"Roshan" Pakistan

The dream eventually comes true. Sixty-one years down the line, the government is hell bent to materialize its founder’s vision of establishing a “Roshan� Pakistan. The means are, however, odd and materialization peculiar.

A flood of lightening is all set to dazzle every inch of our households, work places and industries as soon as the shipments of 10 million imported energy savers reach our doorsteps. Nothing less than a thunderous revolution, the radiant days are just round the corner. Is there a better way out to counter the ever-increasing demand supply gap in the electricity consumption? Dealing with mind-boggling parameters like double-digit growth takes mind of a genius to carve out solutions with high practical denomination.

Had it not been for such out of box thinking who could have managed to mitigate the detrimental effects associated with such phenomenal growth? What if we can’t enhance the supply with all the resources? We can always curb or rather kill the demand. Raise the tariff, render the industries non competitive and inefficient. Once these are shut down, light the candles or energy savers and light up our homes. How thoughtful and what an illuminating plan!

What is the big deal if these florescent lamps with a known attribute and tendency to emit unacceptable toxic levels of mercury are banned in certain developed and developing countries? There is possibly no better junkyard available to the investor that promises such good returns for his dead committed investment.

After all, these energy savers are assumed to brighten up the society that has been thoroughly tested to survive following its generous exposure to extremely large contents of highly noxious elements like arsenic and lead. And then abnormal levels of mercury are not an unknown entity. That is what we are destined to brave for a couple of months during extreme summers or winters each year, with or without electricity. I know that is talking about mercury in entirely different terms but then as the patriotism demands, we have to take the plunge in the larger national interest so that someone is able to guzzle the huge kickbacks that are likely to originate as a direct result of that sacrifice and affirmative action.

Having all said and done, are we acting too naïve or life and realities have become simple to the extent that we are able to sort such grave issues like energy shortage just by banking upon such ad hoc measures?

So much for brightened and illuminated Pakistan.