Everlasting damage

By blocking the multi-purpose Kalabagh dam, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has inflicted multiple injuries to the economy of Pakistan. Shortage of power has put back the revival of Pakistan’s industry by many decades. Also resulting in the menace of loadshedding. Shortage of water has deprived agriculture of 6.1 million acre feet of water, resulting in severe food inflation. Each additional MAF would have injected 2 billion dollars annually into the Pakistan economy.
But for her the dam would have been on stream in 1992. 2011 minus 1992 is 19 years over which Pakistan has lost out on cheap and ample food, jobs for the poor, industrial and agro-based exports, foreign exchange earnings and much else. All of these minuses having added to the poverty of the 18 crore people.
And because of her devotees, the 19 years will become 29 and perhaps 39 or even 49 years. Add to this the colossal damage she did to the economy by pushing Pakistan into a nuclear arms race with India, only to tell CNN that she was against the nuclear tests.
But who will tell all this to the people who are itching to vote her party again into power. Another five years of bheek programmes, unproductive employments galore, feather bedding in public sector, top and bottom heavy corporations (favourites at the top, jialas at the bottom), all expenditure and no development, a government of the cronies, by the cronies for the cronies.
Who will save Pakistan? Even the opposition leaders are afraid to criticise her because of the false aura that has been built around her.
KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore