THE fragility of the political system has made Pakistan extremely averse to reforms. There is universal consensus that the system needs a thorough overhaul. Any hint of change is checkmated by entrenched interest groups. Result: successive governments have avoided clear decisions and the necessary speed for transformative actions. The formation of new governments in Islamabad and the provinces has provided a long-awaited opportunity for coordinated, speedy, and decisive institutional reforms for climate resilience that can help bridge the trust gap between the state and citizens.
In fact, at one level, the country is already committed to IMF-supported reforms for tight monetary policy and accelerating structural reforms to build climate resilience, strengthen governance, and improve the business environment. This is both necessary and unavoidable, but not a substitute for internally driven consensus on structural reforms for an inclusive, low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
Announcing targets for the first 100 days in office is a common practice in both the parliamentary and presidential systems. The first 100 days provide leaders a crucial opportunity to set the tone for their tenure and build national and international credibility, outline priorities, and create a roadmap for future initiatives. This tradition is aimed at demonstrating leadership capacity to create consensus, optimism, and momentum. These early decisions help them self-define success, establish clear priorities, ensure quick wins, solidify their coalitions, and generate public support for their programmes.
The concept of the ‘first 100-days’ originated in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency in the US to fix a broken financial system. He initiated significant changes in a short period of........