Everyone these days seems to be talking about the elections, the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto and its impact on federation of Pakistan, the ever high anti Pakistan and anti Army sentiment in Sindh, Balochistan and FATA. The ordinary Pakistanis, middle and lower class in particular, are faced with a long list of other serious crises (making their daily lives a misery) which, unfortunately, have got very little attention. Latest in the list are the Power crisis/Load-shedding, water, Sui Gas and Flour or Wheat crisis.
The Power crisis or Load-shedding has been so severe since last 2 weeks or so that here in Lahore, we feel like living in caveman’s era. After every 30 minutes electricity goes off and we have to sit in the candle lights (except for the 5% who have generators:)) and wander around in the darkness. There are many areas of old city which are often without any electricity, gas or water for entire day in this extremely cold weather.
There have been difficult situations since the creation of Pakistan but I don’t think ever before so many crises have hit us in such quick succession. During last two years, particularly, we have seen nothing but crises, one after the other, and not a single one handled properly by government. It wouldn’t be wrong if we remember 2007 as a Year of Crises for Pakistan. On most occasions, authorities could have controlled situation by strict administration and better management. The inability to act and indifferent among the top government officials on these serious issues is astonishing, especially when elections are just around the corner. How can Q-league candidates even think of coming to people and ask for votes considering the terrible situation after their 5 years rule? Or may be enough votes have already been managed . Everybody seems to be interested in power game and political survival and there is no plan of action to handle the very basic problems. Nobody is coming forward from government authorities, explaining the cause of, for example the flour crisis, and informing public on the actions being taken to improve the situation.
The year 2008 has brought several gifts for Pakistanis including the Bijli, Paani, Sui Gas and Aata Buhraan (power, water, natural gas and flour crises). Yes water too because not many people understand the connection between water supply with the availability of electricity in Pakistan. The tube-wells which supply water to most cities are run by electricity. I remember about 2-3 years ago, when there used to be criticism on Muslim League (Q) Government that all decisions are made somewhere else and they just say Yes Boss (dummies). Mr. Musharraf gave an interview on Geo and highlighted the point that he doesn’t interfere at all in government operations and the only things he looks after is the war against terrorism and the future power needs of Pakistan. I am sure many of you remember the presentations and news clip from aiwan-e-sadr (Presidential Palace) which used to appear on news channels daily and then the press briefings with claims of new dams (including Kala Bagh dam) to be built and a plan has been made to fulfill Pakistan’s power needs for next 20 years. So, what happened to our tax money that has been wasted on funky presentations and planning and no actions and results?
Well, the result is that after last year’s nightmare situation in Karachi and some other parts of the country, now there is a serious Power Crisis in the ENTIRE country. Here in Lahore, we are facing load-shedding up to 7-8 hours a day in urban areas (that is in Lahore) and things are not improving. Initially the load-shedding was for 30 minutes after every 2 hours but since last week, they do it after every 1 hour during the day time and every 30 minutes after 5 PM (for 30 minutes mostly and 1 hour in between). The most irritating part of this load-shedding is that NO schedule whatsoever has been published for people to know and try to manage things in a better way. I was watching Geo and they were showing reports of rural areas of entire country where they are getting electricity for only 2-4 hours a day. Every indication of things getting even worse in January/February. Well, welcome to 2008.
Daily Times filed this report on load-shedding:
The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has decided to increase the timing of load shedding with a seven-hour shutdown on regular basis from Tuesday (today), officials told Daily Times on Monday.
The officials said that the authority was facing a shortfall of around 3,000 megawatts and that it had decided to increase the load shedding in rural and urban areas. Pakistan requires around 11,000 megawatts per day, while the per day availability is around 8,000 megawatts.
The officials said that the shortfall might increase to 5,000 megawatts during the upcoming summer, adding that the power deficit was likely to decrease during the start of 2009 because various new power generation projects would be started.
“It has been decided that WAPDA will do five to seven hours of load shedding per day in the rural areas, while four to six hours of load shedding will be done in cities,” the officials added.
The Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has asked all distribution companies to increase the load shedding hours to overcome the shortfall. The closure of canals, release of less water by the Irrigation Department and the suspension of gas supply to power generating plants caused the power shortfall, PEPCO Managing Director Munawar Baseer Ahmed said, adding that the load shedding might increase in the coming days if WAPDA did not get gas or water to generate power.
Meanwhile, a cabinet meeting decided on Monday decided that any load shedding interval would not last longer than half-an-hour, Irfan Ghauri adds from Islamabad.
Geo has this report on Flour Crisis:
The flour crisis has intensified as people facing hardships to buy the essential food item on increased price. In Karachi wheat flour, ghee and edible oil have not been available at most of the utility stores. The flour if available at a utility store being sold at Rs.155 ten kilogram instead of the official rate of Rs. 130/-
Long queues of the people can be seen outside the utility stores in the city for flour, ghee and edible oil. The 10-kilogram bag of wheat flour being sold at 155 rupees instead of the official rate of Rs. 130/- at utility stores in the city. The other shops are selling the 10-KG bag of flour at Rs 280/-
The flour price in Zhob, Mastung, Loralai and other parts of Balochistan has hiked, while the food item is unavailable at utility stores in Quetta and other cities of the province. The chief minister of Balochistan has issued directives to the concerned officials for action against hoarders and called report on the issue within two days. According to the provincial secretary food Azam Baloch, 20-KG bag of flour being sold at Rs. 278, at 130 Fear Price Shops in Quetta and at various sale points arranged by the flour mills.
In Peshawar wheat flour is available only at few shops and being sold at Rs. 500 per 20-KG bag. According to the shopkeepers the flour supplies from the mills have decreased. The crowds of people can be witnessed at the utility stores but a spokesman of Utility Stores Corporation has said the stores could not meet the rising demand of the flour.
According to the NWFP Flour Mills Association the crisis was the result of dwindling supplies of wheat and flour from Punjab.
I started to recall the number of crises that we have seen under Musharraf’s regime and the list is really long. I wonder when he leaves office (surely he will leave or forced to leave someday soon), how people will remember him (if they do) and his X years in power. A dictator who gave Pakistan more crises than anyone in history? Here is what I could think of in just 5 minutes:
- Steel Mill
- Stock Exchange
- Law & Order
- Extremism
- Sugar
- Flour
- Electricity and Power
- Crisis of federation of Pakistan
- Political turmoil
- Credibility of state institutions
- Credibility of Armed Forces
- Lal Masjid
- The missing people
- The judicial crisis
- Freedom of speech and media crisis
Readers are most welcome to add to the list.
We are also hearing the news of upcoming Rice Crisis which is expected very soon. Beware all you rice lovers. I just don’t know what is the way out for ordinary citizens of Pakistan? Where is the impact of that economic prosperity and progress? People need things like food, energy, shelter, education, health and security to survive not the mobile phones and leased/financed motorcycles and cars. We have been hearing tall claims during last 5-6 years and I think we have a right to ask questions that where are the results? Whatever it is, some well known people have sure made a LOT of money during that time.
When I look at the current situation of Pakistan, it seems like a Masailistaan. As an optimist, I like to believe that things would be better in future. But just how, that I do not know. Somehow as a nation, we have to figure that out and quickly. Rigged or not so rigged elections may take place next month but how it would bring any positive change in ordinary person’s life remains to be seen. I would like to end this post with Ahmed Faraz’s kalaam which ends on a positive note.
FIVE REGIONAL CITIES OF PAKISTAN should be upgraded with in the provinces in the country. Regional cities of Dera Ismail Khan in NWFP, Gawadar/ Qalat in Balouchistan, Sukkar/ Larkana in Upper Sind, Jehlam/ Rawalpindi and Multan in Punjab province. These regional cities have been ignored by the federal and provincial governments although these cities have their own history, culture and languages.Dera Ismail Khan in south of Pakhtun khwa/MWFP is under seige, Multan/DG Khan in south of Punjab is next target of religious extremists,Sukkar/ Larkana is being rule by criminals, Gawadar/ Qalat is trouble some. The people of these regions have to travel to provincial capitals for every small issue and requirement of the daily life which should be provided in nearby cities. A good number of population travel to big cities for their survival to earn livelihood as the local feudal own majority land and keep the common man as their slaves. Creation of regional government and upgrading of the regional cities will save a lot of money and time of the poor people of these regions. Circuit benches of the High Courts are already working in these areas and only requirement is the additional staff of different departments involved in additional work at the provincial capitals. The concern authorities should immediately consider to upgrade the regional cities. And immediate attention should be given upgrade/build the airports,TV station, civic center, libraries,hospitals, educational institutes and investment opportunities for Pakistanis living abroad and foreign firms to create jobs in the area as majority population in rural Pakistan do not have enough resources to survive. Its remind me the condition of pre Islamic revolution of Iran in Shah time when the rural Iran was ignored and the capital Tehran was developed in a way to call it Paris of Middle East with modern life style. Couple of other big cities like Isfahan and Caspian sea was taken care of because of foreign tourists but rural area was ruled by cruel police and intelligence. Then what happen rural population supported the Islamic revolution and moved to Tehran and other big cities later on. The new government after revolution developed, built and upgraded the rural areas of Iran accordingly. A fund to upgrade/build these regional cities in Pakistan should be intoduced by public and private sector and Pakistani government, our foreign friends and Pakistanis living abroad may be asked to participate in this development mission in the country..KHWAJA AFTAB ALI,( former secretary, Iranian embassy, Saudi Arabia,1979-88) Advocate High Court & I.P. Attorney-first & the only Pakistani lawyer who earned Intellectual Property laws scholarship in USA,presently residing in Florida, USA. all_languages@hotmail.com
Thank you this is my assignment topic current situation of Pakistan.
Where is Pakistan going??
One thing we all have to remember is that the problems in Pakistan can not be attributed to singular personalities. Pinning blame is something we have become VERY adept at. We are handed down bias as a hereditary tradition. We can pin all the recent crisis on Gen. Musharraf. Those before that on former leaders.
But in reality what is going on… the so called independant media of Pakistan only care about themselves… the media. They babble on and on on THEORIES about what is going on but never address the causes.
Us simple civilians are generally concerned only with ourselves. As deadman so aptly put it.. the focus of most people is to solve problems in the short term.. and forget the long term. But the core flaw is in how Pakistan has been governed… Ever since Pakistan was created democracy and mode of governance has just been a puppet show. People with social power were abusing it since before Pakistan and were not going to give that up just because a new state was formed. Every political family, every leader has either had ulterior motives from the very beginning or succumbed to corruption at one level or the other.
Our people mourn those who lost their lives in the process, but never really look at the bigger picture. Racial tension.. generational gaps.. lack of trust… such factors stop any real co-operation.
Ever since 1947, every political era in Pakistan has passed in the hunt for complete and ubiquitous control and in the end generally no one ever got complete power and the problems which were completely neglected in the meanwhile grew into monstrosities.
The gist of the whole story which every wise person can understand is that overturning the negative momentum is not possible for INDIVIDUALS in a small timescale like a human lifetime. It requires sacrifice, each and every day. In each and every department. But the sad part is the people who should be the first to do something are generally busy catering to their own growth and are willing to stomp over those who need their help.
hi .i m realy thankfull 2 u .because my assignment topic is crisis in pakistan.
and u help me alottttt.its realy awsome material.
everything is quite understandable,the material ,the language etc etc
thank u again
FARIHA LATIF
Hi,
I am really impressed by your observation and way you have explained things in broad context. Now a days Im living in UK and constantly watching news from last couple of years. By a wide array of problems which Pakistani citizens are facing, Im most worry about electricity. As you have mentioned and I have seen much before that on TV and other publications, government has projects on its list to coup-up with current and future issue with power shortages. We all know what their plan is and believe me by the time of completion of those plans, power shortages bar will raise again and also solution which government has in its belt is not cheap.
I have worked out some solutions (I admits that it is not the ultimate solutions but strongly believe that it will make a significant effect over a situation which we all are facing) and at that stage Im gathering related information regarding current electricity tariffs, percentage by which it raised, market price for various types and power of generators and any other relative information along with references regarding that issue to make an investment proposal to various investors here in UK.
I hope that most of you will found some time to gather as much information as you can and share with me at that place to make a valuable contribution in my little effort to ease one of many problems which we are facing.
Thanks and regards
Saif Khan
Who will be Beneficial to Pakistan Mr. Barackobama or Mr. Paul Mccain.. Share Your Views Here http://discusshub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8
we dont want critisizm but as a pakistani we want the solution of these problems!
we all know what crises pakistan has been faced from last 8 years but we as a nation have to find out the solution of these crisis. because critisizm is very easy but effort is very hard!!!!!
believ or not, if we keep runing pakistan in such a way, then we have to change its name from pakistan to qaberstan ( graveyard) our only need is money and we can do any thing to get a piece of paper, we never ever tried to solve the problems but to search for alternatives, if there is load sheding we start buying generators and ups,use of debt to pay debt and etc, also wrong use of powers, lota politician, and the list goes on, the only developement i have seen so far is to name any road or investment scheme after any political leader, if this will not change one day u will see PPPP cola and PML cola and every party will have their own currency, now a days we are runing short of electricity but the electricity bill is heavier than before, what you call development or we what is management that is unable to stop the short fall but to increase the gap between demand and supply,only winter season can decrease this gap not the government nor the power companies, and i dont know why we are donating electricity to afghanisan, so people of pakistan you know every thing, you know every politician and government representator play with figures, u know pakistan is developing only in papers , its time to get up…