In a systematic effort to map the future political leadership of Pakistan, PILDAT has identified 21 leading political personalities of Pakistan who are projected to become prime ministers in the next 10-15 years’ time. PILDAT has identified these personalities based on the promise and potential they have shown and compiled their profiles in the form of a book with the specific aim of highlighting the roles they play as political leaders for the people of Pakistan. The exercise of developing fact-based and concise profiles of such leaders is aimed at informing and facilitating citizens for their engagement with such political leadership and to enhance public focus and critical appraisal of the leaders that will help future leadership development. The top 21 identified leaders are (in alphabetical order): Ahsan Iqbal, Aitzaz Ahsan, Asad Umar, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Hamza Shahbaz, Hina Rabbani Khar, Humayun Akhtar Khan, Imran Khan, Ishaq Dar, Khurram Dastagir Khan, Liaqat Baloch, Marvi Memon, Maryam Nawaz, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Omar Ayub Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shahbaz Sharif and Shazia Marri. Apparently, Shahbaz Sharif is the front-runner, according to the PILDAT assessment. Five of the potential future leaders are from the PPP, out of which two are the children of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. Future potential prime ministers’ list includes three persons from PTI, including Imran Khan. Two other hopefuls are one each from PML-Q and Jamaat-e-Islami. PILDAT is an “independent, non-partisan and not-for-profit indigenous research and training institution”, by its own admission. There is no reason to question the motives or transparency of the organisation. It has done good work in the past. However, the report’s analysis of each politician is a flattering profile of achievements and good deeds. For those who have read the list, and are internally panicking about the future of Pakistani leadership- they should take the whole report with a pinch of salt. The criteria according to which the 21 have been selected is very subjective and highly qualitative. The report states that “This effort is not about promoting a peculiar set of political hopefuls, it is about trying to assess the ground realities and present them before the people.” If that were true, the reviews of the politicians would be more critical and more informative for the readers. Why an independent research body would take on this type of research is baffling. The rationale is good; to provide the population with a roadmap to assess their leaders, but PILDAT has tried so hard to remain away from controversy that they have come up with a list of fantastic superheroes.
pk.shafaqna.com
