Press Release
Indian Offer of Electricity to Pakistan is a Sinister Plot
Rifah Party sees the Indian offer of electricity as a part of the Zardari Geelani scheme to make Pakistan’s economy so dependent on India’s goodwill that its sovereignty and freedom of action on the international scene is compromised. It is well known that Pakistan has installed generating capacity of nearly 20,000 Megawatts but it is producing only about 11000 Megawatts resulting in closure of industries and untold misery for the people. Some of the shortage of electricity is due to seasonal factors which reduce the flow of water in Indus and Jhelum Rivers. But this is an annual occurrence which has been dealt with routinely for decades by timing of closure of thermal power stations for maintenance so that reduction in generation of hydro electricity is compensated. If such planning is not being carried out and thermal generation not being optimised to meet the shortage of hydro electricity it can either be due to criminal neglect or deliberate policy to undermine the industry and agriculture of Pakistan. Rifah believes that it is the latter; it is the policy of the ruling coalition to increase penetration of Pakistan’s economy by India
The official figure for demand of electricity in Pakistan is about 14,000 Megawatts. Any one familiar with electricity supply knows that demand fluctuates. Every reasonably managed utility deals with fluctuations of demand routinely. In fact, thermal units which produce electricity at higher cost are started only when the demand is more than average. The excuse of Energy companies why about 6,000 Megawatts of generation capacity has been mothballed is that the thermal units that run on furnace oil produce electricity at much higher cost; besides, much of the furnace oil is imported for which foreign exchange is needed. That raises the question: is the economic damage resulting from long periods of load shedding less than the subsidy needed on furnace oil? Clearly the answer is, no! Why is the government not bringing into operation the thermal units closed down? Saving foreign exchange cannot be more important than the duty of the state to ensure adequate supply of energy for domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. Load shedding is entirely avoidable as is borne out by the fact that on chosen occasions like Eid and cricket World Cup there was no load shedding.
India would need to be paid in foreign exchange for electricity. If Zardari-Geelani administration can find the money to pay India but not for importing LNG or furnace oil, it would be evident once again that the agenda of this administration is to please and appease India. Rifah supports good relations with our neighbours - Khalistan and Rajasthan – but not at the cost of Kashmiri struggle for Azadi. The land transit facility from India to Afghanistan reflects the same policy of appeasement. Rifah calls for rejection of the Indian offer of selling electricity to Pakistan and urges that furnace oil and LNG be imported to make all thermal units operational. Zardari- Geelani Administration owes an explanation to the people of Pakistan why it has inflicted so much damage and pain by load shedding of electricity which is entirely avoidable, ++
For details ring 00-44-20-88.48.49.,50. E mail: usman@rifah.org. URL: www.rifah.org.
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