Couple of years back, I saw small news on the front page of an Urdu news paper and it was “Famous lateral thinker Edward De Bono is in Pakistan for a meeting with President Musharaf”. I was a bit amazed as to why a philosopher is interested in meeting a dictator or why a dictator will waste his time by meeting a person, who apparently, is not directly related to politics. Meeting with assistant sectary of state or a US army General is understandable but having a dialogue with a writer was something which needed explanation, at least to me. It never was a big event but I don’t know why that news paper caption got pasted in my memory. However, as events of last year unfolded so did the reason of my concern about this informal discussion became clear.

Edward de Bono is regarded by many to be the leading authority in the world in the field of creative thinking and the direct teaching of thinking as a skill. He has written 62 books with translations into 37 languages and has been invited to lecture in 54 countries. I once read his book “Text Book of Wisdom”, this book is not a discussion about wisdom but a presentation of 'thinking tools', guide lines and principles. Book starts with a hypothetical scenario where a picture shows a person and two points, point A and point B. Person is standing near point A and reader is asked to think about ways to prevent that person from going to point B. The actual question is something like “if a person wants to go from Point A to point B, what is the best way to stop him?” than De Bono suggests that there can be many ways e.g. Construct a wall between the two points so that the view of the destination is not clear or blindfold the person who wants to reach point B or put a chain on his feet or dig a trench between the two points. The very next page gives a way which the writer claims to be the best way of achieving the goal, he writes “But the best way to stop him is to create another point, point C”. It is the best way, because no matter what obstacle we put in the way of that person, he will find a way, as reaching point B will be his primary motive. Keeping point B out of sight will only increase the commitment of achieving the goal; however by creating a more urgent, more attractive point C will reduce person’s vigor for reaching point B and will give him a new goal, that is why it is the best way to stop him.

As soon as Waziristan operation starts, a mosquito emerges on the scene whose bite injects deadly dengue virus and TV channels start showing it’s victims in their hourly news headlines. People, who days back never even heard of the disease suddenly, are exposed to a certain possibility of death, and it becomes most predominant thought in their minds. All discussions held in electronic media, newspapers and public cafes, have shifted their focus on the new disease, which otherwise would have been scrutinizing the reasons of our Army killing our own people. A country where malaria is killing 140 people daily and mosquito bite is something which is experienced by almost all the population, why all of a sudden dengue virus became the focal point when daily deaths claimed by it were 10 times less than Malaria? It is not difficult to find, from a population of 160 million, couple of patients daily to show on TV, who are suffering from dengue virus. I read somewhere that daily 20 people are killed by coconut falling from the trees, if each death is reported as breaking news; I am sure all the people in Indonesia will start wearing helmets. Nevertheless, dengue virus became more urgent, more attractive, point C.

When public was initially getting acquainted with Judicial and Red Mosque issues & government was being bashed by media on this, a cell phone virus emerges out of nowhere. Rumors are spread in such a professional way that everyone knew someone, who knew someone, who died after receiving a call from an international number. People claimed that after receiving call from an anonymous international number, you will hear a strange sound which will be so intriguing that it will be nearly impossible to disconnect the phone. Few seconds’ exposure to that sound will damage the eardrums and eventually will kill the person within few hours. Some even claimed that a red laser beam emerges as soon as call is received and that beam causes instant death. A person with only a basic knowledge of IT will tell you that this is not possible, but in a country with 30% literacy rate, having 80 million cell phone subscribers, this rumor became point C for a vast majority.

Power shortage has been our country’s problem from the beginning but it was amplified after 27th December. Before December, there was load shedding but its duration was far more less than what we are experiencing now, especially in Islamabad. But after Benazir’s assassination, all of a sudden our electricity demand was rocketed high and we were faced with an electricity crisis, which in modern history is unheard of. Capital of a nuclear power now plunges into darkness daily, for 5 to 6 hours. In small cities, this duration is 11 to 16 hours. With hottest months of the year still to come, combined with food crisis, doesn’t this scenario fit in the definition of point C?

Mr.Zardari, pro-establishment politicians and even some journalists have already started saying that real issue of this country is not restoration of Judges, its electricity and food shortage! If this power storage continues for next couple of months, what do you think will be your priority? Army back in the barracks? Pakistan back to democracy? Chief Justice back in Supreme Court? Or electricity back in your home?