Instead of expressing it with a reconciliatory note, the federal government has responded bitterly to the Punjab government’s demand of equitable distribution of electricity. Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira explained that loadshedding could not be contained with available resources. In other words what he means is that the people should groan under the outages indefinitely. During a visit to Muzaffargarh Thermal Power Plant and flanked by Federal Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Kaira said that Punjab was already consuming 65 percent of the total power being produced while threatening that if the Punjab Chief Minister’s demand was accepted, it would be reduced to 25 percent. There is no denying his contention that if provincial rulers would revolt against the Centre, the system would collapse but the inaction on the part of the federal setup is fast drawing the country towards such a confrontation. However, he invited the opposition to present a plan to overcome the crisis assuring that the action would be initiated accordingly. Ahmed Mukhtar too had nothing useful to say except to talk of ‘Jaag Punjabi jaag’, a reflection of his personal indifference. Loadshedding can never end, at least so long as the current setup is in power, having made no discernible effort to alleviate the causes of it. Instead, a possibility that is most likely to happen is that the duration of the spells can prolong. The country has not gone anywhere except the dark ages from where there seems no way out.

Trending Discussions

India, China vow to end long-running border dispute

Musharraf’s bail approved in Benazir Bhutto murder ...

PPP victim of national, international conspiracies: ...

Pak-China-India triangle