Pakistan: Sharif's election first step toward economic revival

by Erika Martinez | DPR News Newly-elected Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (PML-N party) has plans of a new government that could potentially help revive the economic status of the nation.

Sharif, who is part of the center-right fiscal conservative party Pakistan Muslim League, is aiming to reappoint Ishaq Dar, his finance minister to help recalculate the numbers for the upcoming fiscal year, starting June 1

There have been reports that Sharif will reappoint a certain cabinet member that he had under his wing from his last term in office. Ishaq Dar, his financial minister, will help recalculate the numbers for the upcoming financial year beginning on July 1.

The reports of having Sharif as the potentially new Prime Minister of Pakistan have been taken lightly from other world leaders around the globe. In the United States for instance, Obama has welcomed the transition as an opportunity to work with Pakistan “as equal partners. The Prime Minister of Inida, Manmohan Singh, has hopes that the relationship both India and Pakistan have can be repaired and create a “new course” by addressing mutual fears.

During his past terms in office in the 1990s, Sharif made a good impression and built a respectable name for himself among traders and industrialists through his privatization policies. Now that he has been hypothetically reelected for office, investors have high optimisms in that the economic state of Pakistan can be revived and rejuvenated under Sharif’s administration and new government.

However, supporters of Imran Khan from Islamabad, a popular cricketer and political leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ("Movement for Justice", also known as PTI) political party, have called for a recount of the votes when finding that some of his constituents did not win a seat.

There have also been reports that Sharif will possibly form a coalition if he does not obtain the majority, but with the many independents that he has already acquired, it does not seem likely. Sharif stated that he was not opposed to forming a coalition, but rather “as far as Islamabad is concerned we are ourselves in a position to form our own government ... all those who share our vision we will be happy to work with them."

But for now, the voting shows as follows: PML (N)- 130 seats, PPP -33 seats, PTI- 29 seats; nonetheless these results may change after all of the votes have been counted. Yet, it is still evident that Sharif’s political party may still acquire a majority. Only until the electoral commission has revised all of the complaints, counted all of the votes, and gives the official statement of who won the majority, then the nation will know for sure which political party and political leader will hold office. Once the political leader has been announced, they must prepare a government plan within 21 days, or as soon as possible.

Erika Martinez is a news writer at Davis Political Review. She can be reached at e10martinez@yahoo.com.