Dawn Editorial 28 September 2019

LNG expansion

EVER SINCE the country entered the LNG market back in 2015, it was clear that the first baby step of setting up a terminal, coupled with a long-term supply agreement, would inevitably be followed by a long series of further measures aimed at transforming Pakistan’s gas markets. Given that natural gas accounts for nearly half of the country’s primary fuel needs, this was by no means a minor development. Once the door was opened for imported gas to play a role in the national economy, a slew of associated reforms became necessary. Framing rules for third-party access of the existing pipeline capacity was necessary to allow gas that lands at the port in Karachi to be transported to consumers upcountry. The country’s own credit had to be established in global LNG markets, and arrangements for the swap of molecules from upcountry fields had to be created. As the private sector, especially in power generation, moved towards LNG, the pace and depth of the reforms pressed forward, and the role of LNG in our economy grew.
In this story, a meaningful milestone has just been crossed. For the first time, end-to-end arrangements have been made by a body in the private sector to contract, import, regasify and transport LNG to the end-consumer. The body in question is the CNG association (Universal Gas Distribution Company); they have made a contract with Exxon Mobile, and purchased regasification capacity at one of the terminals to bring and store their own gas. They plan to use existing third-party access rules to transport this gas to end-consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If successful, this arrangement could be an example for other large private-sector parties to follow. The CNG sector was the first to be unplugged from the supply of subsidised domestic gas, and it languished for many years. Now as it prepares to re-enter the market on the back of this arrangement, perhaps textiles and power generation could be the next in line to put in place similar end-to-end supply arrangements for themselves.
The next such milestone is price reform. It is widely known that in Pakistan, the gas-pricing regime cannot continue in its present form for very long. At some point, it will have to be realised that gas cannot be subsidised by the state. The more market-based gas becomes a reality in our economy, the closer that point arrives. This is a moment of reckoning for many in industry, since much of Pakistan’s productive base is related to the price of gas, either directly or indirectly. At some point, gas-pricing will have to move towards a market-based price, in addition to market-based supply arrangements. That is the big achievement towards which these developments are taking us, and the more the government can do to facilitate the process, the better it will be.

 
 

Police reforms

SENIOR police officers in Punjab have been incensed by an attempt to ‘subjugate’ them. And some of them, reportedly, are ready to even give up their jobs in the face of a plan that emerged in the wake of the recent allegations of police excesses in the province. It is a rather brief remedy suggested by a committee that was set up under a senior bureaucrat. The federal government seems keen to introduce changes in Punjab and KP, the two provinces that have PTI administrators, that will put the home department fully in charge of the police. Some of the proposed reforms can be brought in through an administrative order whereas others would require legislation by the assemblies or an ordinance. The solutions, in discussion for long, are of a fundamental nature. For instance, the reform agenda calls for an inspectorate and a complaint commission. Basically, the police officers in Punjab are protesting because they believe that the changes will hand over their command and control of the force to government servants. The Police Service of Pakistan has fought a long battle for powers with the Pakistan Administrative Services. Police officers are often perceived as being suspicious of bureaucrats of the PAS, who according to them, want to usurp the rights of other government employees. These police officers argue that the new proposals virtually place the force under the command of PAS bureaucrats. Under the proposed system, for example, deputy commissioners will have the powers to monitor police stations.
Let us concede that many of the objections the police officers have voiced against the proposals for reforms are valid. There is an element of arbitrariness and an unnecessary and clearly unwanted surreptitiousness with which these changes are being pushed. The suggestions need to be debated to create greater acceptability; the failure to follow this route has created doubts. It is easy to view the move as an attempt to exploit the existing negative sentiment against the police to coerce the department into accepting unreasonable purges and outside dominance. But it would be sad if anyone is allowed to use the stories about the age-old tussle between two groups of government servants to delay the evolution of a system where the police are fully accountable for their deeds. Let us hear out the concerned police officers but at the same time it must be ensured that the law enforcers themselves do not cross the limits of the law.

 
 

World Rabies Day

ONE of the most horrific deaths is caused by rabies. The disease is transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animals. While nearly all warm-blooded mammals can contract the virus, it is most commonly found in dogs and bats. In a state of rage, the animal attempts to gnaw at anything in its path. When humans are bitten by a rabid animal, the virus creeps through the nerves and quickly enters the central nervous system. Early symptoms include fever, headaches and weakness, which can develop into general feelings of anxiety and confusion. At its final stages, the unsuspecting victim suffers from insomnia, hallucinations, delirium, hydrophobia, and has difficulty swallowing. Gradually, the unfortunate victim of the rabies virus slips into a coma, before meeting an untimely death due to organ failure. Perhaps the most tragic aspect of rabies death is that it is entirely preventable, if necessary steps are taken in its early stages. Timely intervention and vaccination can destroy the virus by building the body’s immune system. Unfortunately, many Pakistanis are unaware of what steps to take after being bitten by an animal, or they do not have the means to access the relatively expensive vaccines and immunoglobulin that have to be administered immediately after being bitten.
Despite repeated warnings by health officials about the shortage of rabies vaccines in government hospitals and the threat posed to citizens from a growing stray dog population — repeated, inhumane culling campaigns clearly proving to be ineffective — there have been at least 13 deaths caused by rabies in Sindh alone this year. The latest victim was a 40-year-old woman from Badin, who passed away at the JPMC Hospital in Karachi. Between January and August, over 122,000 incidents of dog bites have been reported. While all dog bites are not rabid, precaution must always be taken. On this World Rabies Day, the provincial and federal governments, health authorities, NGOs and all concerned citizens must pledge to end the spread of rabies.

 
 
 
 
 

About The CSS Point

The CSS Point is the Pakistan 1st Free Online platform for all CSS aspirants. We provide FREE Books, Notes and Current Affairs Magazines for all CSS Aspirants.

The CSS Point - The Best Place for All CSS Aspirants

March 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
top
Template Design © The CSS Point. All rights reserved.