Public policy and governance under Imran Khan: A critical assessment

Abstract

This article critically examines public policy and governance under Imran Khan's leadership as Prime Minister of Pakistan (2018–2022). It examines the efforts of his government to combat economic instability, corruption, social injustice, and education reform and re-make foreign policy. Structural economic reforms to improve ease of doing business, ambitious social welfare programs like the Ehsaas and Sehat Sahulat initiatives, and education standardization through the Single National Curriculum were the major reforms. The administration's achievements, such as the improvement in world business rankings and more social protection programs, and the recurrent issues of higher inflation, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and selective anti-corruption were the findings of the research. In addition, the foreign policy realignments with China and Russia and strain with Western allies posed questions regarding strategic coherence. Based on a qualitative analysis of secondary data from government reports, scholarly research, and international assessments, the article examines the achievements and failures of such governance efforts. The article concludes that although the policy vision of Khan was reformist, practical implementation was overcome by institutional resistance and economic turmoil. The article urges inclusive, holistic governance efforts to promote sustainable socio-economic growth in Pakistan.