FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT: energy crisis an eye-opener for planners, policy makers

The bad governance, lack of accountability, inadequate internal rules, viable and prudent policies, and absence of performance monitoring are the major issues Pakistan is faced with today. The current energy crisis across the country is an eye-opener of poor planning and policymaking - the two main pillars of good governance.
If the department was treading the right direction, it would have expanded the infrastructure, keeping in view the demand and supply position in the country. Hence a good policy tool could have avoided the prevailing mess. The mass protests throughout the country on Monday against gas load-shedding and unscheduled power outages were symbolic of the anguish of the common man directly affected by gas and power shortages.
The Lower House of Parliament, which began its session on Monday after a delay of 55 minutes, with a thin attendance especially on opposition benches as the first tier leadership of the main opposition political party except Mehtab Abbasi, remained absent instead of showing their presence in the house to take up the issue badly affecting the masses particularly domestic consumers.
Realising the gravity of the situation and sensing an opportunity, political parties such as the PML-N and MQM upped the ante against the federal government during the session instead of having serious debate on the issue, making life of common man further miserable with each passing day.
The PML-N staged a walkout from the House only warning the government to beware of people's wrath or the day is not far when they [people] will drag them out of the parliament. Muttahid Qaumi Movement (MQM), a government ally, followed the suit and also walked out of the lower house, saying the gas shortage is a national issue, directly related to poor masses and they have no option except staging a walkout from the house.
This second consecutive walkout, one by opposition and the other by a coalition partner, was not enough to make the government understand that this is something serious. A senior minister of ruling PPP sarcastically remarked after seeing the enraged members walking out of the house that the "competition is tough."
His remarks were worth taking note of as the ruling junta has not been able to come up to the expectations of the people and they will have to face tough time in the coming elections. It is not that easy to win elections on the dead bodies of those who sacrificed for a better system, which has been turned into 'debating club' totally ignoring the poor masses.
Prime Minister Gilani, who remained in the house for about an hour, is known for making statements on trivial issues but this time he did not feel it necessary to make a statement on the most important issue of gas shortage which is ruining life as livelihoods of many directly ort indirectly attached to businesses being on gas as fuel.
The prime minister spent his first 30 minutes signing the applications of different members who kept on hovering around him, ignoring the ruling from the Speaker to stay away from the premier as it is not a good practice and the norms of parliamentary democracy.
In the remaining 30 minutes, the prime minister stood up and went to the chamber of Awami National Party (ANP) president Asfandyar Wali Khan, where he was joined by PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Haider Abbas Rizvi of MQM. The discussion continued for over 30 minutes, what came out of the discussion, what forced the prime minister to go to the chamber of ANP chief outing aside the most important issue of gas load-shedding, is a point to ponder.
It could have been more appropriate had the honourable prime minister have uttered even a single word on growing energy crisis and his response could have certainly controlled the violence resulting from mass outrage in all the big cities of the country on Monday, which almost put a halt to the routine daily life and the attendance in offices and schools was very thin.
His minister like minister for water and power Syed Naveed Qamar and the all-rounder Syed Khurshid Ahemd Shah who is always available to respond on behalf any minister, termed the Monday outrage against gas load-shedding a pre-planned conspiracy to topple the government.
What a joke...shouldn't it be appropriate to delve a bit further on the state of the power sector in Pakistan? While power riots have not been a new phenomenon, they are indeed a reminder of the need to chalk out workable policies and implement them without wasting further time.
Bringing necessary reforms in the socio-economic structure of the country requires competent leadership and internal stability as well as a conducive and transparent environment for attracting foreign investment in particular. Besides, there is a growing realisation amongst the Pakistani intelligentsia about issues of mis-governance and the consequences it can have on Pakistan's growth trajectory in the years to come. Complete dedication and proper monitoring and evolution of the development projects is of utmost importance to the economic wheel moving on the desired pace which is not possible without ample energy required to run such projects.