Criticism against the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Mr Buzdar is increasing by the day due to his lack of expertise and the magnitude of management that the province of Punjab requires. In an attempt to appease the critics, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his government have taken the initiative of removing Punjab Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar and Inspector General of Police retired Capt Arif Nawaz Khan, ahead of an expected major reshuffle. While there is certainly tension between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) government and the bureaucracy due to the government’s blatant accountability drive which is taking away the trust from working individuals who would otherwise take initiatives to solve problems within the state but are now afraid of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) knocking on their doors, but in an attempt to cover for Mr Buzdar’s lack of expertise, many are alleging that the recent changes have been made to show a government bureaucracy divide rather than a problem with the government’s management.

While the government reserves the right to make changes, continuous uprooting of individuals within the bureaucracy will create hurdles for the government itself and will delay work which can be achieved - something we have all been witness to in the last year. A trust deficit can be overcome if the stakeholders are involved in the process of improvement. If they are going to be further aggravated by changes in appointment every day or two, it is going to create a very difficult environment for them to operate in. Since the very first day, the government of PTI has been adamant about making radical changes, which is a developing country like Pakistan means a lot more hassle because the entire process will be time-consuming and all the new individuals will take time understanding the nuances of the system.

Once again officials are expecting massive senior-level administrative reshuffle in Punjab as a result of meetings between the chief minister and prime minister so as to improve governance here. Changes are expected in the police department as well. This is a repetitive cycle of shuffling and demoting the appointed individuals, who are not able to perform their duty or improve the current scenario, resulting in delays in the work of the bureaucracy and an extension in the lack of trust between the government and the bureaucracy.