June 2, 2018Karachi: As K Electric (K-E) (click here) and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board remained unmoved, the residents of Karachi continued their protest over non-supply of water and hours-long interruptions of electricity in different localities of the metropolis.
At least three protest demonstrations were witnessed on Friday in the metropolis as citizens swarmed took to the streets in multiple areas to protest against power outages and water shortage.
A large number of residents of Sector 11.5, the Pakistan Bazaar area of Orangi Town gathered and blocked the roads to stage a protest against power outages and water shortage in Sector 11.5 and its surrounding areas....
...Ramazan started as we are facing load-shedding of over 10 hours a day as well as water shortage,” ...
...Similarly, residents of Quaidabad, Muslimabad Colony, Muzzafarabad Colony, Sherpao Colony, Majeed Colony, Swati Muhalla and Landhi also staged a protest against power outages and water shortage within their localities.
The residents of the affected areas gathered after Friday prayers and reached the National Highway in the form of a rally and blocked traffic on the highway for vehicular traffic for hours in protest. A large number of protesters burnt tyres on the roads in protest and shouted slogans against the K-E and water board. The protest caused a massive traffic jam on the highway...
The incumbents have a high success rating. Which seems odd as the problems are occurring now.
June 13, 2018
By Zafar Bhutta
Islamabad: Choosing not to blame (click here) the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government for prolonged power outages, Caretaker Minister for Energy Ali Zafar has said apart from other factors, it is also the weak power transmission and distribution system that is causing load-shedding.
“The electricity generation is higher but the transmission and distribution system is not able to pick it,” said Zafar while addressing a press conference in the federal capital on Tuesday.
The PML-N government says it has ended load-shedding – a claim belied by the continued power outages across the country since the start of hot weather. Later, former premier Nawaz Sharif and PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif had held caretaker government responsible for power load-shedding....
When looking for votes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
By Danish Hussain
Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) (click here) (all the political parties use abbreviations of their names rather than the name itself. Probably causes some folks to vote for people they never intended to vote for. Just a guess.)
...announced countrywide demonstrations on Tuesday (June 12) to protest against hours-long load-shedding in the country.
The party has demanded that the interim government intervene and take immediate steps to overcome the issue of excessive load-shedding. “Interim government should take immediate steps to ensure betterment in day to day worsening situation,” PTI chief Imran Khan said....
This election even has the attention of an old President. I thought Mushy was up on charges of treason. Go figure. The former President-General had his strangle hold on the country dissolved with the work of Condi Rice under "W." Well, he's back. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was the primary driver behind that accomplishment. She wanted to run for office and the power structure needed better definition and less corruption. But, she was shot by al Qaeda a few months later when she first returned to Pakistan. She is missed, even today.
The Supreme Court (SC) (click here) on Wednesday gave former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf till Thursday to appear before the court.
A three judge bench, headed by the chief justice, had summoned Musharraf on June 13 in connection with his petition against the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict in 2013 for his lifetime disqualification and assured him that he would not be arrested from the airport till the court premises....
There are old parties and new parties, but, women are starting to run for office to bring about resolution to the problems the country face. I mean give me a break. This is 2018 and the Pakistanis haven't got reliable clean water and electricity; but they have a nuclear weapon capacity. Really?
By Ali Salman
For the first time in 30 years, (click here) since it was established in 1988, a PML-N government completed its term in the federal government last week.
Largely given the mandate to govern the country to recover economic growth and gain energy security in 2013, the party’s economic performance is being intensely debated.
Presenting highlights of the government, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has highlighted the following facts to defend government’s economic performance. It provides with a good measure to evaluate the five-year economic track record....
But, this entire water problem is sincerely a worry for Pakistan. It has gotten to be such a worry it even started to involve India and the World Bank. So, considering there is a peace agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan it raises concerns to the pressure on Pakistan leaders to even enter into a stronger presense in the region.
When I see this kind of thing being introduced into a country where there are profound problems, I first believe this is not the World Bank's problem so much as a political excuse for the problem. These type of excuses then are parlayed into confrontation and war. Jammu and Kashmir do not need more instability or as an excuse for poor performance by the government to solve problems. The guns need to come off the streets in these regions of the world and real world solutions sought.
The Kishanganga project was started in 2007 but on May 17, 2010, Pakistan moved for international arbitration against India under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Pakistan has raised with the World Bank (click here) the alleged violation of the Indus Waters Treaty by India, which inaugurated the Kishanganga hydro project in Kashmir, as the multilateral lender sought opportunities within the treaty to find an amicable resolution of the issue.
The four-member Pakistani delegation, led by Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali, met the World Bank officials here yesterday, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir.
The inauguration of the hydroelectric project was held amid protests from Pakistan which claims that the dam on a river flowing into Pakistan will disrupt water supplies....
This is the hydroelectric project being used for political posturing. It is a little bit too late for Pakistan to complain. Pakistan has to seek major infrastructure improvements to solve the water problem and at the same time solving the electricity problem. This dam that was part of India's infrastructure project is an excellent proof do how electricity production and water is provided for people at the same time. But, to blame India's project now that it is completed, is nothing but convenient potlical posturing.
I want to see plans for Pakistan's water and electricity needs among the candidates. Posturing is old world politics. There needs to be solutions for the people and it may mean cutting funding for nuclear weapons capacity and denuclearization.
May 24, 2018
By Shabaza Rana
By Shabaza Rana
Pakistan (click here) and the World Bank have failed to reach an agreement on a way forward to address the former’s concerns over violation of the Indus Waters Treaty by India, as a strong Indian lobby in Washington again frustrated the latest push to stop New Delhi from violating the treaty.
“An agreement on the way forward was not reached at the conclusion of the meetings” between the Pakistani delegation and the World Bank officials, announced the Washington-based lender on Wednesday.
It added that several procedural options for resolving the disagreement over the interpretation of the Indus Basin Treaty’s provisions were discussed by both the parties....
