Fleecing power consumers
THE so-called independent inquiry committee, formed by the power ministry to probe charges of excessive billing by distribution companies, K-Electric included, in July-August last year, has absolved these entities of any “deliberate and mala fide” intent in issuing inflated bills to millions of middle-class households in the country. The committee has blamed the power sector regulator, Nepra, for acting prematurely and accusing the companies of overcharging their customers in violation of the Nepra Act. The committee released its findings days after Nepra let the distribution firms off the hook, cautioning them to compensate consumers who had been affected within the next one month, instead of punishing them for an illegal act that caused financial problems for tens of thousands of people.
Though the committee admitted that overbilling was common and had been continuing for a very long time, it sought to justify this malpractice by blaming it on weather conditions, organisational and administrative weaknesses, and the shortage of meter-reading staff, transportation and up-to-date mobile handsets. It said Nepra had ignored these factors, while giving its ruling on the issue recently. On top of that, it pointed fingers at a retrospective increase in power prices in July, which had resulted in a sudden spike in consumers’ electricity bills “heavily encumbering the common man’s capacity to pay”. Even if the committee’s defence of distribution companies is accepted, there is no justification to let them perpetuate this old practice of showing higher recoveries at the expense of the unsuspecting consumers. It is also one way of hiding power theft by the powerful, and shifting the burden onto honest consumers. When seen in totality, the additional amount taken by companies last summer from their customers may be just a fraction of their total billing, but when seen from the perspective of individual consumers, the extra burden of even a few thousand rupees can be unbearable for most families.
Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2024
Missing the point
IN a change of heart, the caretaker prime minister attended the hearing of the Baloch missing persons’ case in the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday after skipping two earlier summons. Yet much of what Anwaarul Haq Kakar said about the issue was problematic, indicating that the state is out of touch with the reality of the situation. Mr Kakar said that while the state is criticised for picking up suspected militants, civil society did not condemn insurgents. He suggested that since militants did not respect the law, they should not be treated as law-abiding citizens are, while also noting that the criminal justice system was on the verge of collapse. Where the failure of the legal system is concerned, this paper has always argued that if the courts and prosecution are not performing, the solution lies in fixing them; circumventing the legal system is not the answer. Regarding the state of law and order in Mr Kakar’s home province, a deeper analysis is required.
Without doubt those who wage war against Pakistan should face the law. Yet it is also true that militancy — whether of the Baloch separatist variety, or the extremist strand championed by terrorist groups such as the banned TTP — gains its oxygen from deprivation and people’s misery. When people feel the system has failed them, some take to militancy. Hostile foreign elements also exploit these weaknesses. The human development figures of Balochistan are hardly reassuring. According to Unicef, 78pc of girls in the province are out of school, while the World Bank says that in most of Balochistan’s districts, nearly half of the under-five population is stunted. There are other similarly abysmal figures. Therefore, when the people see that their quality of life is not improving, especially as compared to other parts of the country, their disenchantment with the state grows. Moreover, the political process in Balochistan is seen largely to be compromised, adding to the people’s disillusionment, as ‘electables’ are promoted over genuine popular representatives. The argument that tribal sardars stand in the way of progress is only partially true; the development statistics from districts where the sardari system is not in vogue are equally disappointing. So while the state must stamp out militancy, it also needs to make an honest appraisal of the underlying factors fuelling separatism, and address them judiciously.
Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2024
Starting over
THE four provincial assemblies and the National Assembly have now been sworn in.
Though rigging allegations and various election-related irregularities and illegalities have cast a dark shadow, these assemblies will represent the people as they oversee the next chapter of this country’s governance. There is no sugar-coating the fact that there are immense challenges before them, the realities of which will begin to dawn as the dust from the post-election chaos begins to settle.
The country is socially and politically fractured, its institutions in crisis, its coffers nearly empty, and its economy in a tailspin. The compact between its people and the state appears broken, its administrative apparatus seems to be malfunctioning, and its judiciary has never seemed as helpless as before.
Dependent on liquidity and capital injections from foreign lenders, Pakistan is in the unenviable position of being just a few missteps away from catastrophe.
Yet if there is one thing the country has demonstrated time and again, it is that its people’s will to endure is unconquerable. The citizenry will continue to hope that the men and women sworn in over the past week can steer the country back to stability and, hopefully, prosperity. Having taken their seats in their respective assemblies, they must now demonstrate that they are ready for the responsibility entrusted to them. The fate of millions depends on what path they take forward.
Given the difficult situation, both the government and opposition must resolve that their decisions will prioritise the public good over anything else. The government benches must realise that the public mood is extremely sensitive due to the unprecedented hardships the nation has suffered over the past two years.
It must get to work at once on ameliorating economic conditions. The opposition benches must realise that they will need to constructively guide the government, especially towards achieving common goals.
The question of legitimacy cannot be abandoned. Those who feel they were robbed of their mandate must continue their fight. They owe it not just to their voters but also to Pakistan’s struggling democracy that they pursue the righting of the wrongs committed against it.
However, the focus of all stakeholders should remain on what future they want for the people of Pakistan. Lawmakers should use their presence in the assemblies to advance their legislative agenda and ensure that present and past mistakes are not repeated in the future. Much has been learned from political misjudgements of the past decade.
The time has come for the political leadership to demonstrate it is ready to move on. Parliament remains the most important forum through which a political negotiation on what tomorrow should look like for the millions who call Pakistan home can be held. Let the politicians figure out a way forward.
Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2024