KARACHI:A 15-minute ‘black-out’ exercise was observed in the City last night[April 3]. The black-out was partial and most of theGovernment and public buildings had one or more lights onintheir premises, thus defeating the very purpose of the practice black-outyesterday.The duration, as announced yesterday, was also curtailed by 15 minutes. Originally it was planned that the black-out would be observed for a 30-minute duration.

The Civil Defence volunteers reported to the Civil Defence Headquartersthat at least in one place there was neither Civil Defence Warden nor any arrangements for “first aid party”, when the City Railway station was “hit by bombs” during the air raid.The Civil Defence authorities later told Pressmen that the Railways had their own wardens and first aid parties, but they were absent during the exercise and did not participate.

On the whole the practice black-out was poorly organised in many ways. One of the senior officers who was a participant in the black-out exercise complained to the “Control Room” that no “Yellow” signal was received by him in his residence. … A practice black-out observed nearly two years back was a great success and was also very efficiently organised.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2020