A MAJOR breakdown in the Tarbela dam transmission network resulted in a severe power crisis in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for eight hours last week. I was in a supermarket when I heard the news.

However, the situation was quite normal in the shopping mall. But two airports were badly affected, and doctors and patients in hospitals suffered. The flight system was in a mess, so were operation theatres in hospitals.

Where was the Tarbela management? The Punjab government has been claiming for many years that it had done a lot to improve infrastructure and healthcare, but the situation on the ground remains the same. Why is the private sector more efficient than the public sector? The Tarbela breakdown shows the true face of our politicians.

Abdul Qadir

Lahore

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2018