Power solutions

Had previous governments done a better job of producing electricity, we wouldn't be paying for imported electricity.

With frequent power cuts crippling Pakistani industry, the decision to import 500 MW of electricity from India should raise no objections. Not only will it foster improved ties between the two countries, we will also get a desperately-needed source of energy. While welcoming this move, though, it is important not to overstate the impact it will have. We currently face an electricity shortage of 800 MW and the government has been unable to improve power generation by completing work on hydel projects. This deal should not obscure the complete and utter failure of the government’s energy policy. Indeed, it would not be too cynical to suggest that the government’s prime motive behind seeking electricity from India is not the chance to improve ties with our neighbour but to ensure its own survival. Keep in mind that India made the offer to export electricity back in April; the government has accepted only after the opposition PML-N used the issue of power breakdowns to launch a mass movement.

The truth is, if importing energy is the solution to our electricity needs, we need to look towards Iran. The Iranian government has offered to export double what we will be importing from India, but the government has so far been curiously hesitant to accept the offer. This can only be attributed to the US, which has been trying to stymie economic ties between the two nations. Had it not been for American pressure, a gas pipeline from Iran to Pakistan which would have provided a minimum of 1000 MW of electricity may have been a reality by now. We often talk about how it is in our national interest to cooperate with the US on issues of terrorism no matter how much we might dislike it; here is an instance where it is imperative that we defy the US in the name of national interest. Of course, we should never have been in such a situation in the first place. Had successive governments done a better job of producing electricity through hydel projects, we would not have had to pay through our nose for imported electricity.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2011.