By Ghulam Haider Shaikh
The decision by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to form a short or limited cabinet in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) signals both political pragmatism and financial caution. In a province grappling with economic pressures, administrative challenges, and governance fatigue, this move, if driven by merit rather than expedience, could set an example for efficient governance and fiscal responsibility.
Historically, KP’s cabinets have often reflected political appeasement more than performance. Expanding ministries to accommodate allies or balance internal factions has diluted accountability and burdened public resources. By choosing to restrict the number of ministers, PTI appears to be acknowledging that lean governance, rather than political patronage, is the need of the hour. A smaller cabinet, if properly empowered, can expedite decision-making, reduce bureaucratic overlap, and promote a culture of responsibility within the provincial machinery.
However, the effectiveness of this decision will depend entirely on who is included in the new team. The temptation to fill key posts based on loyalty or group influence, instead of competence and integrity, could undermine the very principle the party claims to uphold. KP’s issues are deeply rooted in governance gaps: from failing infrastructure in the merged districts to law-and-order concerns in sensitive border areas, and from unemployment to underfunded education and healthcare sectors. The province requires a cabinet that not only understands these realities but can act on them decisively.
Moreover, fiscal discipline should accompany this political restraint. Reducing the size of the cabinet must translate into a broader policy of cutting unnecessary expenditures, strengthening transparency, and prioritizing service delivery. The people of KP, who have endured repeated political experiments, deserve results, not rhetoric.
If PTI truly wishes to rebuild its political image after years of turbulence, this cabinet formation could serve as the first credible step. Governance in KP must move away from symbolic gestures toward measurable performance. A smaller cabinet is not automatically a better one, but it can be, if backed by integrity, capability, and genuine commitment to public welfare.
In a province where politics often outweighs policy, PTI now has an opportunity to reverse that equation, by proving that governance, when done with sincerity and restraint, can still earn public trust.
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