The government vehicle is neither racing ahead nor flying like the wind. Despite having a powerful engine, its speed is like that of a passenger train, whereas it should be moving with the speed of a fast train or an express. The political, economic and social challenges faced by the government are so numerous that the turtle-like pace is pouring cold water on expectations. Observers say that the government’s battery is down, even though on the political ludo board there are stairs upon stairs, with neither snakes nor snakelets. If a player keeps landing on ladders in ludo, he should cross the mark of 100 within minutes and win the game. Yet the journey of this ludo seems impossible to complete.

On the one hand, a Ferrari car is in chains. Both supporters and opponents know that this vehicle does not merely run—it flies. If it gets even a little road, it will break through obstacles and defeat everyone. Yet the government vehicle has a powerful engine, there are no obstacles, the roads are open, and the driver is experienced and seasoned. Apparently, it is an ideal situation. When everyone is on the same page and the vehicle still does not shift into a higher gear, people are justified in saying that the government’s battery is down.

If the government battery were fully charged and politics were functioning, political camps would be bustling with activity. The offices of MPAs and MNAs would be packed. There would be a constant stream of visitors to and from the secretariat. But because the battery is down, political camps lie deserted. MNAs and MPAs, who have come to power with the votes of hundreds of thousands of people, call the administration to get their voters’ work done, but no one listens. Ministers go months without meeting their chief executive. Assistant Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners are empowered, while members of parliament are powerless. The situation has reached such an extent that on banners thanking the government for development schemes, instead of the names of the MPAs or MNAs, the name and photo of the Deputy Commissioner Sahib Bahadur are displayed. That is why one angry legislator said in frustration: “It seems that the Deputy Commissioner Sahib will contest the next election as well!”

Supporters of this battery-down system say that good governance is currently prevailing. The culture of recommendations has been eliminated and merit has been implemented. Good governance itself is good politics, and if the fruits of this system appear, then good governance will indeed produce good results. Critics of the system, however, say that good governance also exists in technocratic governments—have they ever become popular? They argue that for public and popular politics, one has to win people’s hearts. When offices are lively and active, everyone—from the ground to the heights of power—is connected in one thread. That is the political network which gets you votes and helps you in difficult times. “Governance is the job of bureaucrats, and politics is the job of politicians,” a former prime minister remarked, summarizing the entire situation of this battery-down system in a single sentence.

Apparently, the current government is working in an ideal situation. The country’s two major parties are part of the coalition government. The Pakistan Peoples Party holds only constitutional offices, while all executive powers are in the hands of the PML-N government. In the center and in the largest province, Punjab, the government belongs to the same party, PML-N. Whenever differences arise between the PML-N and PPP, the establishment intervenes and pushes them to resolve those differences. Imran Khan is in jail, and the opposition is not in a position to create any obstacles for the government. Under such circumstances, the government should be able to conquer every campaign with ease. When you are alone in the field and still fail to capture the fortress, then the blame inevitably falls on you.

Let us now see why the government’s battery is currently down and what two major issues it faces. The first issue is that the legislation and decisions made so far by the PPP and PML-N have not been highly controversial. The tasks completed so far were relatively easy and could be done with a slight push. However, on matters like the National Finance Commission (NFC), the creation of new provinces, and other constitutional issues, deep differences exist between the two parties and also between them and the establishment. Therefore, it will be impossible for a battery-down government to leap across such a deep gulf in one jump. It will have to cross each milestone step by step.

The second major problem lies within the PML-N itself. Although the uncle is the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and the niece is the Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif—and relations appear cordial with no visible disagreement—yet there is a significant difference between the directions and goals of the federal and provincial governments. Whether they are constitutional office-holders of the PPP connected to the federal government, PML-N federal ministers, or government officials, all have complaints about the Punjab provincial government. Whenever an informal meeting takes place in the federal capital, such voices are heard. When a wise member of the PML-N suggests taking the matter to the supreme leader Nawaz Sharif for resolution, the response comes that Nawaz Sharif allows both the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to work independently and rarely interferes in their decisions. Everyone is worried about the lack of cooperation between the federation and Punjab, yet no one has a solution to the problem.

The Gulf war has also given a new direction to the economic problem. But the biggest flaw in the government’s battery lies in economic management. Despite continuous efforts, the government has completely failed to bring foreign investment. In Punjab province, 50 percent of industries have closed down. For industries in Punjab, 19,000 megawatts of electricity have been allocated, but at present only 2,800 megawatts are being used. In Punjab, the price of electricity for industry is 32 rupees per unit. In Sindh province, the industrial situation is much better because the Sindh government built a special transmission line from wind-power units to Nooriabad to provide cheaper electricity to industrialists. Now electricity is available there for industry at 15 rupees per unit. In other words, electricity for industries in Punjab is twice as expensive as in Sindh.

Economists attribute shrinking business, rising unemployment, and the expansion of an interest-based economy to flawed economic policies. According to a research institution, from the creation of Pakistan until 2023—a span of about 70 years—the total deposits in banks were 23 trillion rupees. But when interest rates increased, people shut down their businesses and deposited their money in banks, living comfortably at home on interest. In just the year 2024, deposits reached 30 trillion rupees. The interest rate later decreased to 10.5 percent, yet doing business still remains a loss while keeping money in banks remains profitable. That is why in 2025 another 7 trillion rupees were added to bank deposits. Interestingly, the entire deposit of banks is borrowed by the government on interest, and that same interest is then distributed among the public. Businesses are shut, the economy is stagnant, and only verbal interest-based transactions continue. As a result, the country’s agricultural and economic growth cannot take place. The battery of any country is its economy. If the economy does not move, the battery inevitably runs down.

The challenges of this system are enormous. If the government battery continues to remain down, then someone will have to recharge it sooner or later. Everyone testifies that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is not at fault in the battery being down; he is working very hard. But some problems are bigger even than him. The question is whether the system will perform cosmetic surgery to fix the government’s shortcomings, or if the battery remains down, will the country face some major surgery within the next one or two years?