A deepening crisis

The power austerity measures announced by the Federal government include Sunday as an open business day instead of Friday, saving power in public buildings by using energy-savers and starting air-conditioning after 11 o'clock in the morning, using alternate poles of street light and closing commercial centres and shops at 9 PM. These 'timed measure's will be applicable with effect from 1st June and will continue for three months. These measures, though, are not enough to ensure power distribution to all even though they will lesson some miseries of the people a little during these inclement hot days.

The first reaction to these tough measures announced by the Minster of Water and Power came from the business community. They have opposed the decision of closing their shops and market at 9 o'clock and threatened the government with indefinite agitation if this particular measure is not dropped from the list. The reaction of the business community is reprehensible to say the least. They probably do not realize that under the circumstances when not single kilowatt of electricity has been added to the system by the previous regime, how is the demand to be met? Unless new power plants are installed and generation capacity enhanced, which may take 4 to 5 years, every Pakistani has to share the burden. -QAZI BASHIR AHMED, Old Hala, via e-mail, May 18.