THE federal government plans to spend over Rs109.38bn in the current fiscal year … on the improvement and development of various water and power plants … [in] the country. It is good news for the nation that the government is serious about improving the existing power generation and irrigation system in order to meet the increasing demands of electricity and irrigation water. The country is already facing the worst kind of power shortage…. The existing power-generation resources have caused a decrease in production due to lack of attention on part of successive governments. The existing dams will be unable to continue generating power if prompt steps are not taken for their rehabilitation and maintenance.

Owing to the pathetic condition of the dams the irrigation system has also been badly affected. … New dams were not constructed and the condition of the existing reservoirs is deteriorating with each passing day…. Besides the pathetic conditions of industrial units [have also caused] domestic consumers to face serious problems…. After the approval of the 18th Amendment the nation expected that provincial governments would focus on the installation of small power-generating units and the construction of small dams… but they failed to come up to expectations. …Pakistan is stated to be … an agricultural country and it has the potential to grow every kind of crop and vegetable, but it needs political will and determination on part of the rulers. If the incumbent government felt its prime responsibilities in the real sense and took concrete steps … the production of crops and vegetables could be increased manifold and there would be no need to import these. … — (April 17)

Selected and translated by Ali Hazrat Bacha.