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Summary Ministers do come and go but what a way to plan exit or a survival plan?
A Pakistan deep in economic and governance crisis, still manages endless dramatic political happenings. Its thrillers a country needing to focus on urgent issues, can ill afford. The latest has been the resignation by a sobbing ministerIn a dramatic move at the Federal cabinet meeting held in Karachi the Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan resigned from her post. Right in the media glare, the sobbing minister said it straight, if there are issues about my performance I am resigning from my post. She added that she remained loyal to the party and endorses leadership of the president and the prime minister.Amidst information arriving from the cabinet moot that the PM started trying to convince the minister to take back her resignation, sobbing could be seen as a perfect survival bid.The interesting question however is, how come the media and especially a private channel was allowed to remain in the cabinet meeting after the prime minister’s opening remarks. The rule is to only allow PTV in and that too to only cover the PMs opening remarks. In this case someone allowed a private channel in and actually ensured coverage of the sobbing minister. Pakistans dramas, and indeed broadcast of these dramas for of course public benefit seem unendingMeanwhile, three things regarding the resignation are significant. One, that it was an unplanned move by the Minister herself. In a conversation last night she told me that she is travelling to Karachi for an important cabinet meeting. The minister who had fractured her foot few weeks ago in a car accident has been moving around in a wheel chair. As she presented her resignation, she specifically said very clearly that she would resign because of criticism about her performance.Two, there has been a constant undercurrent of criticism within a section of the cabinet and the party that has been critical of Firdaus Ashiq Awans performance as the main talking front for the party. The criticism has been of both her substance and style and also of her being absent during the most critical period yet for the government. Earlier, there was news of the minister being given another portfolio. However the president himself was not convinced she should be removed.Three, confronting politically the most challenging time of it tenure, its extremely tense relations with the Army , the memo scandal and the rising Imran Khan factor plus some party defections, the government needs be engaged with a degree of competence and sobriety, in dealing with these crisis. This sobbing drama was unnecessary and that too broadcasting it nationallyIf the government needs to change a minister it can, ministers do come and go but what a way to plan exit or a survival plan? Who knows, but surely this is no way to be the incumbents in a land deep in crisis. – Contributed by Director Current Affairs Dunya News Nasim Zehra
