I entered in 2014 with electricity going out at 12 o clock in my part of the country. The very first greetings of the New Year for me came from WAPDA. This was the warmest welcome which the people received at the beginning of a whole 2014 to come. Electricity was also marked absent as I woke up to the first morning of New Year. The Water and Power Development Authority reminded the people of the country that, there is no new year for the Pakistanis as they live in the same circumstances as they were in previous years.
The load shedding of electricity is only one of the many problems; we face in Pakistan at the dawn of the New Year. We are entering New Year with energy shortfall at its highest of all time. Pakistan is currently facing a massive shortfall of more than 6000 MW as far as the generation of electricity is concerned. The load shedding of electricity is spread on long hours which in result had affected the lives of millions adversely.
New Year is winter season in this part of the world and winter adds to the worries of households and industries in Pakistan, the shortage of gas supply. This, in result, increases the cost of households as masses have to shift on other alternative costly resources. In case of industries, the shortfall leads to increase in the cost of production and, this result in higher prices of consumer products.
We are entering in 2014 with no great hope of better security situation in 2014 as nothing had improved at any level. There is no serious effort going on to deal with the most haunting evil of the economy. There is just an impression of talks, from one side of the table, with no real solution expected in foreseeable future. The matter falls in limbo as it was in previous year.
We are entering in 2014 with more debt on the country than ever before and even more is scheduled to come in so called New Year. The present government has asked for more bucks from their munificent donors which pledge the money on the condition of tightening of rope around the neck of masses. Pakistan’s total debt at the present is around 16662 Billion Rupees according to the State Bank of Pakistan which is 68% of the GDP.
We are entering in 2014 with the reputation of 2nd biggest threat to the world peace after United States of America.
We are entering in 2014 with the ranking of 146 on the Human Development Index of United Nations.
These are a very few gauges of our murky performance which we are hauling in the year to come. The prospects are not bright as one can see no hope or optimism on the faces of the fellow countrymen. The people of Pakistan are tired of the false promises made by there so called leaders. The ruling elite is looting and plundering the state on the name of democracy which is always maneuvered for personal gains.
New Year is only for those who are enjoying the exemption from load shedding and living under tight security. For the rest, it is the same year of despair and misery which was never new.
