Finally, the cat has come out of the bag with Federal Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Asif announcing that it was not possible to end load shedding in the country by 2018. Prime Minister has been repeatedly telling the nation that load shedding would be over by the end of 2017. There is obvious discrepancy in the two claims of the government which ought to be cleared. Obviously Federal Water and Power Minister could not give a statement without prior approval of Prime Minister in such an important matter like load shedding. We have been led up the garden path by government representatives that load shedding would be over in six months, in one year and latest in two years but the new estimate is spread over three years with no firm promise even afterwards.
It appears that the government does not do proper homework on ending load shedding as their estimate is going further away. It is a common method of government and politicians to lie to the people in the form of a lollypop promise which people are supposed to keep sucking till it is finished, and then they give another lollypop to keep the people guessing. Like Bhasha dam, about which we are now being told that there were no financiers for the project and that Pakistan would build the dam from its own resources. This is another pipe dream as Pakistan is overloaded with loans. It is living in fool’s paradise to think that Pakistan could spare 12 billion dollars for the dam from its own resources.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
