The PTI Government appears to have been working harder to honor its first 100 days in government pledge. To closely monitor the programme, a website has been created at PM's office to provide in real time an update on progress made on the plan. The site deals with six subjects - state governance, strengthening of Federation, revitalization of economic growth, uplift of agriculture, conservation of water, greater focus on social services and Pakistan's national security.
Reportedly, as of today, the progress tracker records 35 tasks as 'completed' while 87 tasks as 'rolled out'. The following are the 'completed' tasks:
The prime minister's address to civil servants;
Selection of provincial Inspectors General of Police (IGPs);
Appointment of reform leader for Punjab;
Establishment of housing taskforce;
Establishment of a joint working group for commerce, foreign office, and finance;
A federal cabinet meeting held in Quetta with local leadership and cabinet committee's inaugural meeting;
Appointment of Federal Board of Revenue Chairman;
Establishment of a taskforce to examine and recommend improvements to National Accountability Ordinance (NAO);
Declaration of UK/Pakistan justice and accountability partnership;
Establishment of a taskforce to recover unlawful wealth;
Taskforce and unexplained wealth unit made operational;
Review of KPK local government system with recommended improvements;
Creation of a taskforce for civil and criminal law reforms;
Appointments on key positions;
Formation of a working group for national agriculture and legislation on private sector market participation and national livestock emergency working group;
A Council of Common Interests meeting on national water challenges;
A taskforce has been set up for implementation of national water policy and provincial water master plans development;
A taskforce for Fata reforms established;
Consultations with stakeholders for development of an action plan on criminal justice and awareness campaign on inheritance rights launched;
Options on clean drinking water for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) developed;
10 billion 'tree tsunami' and 'urban tsunami' launched;
Taskforce on tourism established;
Councils of Economic Advisers and Business Leaders appointed;
China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Working Group established;
National financial strategy working group established and key foreign policy issues identified on which strategy will be reviewed.
The following are the tasks identified as 'rolled out':
The review of NAO law to recommend amendments to strengthen functioning of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB);
Share amendments with parliamentary parties and meeting for review of Mutual Legal Assistance Bill (MLA);
Finalization of draft MLA Bill with relevant stakeholders;
Empower people at the grassroots;
Legal review of Punjab's local government system;
Proposed blueprint to revamp local government system for Punjab, KP and ICT developed for review;
Revamp police act for KP and draft police act developed for other provinces to present to provincial assemblies;
Review of civil laws to recommend amendments to achieve expeditions and adjudication of civil cases;
Initiate draft legislation for civil procedure and criminal law reforms and review of substantive laws and procedures in relation to issuance of letters and succession certificates; legal vetting of disability, corporal punishment and torture bill;
Finalization of legislation for setting legal aid authority under the Ministry of Human Rights;
Civil services reform taskforce notified, first meeting held, and timeline for reform work committed;
Punjab and KP agriculture policies launched inclusive of engagement with lending institutions with lending products for farmers designed and developed; market expansion plan developed and announced; incentive plan for food processing developed and announced, Punjab and KP livestock plans developed and launched;
Former Fata mega development plan announced with funding from federal government committed;
Working group on Balochistan, including both federal and Balochistan representatives, established;
'South Punjab province' working group created;
Taskforce, along with a lead for the Karachi transformation plan, appointed;
Poverty alleviation strategy developed inclusive of a coordination platform at the federal level to guide poverty alleviation efforts;
Introduction of Sehat Insaf Card in Fata, ICT and Punjab and KPK;
Federal/ICT strategy on education developed and published outlining federal role on education in line with the 18th amendment. KPK and Punjab five-year education blueprints developed and released;
Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) review conducted, and BISP 2.0 plan launched;
Action plan on criminal justice developed and execution started;
Consultations with stakeholders for action plan on inheritance rights with the Ministry of Human Rights; women empowerment package developed and announced while funding approved;
Plan for clean drinking water for ICT and provincial capitals developed and launched;
Restructure of existing task forces on climate change and wildlife to drive government's green growth agenda;
National job creation strategy developed and unveiled;
Federal, KPK and Punjab Technical & Vocational Education & Training/skill building strategy created;
Economic support package announced;
National tariff policy announced;
Backlog of refunds and rebates cleared;
Punjab and KPK industrial policy developed and announced;
Punjab and KPK labour policies reviewed and developed;
Private sector investment framework developed;
Provincial tourism strategies launched including public guesthouse conversion plan and four new destinations proposed;
FBR reform blueprint developed and launched; tax policy developed and announced;
'Ease of Doing Business' strategy developed and published;
Process of shifting state-owned enterprises to Pakistan Wealth Fund initiated;
Energy Taskforce notified and five-year integrated energy plan developed and published;
CPEC strategy reviewed, refined and published;
National Financial Inclusion Strategy implementation plan developed and announced;
Plan to increase deposit base of banks developed;
Foreign ministry reform blueprint launched;
Need for an additional policy coordination cell reviewed, and decision on its establishment taken;
National positions and plans of action on top priority issues, and, in particular on Kashmir approved by the Prime Minister;
Trade roadmap launched;
Current national security organization structure reviewed and options developed, all points of NAP reviewed, and implementation of revamped NAP begun.
The PTI government's first 100 days in office task checklist makes it clear what actually constitutes its performance in 100 days.
As perceived by many, the plan is indeed a checklist of doables which the government had planned to roll out in first 100 days of governance. The core focus of the plan is to address the issues of the wider segment of population specially at the grass root level - the level which has been neglected too much and for too long. It is this segment of population which is looking up to PTI as saviors and PTI is well aware of its importance as a lead vote bank.
Some of the checklist points are routine administrative matters, whereas, by and large, the plan reflects the mindset and direction in which the government would proceed in its next 5 years of governance.
A number of tasks will require enactment of legislations which will be a challenging task at the Senate. Major amendments would be needed to the Code of Criminal Procedure and Pakistan Penal Code apart from the introduction of the whistleblower law.
Most of the 100-day 'completed' tasks or those in the 'rolled out' stage are soft targets. The real challenge is the financial and economic turnaround. The 100-day plan is so far silent on how it intends to deal with stagnant exports and attract foreign direct investment which is at its lowest level in a decade.
It also needs to unveil its plans aimed at arresting circular debt and reducing losses incurred by loss-making enterprises in the public sector. The plan is also silent on how to enhance the much-needed revenue generation through industrial growth and taxation.
(The writer is former President of Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
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