Scarcity amidst abundance
Assurances to end power shut downs and load shedding by the time the PML-N government completed its tenure have not been fully materialized. On Wednesday, a massive power breakdown struck large swathes of Punjab and KP that deprived two-thirds of the country’s population of electricity for almost 10 hours. Earlier on May 1, 2018, the tripping of NTDC’s 220-kilovolt transmission lines had caused a power generation loss of around 2,100 megawatts. The two consecutive power breakdowns within a short span have exposed the fragile stability and reliability of the power system. This also underlines the worrisome state of affairs at the NTDC where government intervention has led to the induction of five MDs in succession during its tenure with at least one going public with the remark that when the vested interests of high-ups are not served, they find a way to remove the hurdle.
It speaks volumes about the inefficacy of the PML-N government that despite sufficient generation capacity having been added to the National Grid, Pakistan is continuously facing enormous challenges in the power sector including generation availability, transmission reliability, distribution losses and the high cost of electricity. Unscheduled load shedding continues unabated across the country. While it has badly affected the cities, rural areas are the worst hit with reports of 12-16 hours of load shedding. With Ramzan having begun, this makes life particularly difficult for those fasting. Ironically federal secretary for power has proceeded on leave for fourteen days to return after the induction of the caretaker set up. It is being maintained that there were sharp differences over policy matters between the secretary and the power minister, leading to the temporary departure of the former. Incidentally he is one of the five federal secretaries who have suddenly gone on leave within days.
Shahbaz Sharif claims that the PML-N will win the elections hands down on account of its performance. End of load shedding being one of the major promises, the government will have to do a lot of explaining during the election campaign as to why it failed to achieve the goal as promised.v
