Promising big achievement

Head of PPP Media Cell

Thar Power House Project with the capacity of generating 660MW is a first but promising big step in the right direction to tap the massive coal reserves (black gold) buried under Islamkot area of Thar region of province of Sindh. According to the estimates these reserves are bigger enough that may carry more energy value than the reserves of Saudi Arabia and of Iran. Now, these treasures are within the reach and are poised to brighten the country’s width and breadth with affordable and sufficient amount of electricity to be generated there. The dream of putting the country on the trajectory of becoming economic power of the region is beginning to translate into the reality. The people of Sindh and of the country took sigh of relief in a state of jubilation over the inauguration of the power plant by the Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto describing it as “New Pakistan” not “Nia Pakistan” that has unleashed the cascades of regression in every walks of national life.

How satisfying for the people that the province of Sindh is playing leading role in meeting the energy requirements of the country in substantial manners. It has been pumping big chunk of natural gas to the Gas Distribution System as compared to other regions put together. The provinces of Sindh also contributes in the national exchequer much more revenues, 70% precisely, than the rest of the country put together. Karachi is the industrial and commercial hub of the country besides operating the two biggest sea ports of the country. The prospects of hitting the jackpot of oil and gas reserves in the sea waters close to Karachi are optimistically looking good. If the discovery matches the data in the final analysis it will boost the country’s economy in multiple ways with huge accumulative impact all around. Saving of billions of dollars in foreign exchange will be the direct collateral benefits now being spent on import of petroleum products to keep the wheel of the economy in motion. It may be recalled that PPP government led by Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani gave Petroleum Policy (2012) that allowed the foreign companies sea drilling to explore oil and gas. The sea drilling under reference is the result of the policy decision of the PPP government. The province of Sindh’s role in the country’s development may continue to enlarge exponentially in accordance with the vision of two Shaheed leaders.

The inauguration of the 660MW Thar Coal Power House by Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto last week is indeed the culmination of the dream of Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto who laid the foundation stone in 1996 of the project. The location is also situated in the area that was retrieved by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1973 from India. The discovery of the one of the largest known coal reserves of the world was a befitting response to those critics who berated the retrieval of region as barren where even grass did not grow. The critics were taking solace like military dictator General Ziaul Haq who after Siachin’s occupation by India commented, ‘even grass does not grow there’. But great Bhutto’s vision had the intuition that it would make marked difference in meeting the pressing energy needs of the country to improve the quality of lives of the vastly impoverished people of Pakistan. Undoubtedly, infinite impediments were created by the naysayers in their endeavours to deprive the nations of the expected huge benefits by shouting out its non-viability. Their pernicious propaganda was spread right across arguing that it was like throwing the money in the bottomless pit. In brief, the vested interests spared no stone unturned in creating gargantuan conundrums, driven by trivial parochial political considerations, to sabotage the project altogether. But, it was seemingly preordained that project would see the light of the day eventually. The people of this country are deeply beholden to ‘Great Bhuttos’ who were the driving force behind to make this miracle happen in the godforsaken region of the province of Sindh.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto while addressing the people after the inauguration appreciated the Sindh government and Sindh chief minister and Chinese government and local industrialists for extending all out support to the project which was indeed a daunting task by any measure in the face of formidable adversaries who were out there on the behest of others to abort it. But, the committed PPP provincial government made it possible believing Shaheed Mohtarma’s visionary project was worth pursuing above all other considerations.

The chairman declared that the completion of this Power House would follow a series of such mega projects those would be completed at the site generating thousands of MW of additional electricity to meet the energy deficient country’s pressing needs because without affordable energy the industrialisation of the country might remain a fainted hope. The chairman also announced the establishment of NED Engineering University Campus in the area that would produce engineers among the local population to serve in the future power plants and other related projects. The chairman also announced that local people would be supplied free electricity, adding their residential requirement had already been taken care off. The intake of locals would be ensured in the future projects as well aimed at the transformation of this backward area into a developed region.

The chairman stated at the top of his voice that the inauguration of Thar Power House heralded “New Pakistan”. It would be pumping 660MW electricity to the national grid to overcome the energy shortage in Pakistan in meaningful way. On the contrary, PTI government during its six years of government in KPK could not produce even single MW of electricity despite the tall claims of installing small turbines at the hundreds of tributaries to generate cheap and clean electricity for the poor people living in the far flung areas. This tall claim also met the familiar fate thus adding another page in the history of promises made and promises broken. The fiasco of BRT Peshawar optimised the incompetence and inability of the PTI government, a familiar disrepute. The Metro Bus project cost also shot up significantly through the courtesy of the inefficient and generally perceived corrupt administration of the province. It may be recalled that the similar Metro Bus project in Lahore cost much less and completed ahead of schedule. Ironically, the Peshawar Bus Project’s completion is still a distant cry despite putting the people of the metropolitan in lot of inconvenience, and for so long and still continuing. This government may be proving an emblem of inexperience, incompetence and inaptitude that is simply not cut out for the job.

The PTI leaders may also be poor in picking up kernel of wisdom. The anchorpersons and columnists of repute who had been supporting and projecting the PTI leadership as the ultimate saviour were now seeking their forgiveness for their misplaced and unqualified support. Now the situation has come to this pass that it is difficult to dish out any comment supporting the incumbent government in social, print and electronic media except the incoherent statements of the ministers those are later clarified as “out of context”. The faux pas are continuing without abating. There perceived supporters may be having second thought while cursing their earlier miscalculations.

The leader of modern China Deng Xiaoping saying,’ if you do not develop you will be subject to repeated bullying’. Today, Pakistan is at the receiving end due to the dangerously week economy. We are being pushed recklessly in the tight spot by the international community in general and India in particular because Pakistan is poor country, and generally known for the wrong reasons globally.

In today’s world economic security underwrites the national security. The traditional concept of national security backed by arms and armaments had lost its relevance after the collapse of the Soviet Union because its tattering economy could not afford the biggest standing armed forces. The USA is also sailing in the same boat. Its desperation to ‘cut and run’ is understandable. Americans are losing war of Afghanistan despite spending about one trillion dollars besides losing more than two thousand men in uniform.

Pakistan needs development while assigning preference to geo-economic interests over the geo-political interests. It is heartening the incumbent security establishment seemingly have understood this linkage and therefor is inclined to a paradigm shift in this count. The culmination of geo-economic interests may further strengthen the foundations of national security because economically vulnerable nations stand no chance of safeguarding their security in perpetuity. At present, Pakistan is facing intrusive bullying at the multiple international forums because the country is teetering on the brink of economic crisis. Ironically, the wrong policies at the wrong times of the incumbent finance minister have further exacerbated the economic mess to collective chagrin of the nation.

The inauguration of Thar Power House is the only good news that has come through otherwise country is starved off such news during the watch of this government. Pray this jinx may end sooner than later.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com