A YEAR of transition threatened, briefly, to become a year of tumult. But with the navigation of threats towards the end of the year, the PML-N government has managed to enter 2017 as a party in the ascendance. Yet, multiple challenges and threats loom. First though the opportunities. The apparent bonhomie between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa ought to lead to a focus on eliminating urbanand provincebased terrorism and militancy. Simply, there is no other rational choice for the state: adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards all forms of militancy or else the country will continue to suffer from militancy. The focus must necessarily be on Punjab and the vast infrastructure of jihad that has taken hold in the province. While the PML-N government appears in denial about the scale and scope of the problem, the provincial apex committee and dialogue at the federal level ought to shed some light for the civilians on the vast dimensions of the problem in Punjab.

Extremism too must be challenged. While violent extremism, militancy and terrorism may be the immediate problem, the rise of various forms of extremism has yet to be acknowledged by the state as a significant challenge. Virtually each time a militant or terrorist has been apprehended, there has been a confession of either indoctrination or training received by the vast right-wing religious infrastructure in the country. The National Action Plan purports to address the issue of extremism, but on-ground actions are either minimal or non-existent. The government has attempted to explain away the situation by blaming various factors, but the fight against militancy and extremism must become a core part of the PML-N`s agenda if there is to be success in the long war.

The reclaiming of societal spaces by progressive elements must continue. Legislation to protect women in the provinces and, in Sindh, to protect religious minorities are vital elements of a Pakistan moving closer to the ideals of its founder. Yet, progressive legislation and social elements are under constant threat from the religious right and so-called conservative elements in society. In truth, the country suffers from a deficit of personal freedoms despite the constitutional guarantees of individual choice. It is no longer an acceptable approach to suggest that attacks on personal freedoms is an issue that the state must deal with only eventually; the rights guaranteed by the Constitution are intrinsic and non-negotiable.

Be it Balochistan or other territories, the state of Pakistan needs to urgently promote and protect the individual rights and personal freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

In the political realm, the slow-burning crisis must be resolved.

The PML-N may regard the Panama Papers issue as merely another political challenge, but it is really about the fundamentals of the democratic order in the country. Nothing has been proven against the Sharif family as yet in any forum, but neither has the first family demonstrated that there is legal and politically acceptable compliance with local and international laws. The family of Prime Minister Sharif vehemently argues that the allegations about the family`s wealth and foreign holdings are false and politically motivated; however, there is an undeniable sense that the Sharif family has yet to prove its wealth has been legitimately acquired.

Elsewhere in the political realm, whether a census takes place in 2017 or not, electoral reforms need to be finalised and implemented.

Finally, foreign policy will likely demand a great deal of attention in the year ahead. Challenges in dealing with three countries will likely dominate; in addition to ensuring that CPEC projects are undertaken at commercially viable terms in the country. With Afghanistan, the long-standing challenge of nudging an intra-Afghan peace process along while implementing a more sensible border management policy should dominate. With the US, the ascension of Team Trump will require a careful management of bilateral issues, keeping the focus on trade and beneficial aid strategies rather than a purely security-based relationship. Lastly, the eternal challenge: India. Relations with Pakistan`s oldest rival and neighbour to the east have been strained for a number of reasons. The civilian government here is keen on stabilisation, but hard work needs to be put into the Pakistan-India equation again by all sides.