A Turkish power rental ship with an installed capacity of 231 MW has been supplying only 30 MW since 2009 because of the complicity of powerful power brokers of this cash-starved country, where millions have been rendered unemployed due to the non-availability of electricity.
The commercial operational date of this barge-mounted rental power plant was initially October 2009. Tthereafter, it has been extended periodically even though the plant has not once met its electricity generation target.
Furthermore, it is being paid $9 million every month by the national exchequer. The country’s representative to this company is none other than the son of the president of AJK and the deal was signed by former minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
It would be unfair to blame this Turkish company which has negotiated the best deal for itself. This heist can best be described by the proverbial guard who gangs up with the robbers. The biggest threat to our national economy is from within and not from either the Jewish or the Indian lobbies.
It is unfortunate for this country that politics has been reduced to thuggery and deceit. The solution lies not in suspension of the democratic process but in a thorough accountability process, where none should immune and allowed to hide behind lame excuses of national security.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
