PTI’s targets sound unrealistic

Islamabad: Creation of 5,479 new jobs every day and construction of 2,739 new houses daily for five years by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, if voted to power in the upcoming general elections, is an unachievable task for a variety of reasons.

The undoable and unrealistic targets set by the PTI in only two fields are just laughable as no government, regardless of its party, can meet them because of grave constraints and monumental capacity issues Pakistan is confronted with.

While presenting its plans to be followed during the first 100 days of its government, the PTI has committed to create 10 million jobs and build five million houses in five years.

If there was any interruption for any reason in creating jobs and building houses with the envisaged top speed, the average per day, month or year will naturally go up. Delays and disruptions are common in government-sponsored projects.

Statistics show that a total of 164,370 new jobs will have to be made available every month for five years and two million jobs will have to be created annually.

A total of 82,170 housing units will have to be built by the PTI government every month. One million houses will be constructed every year.

Even in most advanced countries, having abundant funds at their disposal, technical know-how, equipment and requisite material, such grand achievements will be impossible to realise.

Way back in 2013, the PTI manifesto, unfolded in April on the eve of the parliamentary polls that year, had committed to establish a 150,000 seat call centre to take service calls and facilitate e-governance in order to generate 250,000 new jobs. Only the PTI knows what happened to this plan over the past five years when it ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and how many new jobs were created this way.

Some time back, PTI Chairman Imran Khan introduced an eleven-point agenda and now he has offered his exhaustive plan of action during the first 100 days of his government, if elected.

Apart from the other objectives that these moves intend to achieve, they are also meant to present the PTI as the party that is winning the elections. It wants to send a message to the prospective turncoats from other political parties especially the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to leave them and join the PTI. It is spreading a perception to be the next ruling party. It is not something unusual as parties do engage in such histrionics on the eve of elections.

The PTI has vowed to create 10 million jobs, revive manufacturing, rapidly grow small and medium enterprises sector, facilitate private sector to build five million houses, boost tourism, reform tax administration, transform state-owned-enterprises, fix energy challenge, make China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a game changer and enhance access to finance.

The PTI resolved to transform Pakistan into a business friendly country; tax reforms and construction of 5 million houses are also among the main points of the proposed 10-point economic policy. A council of business leaders would be created to improve Pakistan's global business standing. “Pakistan wealth fund" would be created to fund institutions such as the Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan Steel Mills and power distribution companies to bring revolutionary changes in them.

The eleven-point reform programme for the 2018 elections was not much different from what the party had pledged before the 2013 polls though it mostly remained unimplemented in KP. Education, healthcare, tax reforms, corruption control, economy, employment, tourism, agriculture, Federation and provincial reforms, justice system and women empowerment are these areas identified by Imran Khan for special emphasis.

According to the PTI’s 2013 manifesto, the areas of emphasis and pledges made before the previous elections for the party almost remain the same even today. Although, many aspects of the 2013 manifesto deal with the federal government for which the PTI could not be questioned, there are several promises which fall in the domain of the provincial governments but were unfulfilled by the PTI in KP.

When contacted, senior PTI leader Shafqat Mehmood said that his party plans to revive the industry and bring new investments into the country which would create 10 million new jobs over a period of five years. “It is not a big deal. It is very much achievable as industry’s revival and new investment would form the basis of strong economy.”

He maintained that regarding construction of five million new housing units, it is not the government that will build the house but the people themselves as the government will create an environment of opportunities through relaxation of policies which will help attain this target. He said that the PTI will relax policies, involve banks for mortgages and through strong economy will help people construct over five million houses.