key sectors of the economy. The SIFC should create more pu­­blic awareness abo­ut its achievements so far to counter the misgivings some people have about it.

Fourth, the office of national security adviser should be energised to effectively coordinate our response to security challenges. For internal security, a task force should be set up under the NSA to propose reforms in the police and criminal justice system. Apropos external security threats, the NSA’s office should work with intelligence agencies and other stakeholders to suggest options for decisions by the National Security Committee.

Finally, our foreign policy should be reviewed comprehensively so that it can address the challenges of evolving global and regional geopolitics, particularly major power competition, relations with neighbours, and the geo-economics pivot. To that end, a high-level task force comprising all relevant stakeholders and invitees from academia and think tanks could be constituted within the foreign ministry to propose, within three months, doable and pragmatic foreign policy options.

The above is not an exhaustive list of actions. If implementation is initiated, a stage could be set to undertake broader reforms.

The writer is a former foreign secretary.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2024