ON Sunday Mian Shahbaz Sharif himself laid down the parameters by which he would like the performance of his government to be judged. Speaking in the Provincial Assembly after being elected as the Leader of the House and later at a press conference after taking oath as the 23rd Chief Minister of Punjab, he prioritised four major issues as crucial targets of his government: ending corruption, providing justice, improving education, and introducing reforms in the agricultural sector. He also announced the timeframe for some of the initiatives his government would take. While promising to provide the province a clean administration, he reiterated the resolve to bring those involved in corruption during the last eight years to book. This he promised would be done without recourse to political vendetta. Keeping in view the temptation among the rulers to use the accountability bodies to recruit turncoats to strengthen their own political position, many would reserve their judgment over the claim till results start coming in. The general consensus that the common man faces insurmountable obstacles to securing justice needs his attention. One hopes however that mistakes of the past, like administering on the spot rough and ready justice, or trying to create a parallel judicial system, are not repeated. The assurance of the setting up of a complaint cell with the promise that its staff would not go home till a complainant's grievance is redressed, may be a good public relations exercise but cannot be considered an alternative for well-thought-out judicial reforms. Many would welcome the assurance to provide financial support to students from low-income groups, admitted to colleges and universities on merit but unable to pay their educational expenses, facilities to impart computer literacy in four thousand government schools within a year and an end to ghost schools. While these measures are implemented, decisions need to be taken about more important issues, like a uniform educational system for the province that could serve as an example for other provinces. The promise to end fake chemical and fertilizer inputs within three months would end one of the major grievances of the farming community while improving the irrigation system and building small dams would also be widely hailed. Mian Shahbaz Sharif's success would depend to a large extent on his ability to maintain good relations with his coalition partners in the province as well as with the federal government. He has also to maintain working relations with the opposition if the mistakes of the past are to be avoided. That the opposition boycotted the proceedings, levelling charges of horse-trading while he was being elected the Leader of the House was, therefore, not a good omen.