December 18, 2007	Tuesday	Zilhaj 7, 1428

GUJAR KHAN, Dec 17: When unscheduled power outages occur here in the midst of a canvassing harangue by a ‘Q’ leaguer, the darkness provides a face saving cover to the speaker who quietly slips away from the corner meeting and gives a moment of comic relief to the audience who do not have to suffer through the long list of achievements of the former government.

If the blackout stays for long, both parties — the opposition (PPP, PML-N) and the former ruling PML-Q — suffer as the former don’t get the time and opportunity to blame the darkness on the former government, who, in their turn, are too embarrassed to show their faces to the electorate when the light ultimately returns. Wapda, it appears is too unwieldy a giant for a supportive town nazim to handle.

Meanwhile candidates, particularly of the former ruling party, for the coming general elections, are having a hard time convincing people of their achievements. They have to face embarrassing situations when while making tall claims of their performance they are silenced by the sudden breakdown of power and their supporters run here and there to look for matches and candle sticks.

Canvassing in the evening hours has therefore been greatly reduced in the various constituencies of Gujar Khan.

The electorate comprising the general consumer as well as the business community are showing their resentment openly as several businesses depend entirely on unbroken supply of electricity. Not only the urban areas of Gujar Khan but Bewal, Daultala, Mandra, Kalar Syedan and Sukhu towns are experiencing frequent power outages both during the day and night.

The worst hit are tailors who have loads of Eid bookings to deliver. They need continuous power supply.

Haji Ali Asghar who is also a cloth merchant said he saw no possibility of meeting his commitments to customers in time for Eid. His workers were idle for hours on end and yet must be paid their daily wages. He was afraid he too would find it difficult to show his face to his clients like the Q leaguers who had ignored the vital sectors of energy and food during their rule.