Almost daily the newspapers are highlighting about the worsening of power and gas woes in the country. Not surprising though, considering that out of the numerous problems confronting the country, not even one problem has been tamed by the governments in the past two decades or so. In fact, many more alarming ones have emerged in the recent years which the present government has neither the will nor ability to tackle. The reason being that these problems are a blessing for the rulers who in the guise of resolving them, borrow money from foreign and domestic sources on regular basis, huge chunks of which are routinely pocketed by them and their corrupt cronies in the bureaucracy.
At the opportune time, this money is ingeniously transferred to the friendly havens abroad mainly the Swiss banks and some notorious off-shore companies. No wonder, the crises linger on and this exercise is repeated time and again for the same purpose.
While the power and gas loadshedding is doubtlessly a common mans bane, the privileged in the society are believed to be immune from their rigours. In case this is a fact, then its a naked discrimination not permissible in the law of which the honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan might want to take suo motu notice and direct the concerned authorities to treat all citizens equally, even though this judicial exercise results in self-denial too.
FAROOQ ZAMAN
Lahore
