Shehbaz Sharif government faces daunting challenges on multiple fronts

Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif administration is facing several difficulties, including managing its political partners, handling a severe economic crisis characterized by high taxes and inflation, and maintaining a combative relationship with the opposition PTI party.
Tensions in politics with the Opposition, there have been constant skirmishes in the National Assembly and heated confrontations between the administration and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the main opposition party. Despite the prime minister’s brief attempt at dialogue, the opposition has persisted in its demonstrations, denouncing as “anti-people” all policies and actions of the government, including the most recent budget. As a result, there is now a virtual deadlock in which neither party can get the upper hand.
“Unending, bitter clashes” in the National Assembly have characterized the government’s dealings with the PTI-led opposition, despite the prime minister’s repeated requests for negotiation. There is now a “tense and disorderly stalemate” as a result of PTI legislators rejecting the government’s budget and other policy proposals and the administration retaliating against the opposition.
Uneasy coordination with coalition partners concern, has also been raised about how the administration has handled its relationship with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the main coalition partner. The PPP, which first threatened to reject the budget, has openly complained about not being consulted on important choices. This has highlighted the government’s haphazard approach to alliance management rather than taking a more systematic and long-term strategy.
There has also been tension between the administration and the PPP, which is the government’s main ally. The PPP has called the budget “directionless” and has criticized the lack of consultation. This has highlighted how the administration has been “fitfully managing” its coalition partners, depending more on a “dad hoc approach” than on formalized collaboration.
The administration is confronted with enormous obstacles in the economic sphere. It has to deal with rising inflation and the need to alleviate the pain of the populace while navigating IMF demands for reforms, a deepening debt crisis, and diminishing foreign reserves. “Rewarding the elite and punishing everyone else” is how many people have described the budget, which was created to comply with IMF requirements.
Ineffective government communication has further fueled public resentment by failing to adequately explain its policies and actions.
All things considered, the Shehbaz Sharif administration seems to be having difficulty keeping a tight hold on the political, economic, and security landscape, as seen by its “underwhelming performance” in the first few months of office. Its capacity to overcome the formidable obstacles it faces on several fronts is still unknown.
Risks to security and ambiguity. Another big issue facing the administration is the nation’s rapidly declining security state. There was a lack of clarity in its reaction to its original declaration of a new counterterrorism operation, which was followed by many explanations.
It could be too soon to evaluate the Shehbaz Sharif government’s performance after barely four months in office. But the first few months have been characterized by several extremely difficult tasks on several fronts, which have put the government’s political acumen, ability to form strong alliances, and ability to deal with the urgent security and economic issues facing the country to the test. The government’s long-term stability and efficacy in serving the people of Pakistan will be greatly influenced by its capacity to handle these intricate concerns.