Pakistan - #PMLN misled the nation - Unending crises

There seems no end to the sufferings of citizens as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has failed to fulfil the promises it made during its election campaign in 2013. The PML-N misled the nation

with hollow slogans that it would overcome the energy crisis within weeks or months of coming into power. However, the genie of load shedding is still out of control while a severe shortage of fuel has crippled routine life across the country. Earlier, a severe petrol crisis had hit the country in January 2015 and the government had claimed that no such eventuality would occur again but the crisis has resurfaced mere months after the first bout. Several cities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been in the grip of a petrol shortage due to a lack of coordination between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and oil marketing companies, mainly Pakistan State Oil (PSO) that imports between 85 to 90 percent of the country’s fuel oil and petrol. The fuel supply to upcountry has been badly affected due to a conflict over freight shipping rates between the PSO and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.

That has led to the closure of petrol pumps and electricity plants through the length and breadth of the country. Due to mismanagement once again by the concerned ministry, the government has been facing the citizens’ wrath. In many cities, long queues of vehicles were seen at petrol pumps, their drivers furious at the fuel dearth and cursing the government. On the other hand, the electricity crisis has worsened in the country. Rural areas have been facing blackouts of 12 to 18 hours while urban areas are experiencing about 10 to 12 hours power outages daily.

The government needs to wake up to resolve the energy woes that can lead to massive protests across the country. Fingers are being raised at the poor governance of the Nawaz government that has failed to end the sufferings of the masses due to the presence of incompetent ministers. Instead of ending the power crisis, the duration of load shedding has increased. Like the previous PPP government, the electricity crisis can result in the ouster of the Nawaz government. The government should appoint a competent person to the post of Minister for Petroleum who could foresee situations and take necessary measures to ward off such crises. In January 2015, the government had made the officials of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and PSO scapegoats, but this time it should not repeat the same mistake to save its blue-eyed minister for petroleum, who has failed to perform altogether..