Boat tragedy
THE woeful plight of refugees forced to flee from violence, persecution and hunger at home has been one of the gravest tragedies of our times. Like cattle, men, women and children are herded through hostile lands by murderous gangs; facing starvation, torture, sexual exploitation, and even death in their desperate quest for a new life in countries they have been told are ‘safe’. Even the sea is not forgiving: in too many instances, the rickety boats used by human smugglers have capsized due to overloading or bad weather, drowning scores of innocents in one go. It is still difficult to shake off the image of Alan Kurdi — the two-year-old Syrian child who drowned in the Mediterranean as his family fled the brutality of the militant Islamic State group — lying lifeless, face down on a Turkish beach. Alan’s death had shaken the global conscience, yet, eight years later, nothing has changed. Early on Sunday, five dozen desperate souls — at least 28 of them Pakistanis — met the same gruesome end off the coast of Italy when the wooden boat carrying them collided against rocks and sank.
It is difficult not to find fault with how unwelcoming European countries have been towards people fleeing countries made unsafe by the policies of their governments. It is indeed necessary to crack down on human smuggling gangs, who continue to prey on refugees’ desperation, but equally important for Western nations to reflect on why so many countries continue to be wracked by such turmoil that people feel they have no option but to flee, and what role they have played in precipitating those conditions. One is reminded of the opening verses of that moving poem by Warsan Shire, Home: “no one leaves home unless/ home is the mouth of a shark/ you only run for the border/ when you see the whole city running as well”. It is time the world starts seeing refugees as humans, not problems.
Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023
Wind power
STARTING in the next few days, the increase in the evacuation of wind power from 36 projects in Jhimpir and Gharo in Sindh, after nearly four months, should help somewhat reduce the overall average generation cost next month. Nonetheless, transmission constraints in evacuating electricity from the southern region — Sindh and Balochistan — to the northern areas — Punjab and beyond — mean that the wind power projects will still not be able to despatch more than 75pc of their installed capacity of 1,835 MW to the national grid in the immediate term. The share of wind power in national despatches has thus remained nominal since November, because the transmission lines that evacuate electricity from these projects are currently ‘choked’ thanks to the preference given to coal and nuclear power due to their lower tariff rates. This is so despite the stipulation in the Policy for Development of Renewable Energy for Power Generation, 2006, that the sole state-backed buyer of electricity would evacuate the entire production of wind-power projects. Consequently, the share of wind power in the national energy mix in December was recorded by Nepra at 2.5pc, against its share of 4.5pc in the installed generation capacity.
Pakistan has tremendous potential to generate solar and wind power, according to a World Bank study. For example, the utilisation of just 0.071pc of the country’s area for solar power generation would meet our current electricity demand. Likewise, wind is also an abundant resource. Pakistan has several well-known wind corridors. Yet the share of solar and wind power in its energy mix remains far below potential, in spite of the multiple benefits the economy could accrue. Instead, lower-than-required investment in renewable wind and solar power, due to policy inconsistencies and policymakers’ bias towards fossil fuels, means that the incremental energy demand in the last two decades has mostly been met with expensive imports. No wonder the share of imported fuels in the energy mix has swelled from 29pc in 2006 to 49pc in 2021, making electricity unaffordable for residential and industrial consumers, and leading to the accumulation of an unsustainable, massive power sector debt of close to Rs3tr. The elimination of imported fuels from the national energy mix is not possible immediately. But investment in solar, wind and other renewable energy sources can help us achieve energy security and make power affordable for consumers.
Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023
Fresh questions
IN a reflection of the present tumultuous times, on Monday, a five-member Supreme Court bench resumed hearing suo motu proceedings to address the constitutional questions arising out of the dissolution of the KP and Punjab assemblies, and the requirement of holding elections within 90 days after the dissolution. The earlier nine-member bench had to be reconstituted after four judges dissociated themselves from the proceedings.
The chief justice of Pakistan had last week initiated the hearings following a deadlock between institutions in the currently toxic political atmosphere. The cold exchange between the president and the ECP had particularly exacerbated the situation, leading to the former announcing the polling dates for both legislatures. Hence the CJP’s move to address the “lack of clarity on a matter of high constitutional importance”.
But things on the judicial front have not been smooth either, with the PDM and the Pakistan Bar Council questioning the composition of the nine-member bench hearing the suo motu proceedings and the government calling for the full court to hear the matter, minus the two judges the government parties said should not be hearing cases related to them.
Moreover, four of the judges on the bench had raised objections on various grounds through their additional notes regarding the composition of the bench. So, instead of the concerns of various stakeholders being allayed, the latest development is likely to complicate matters even more.
It is obvious that the highest court of the land must be kept above the fray and should not allow itself to be dragged into political feuds. One possible way of dealing with the current impasse and maintaining the Supreme Court’s dignity is for the full court to hear this key constitutional case (though perhaps without the inclusion of those whose actions might have been perceived as controversial).
This view is strengthened by some of the SC judges themselves, who have endorsed the need for a full court to hear a case of such crucial import. Moreover, one of the justices on the reconstituted bench had raised questions about a brother judge’s presence on the earlier bench, terming it “inappropriate”.
If this route is not possible, then the other option before their lordships could be to do away with suo motu proceedings in this case. After all, one of the judges has commented in his additional note that, with regard to the case in question, “suo motu action is not justified”.
Regardless of the outcome, constitutional requirements must be followed and not held in abeyance. If the KP and Punjab caretaker administrations feel it is unfeasible to hold polls within the 90-day deadline, then, as this paper has argued earlier, the government should consider calling early general elections so that a path out of this constitutional deadlock can be found.
Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023