Load Shedding in Pakistan is Avoidable by Usman Khalid

The Government inflicts it on the people because to them implementing the agenda of the enemy is more important than the support of the people who they think are too stupid to find out and protest

 

The Sectarian and Ethnic groups, who are a small proportion of the population, are playing havoc in the country with target killings in Karachi and Quetta and suicide bombs in Lahore and Peshawar, while the overwhelming majority is frozen into inaction. This is a time for us to show our power and strength.

The coalition of parties that rule the country today were either opposed to Pakistan or have since emerged or taken up the enemy’s agenda. Let us take up an issue that matters to all of us and which blights our lives the most – LOAD SHEDDING.

Total Power Generation Capacity of Pakistan from all sources is 19855 MW and the electricity demand (as on 20-04-2010) is 14500 MW. It is true that Hydro Electricity varies between minimum of 2414 MW and maximum of 6761 MW depending upon the river flow. Even if the minimum figure for hydroelectricity is taken for planning purposes, the minimum generation capacity is 15,508 MW, which is more than the current demand. Why is our popular elected Government starving the country of electricity whereas unpopular military dictatorship was able to meet the electricity demand?

It appears we, the people, are prepared to put up with incompetence and corruption. The politicians who rule the country today are so incompetent that they cannot to do a simple calculation. The facts about generation capacity are public knowledge. Why is the government prepared to keep a considerable portion of capacity closed, when load shedding is the most important factor undermining the health of the economy and social peace in the country?

So it is obvious that these 15-20 hrs power shutdowns in most parts of the country are not because of the lack of generation capacity but only because of IMF/World Bank policies imposed on our nation by our Govt. The agenda of the IMF is make electricity so expensive that an industrial future of Pakistan is compromised for good. Electricity now is @11 Rs. per unit, which is above the international average, and it will increase after every two months as directed by the IMF.

Power Generation companies are working below capacity because they have shut down power plants operating on furnace oil; it reduces their profits as furnace oil is more expensive than gas. But we are all paying price for Electricity as if ALL of it was generated from Furnace Oil. The power companies are not buying Furnace Oil from PSO saying they don't have money. Top refineries like PRL are operating at 40% capacity. It is because IMF/World Bank have imposed restriction on import of crude oil on the pretext of reducing budget deficit?

The fact remains that LOAD shedding and its consequence of blighting the industry and the society are avoidable. Due to this load shedding the agriculture and industry are in severe crisis. A storm of protest could precipitate any time which could sweep away the corrupt governments. Let us make that storm meaningful with a clear objective. If the present rulers cannot start the power plants that have been shut down, they deserve that the governments they head are shut down.

The writer is Secretary General of Rifah Party of Pakistan