Energy crisis or catastrophe?

The 18^th amendment to the Constitution is claimed with pride as a feather in the cap of Asif Ali Zardari ever since it was legislated during the last regime of PPP (2008-2013). Except for wresting greater provincial autonomy and a handsome 57.5% share from federal revenue collection under the NFC award, it has proved disastrous for the nation as a whole. The federation was immensely weakened financially and lost its constitutional prowess over a lot of subjects.

In contrast, the inept and corrupted provinces, barring Punjab to an extent, have acquired the sweetness of doing nothing except for squandering the bigger share in the pie. The responsibilities that devolved on the provinces with the 18^th amendment remain entirely neglected, completely undermining the intent and purpose of the said amendment.

One sector of the economy that has suffered the most is the oil and gas exploration and production.

I am a bit more aware about the oil and gas sector as I remained associated with it from 1984 until I retired in 2009. I had the opportunity to see through many dictatorial and political regimes for over a quarter of a century. The bureaucrats in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources — including its regulatory wing, the Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions (DGPC) — had their autocratic and gainful influence so long as they remained at the helm. But the undue meddling was typically akin to the then all powerful and a very long lasting DGPC. His directorate always acted high-handedly much beyond the mandate of a regulatory authority. Similarly, I witnessed many top layer changes in the Company and its Board of Directors. These were based on anything but meritocracy.

However, the managing directors in Pakistan Petroleum Limited were identified from within the Company and thoroughly groomed by Burmah Oil Company of UK (the parent Company) before saddling them to lead PPL with good corporate traditions and grace. The last MD of this distinct breed was Syed Munsif Raza who retired in 2008 after leading the company for 11 years, leaving it on sound footings. The regulatory body (DGPC) had though started meddling increasingly after the exit of Burmah Oil Company from Pakistan in 1997 when its shareholding was acquired by the Government of Pakistan thus increasing their clout, overarching and arbitrariness. Still, there was some method in their madness.

A lot of foreign oil and gas exploration and production companies had entered Pakistan during these catalystic years and made some formidable discoveries to bolster the indigenous oil and gas production.

The scenario changed abruptly when Gen Musharraf had to quit in 2008 and PPP gradually made destabilising ingresses and politicised the oil and gas sector by promoting their vested interests across the wide spectrum of this lifeline sector. The conundrum set in then had to transform into a catastrophe that is so rampant now. Most of the foreign oil and gas companies have winded their operations in Pakistan, and the last hope of a consortium-based discovery off Karachi (Kekra 1) went awry in 2019 extinguishing all hopes of finding a sizeable discovery.

The other day it was appalling to see on TV Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif unveiling the hurriedly drawn energy conservation policy. It was embarrassing for Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan to play a second fiddle and listen to his party senior trespassing his domain. Probably the orders came from Nawaz Sharif to deliberately ridicule the Energy Minister for his relatively soft style of taking on the PTI. As for the salient features of the policy, these are by and large theoretical, long term and mostly implausible due to a sharp political divide and ruined economy in the country.

All energy conservation policies unfolded are nothing more than a wishful and fantastic rhetoric. Like George Orwell said long ago, “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.” Keep your hopes aflame in the darkness of year 2023 which is even sinister today. Return to the basics of life if you wish to survive gracefully. I am constrained to quote Ghalib for increasing my compatriots’ threshold of pain. Ishrat e qatra hai darya mai fana ho jana; Dard ka hadd sai guzarna hai dawa ho jana.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2023.

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