Congratulations, our power problems are over. Or so we are told by the half-page advertisement in the newspapers (how much does a half page ad: cost).
The ad reads: “We had the will, now we have found the way.”
Does it take nearly four years to find the way?
Just like Obama got OBL killed when his own election was approaching, so has the PPP announced Bhasha dam with the election year approaching.
The ad further reads: “Now, in line with the vision of our leader.”
Her vision was IPPs, for the short term, for the mid term, and for the long term. This was her vision. Period. When given a briefing on Kalabagh dam and Ghazi Barotha hydropower project, she opted for the latter.
All she wanted was electricity, from the IPPs and from Ghazi Barotha. Why, for electrifying villages with an eye on the next elections. PPP is consistent if nothing else.
Water was not an election issue then nor is it now because while loadshedding hurts the voters, the voter paying through his/her nose for food stuff, does not know that the high prices are because of water shortage. The recent pause in loadshedding has made people breath a sigh of relief. May I ask the people:
Has this revived half the industry of the country which is shut down? Has this made the cost of electricity affordable for the industry that is still running? Has this stopped the flight of industry to Dubai and Bangladesh? Has this helped the hundreds of thousands workers who have been laid off? Has this revived half the tube wells that are shut down? Has it made the cost of electricity affordable for those that are running?
Are we so callous and so ignorant that as long as we are getting electricity in our homes, we are least bothered about all of the above?
KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore