Whether for better or worse, Pakistan generally goes into lock down during the month of Ramazan. Offices, especially government offices, shut down earlier than usual inconveniencing thousands of people. The number of traffic accidents and jams skyrockets as empty stomachs translate into mad road rage. According to police sources, even the crime rate goes up. Whether or not that has anything to do with a lack of holiness observed during Ramazan, there is a general rise in discontent among the populace.
This year the Punjab government announced its most ‘historic’ and groundbreaking solution to end all Ramazan-related miseries once and for all – a Rs5 billion Ramazan Package. The government announced that there would be no load shedding and the federal government offered an additional Rs2 billion to subsidize wheat flour to be sold in Ramazan Bazaars. The idea of setting up special markets to sell items of daily use and edibles was groundbreaking – literally – hundreds of thousands of people rushed to these bazaars in the first few days of Ramazan only to find out that either the vegetables had been sold out because they only had a stock of a few kilograms or the price differential with the open market was so minimal that the customers would rather pay a few extra rupees to purchase food of much better quality. To top it all off, considering that the supply of items at Ramazan Bazaars could not match the demand for it, a thriving black market sprang up right under the pious noses of government officials busy (not) monitoring the bazaars.
Basically the idea of subsidized markets turned out to be a front for superfluous import of potatoes and other vegetables from across the border. The subsidy money was used to purchase these edibles because of an increase in hoarding of consumer goods in Pakistan. Traders hoard items before and during Ramazan to artificially inflate prices. The government however ‘thwarted’ all their nefarious plans and imported its own consumer goods…And sold them to multinational companies for profit. The Lahore High Court remarked on this while hearing a petition against the prevalent price hike in Punjab. Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan said the subsidy announced to provide succor to the common man was actually benefitting “big fish and mafia”.
The government, in the lead up to Ramazan, went on a massive media campaign promising deliverance from load-shedding and everything just short of heaven. However, nothing much was done to ensure sufficient electricity production during the month at all.
The Nandipur Project, inaugurated by the prime minister last month and touted as the government’s political trump over the PPP government, has not been producing electricity as of the second half of June. The Solar Power Park constructed over hundreds of acres in Cholistan Desert was to produce at least 100 megawatts before Ramazan…but that turned out to be a no-show. As the mercury crossed the 40 C mark, Wednesday this week was the worst for urban centers so far. Various areas in Lahore witnessed load shedding for up to 14 hours. The government reported an electricity shortfall of over 7,500 megawatts.
Instead of spending millions on publicity campaigns and using and reusing terms like ‘relief to the people’, ‘historic package’ (what does that even mean?), ‘in service of people’, etc. the government really needs to rethink its priorities and policies. The Ramazan Package has only proven itself to be historic in that it has failed to benefit the public and made the country question where and whom their money goes to. Load shedding was an issue the government should have prepared to tackle for months. Instead the focus went on the inauguration of various power projects, the output of which was zero. Yes the people are unsatisfied. Yes there is general discontent. And the government has only itself to blame.
By Area 14/8
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