THE country remains in the grip of sweltering heat, and the situation is likely to increase in the coming days as hotter days are still ahead.

If the government could do nothing to bridge the gap between demand and supply of electricity, it can take some measures to save or conserve it.

In the sweltering heat the ruling elite and corporate executives are seen clad in suits and neckties which, of course, are not possible to wear without air conditioners in their respective offices. Prime Minister Gilani is known to have a penchant for expensive suits and ties.

Employees in certain corporations are officially required to wear neckties during office hours even during the summer.

Bankers are supposed to be clad in suits and necktie no matter what the season is.

Our TV anchors and other celebrities also appear in TV programmes dressed in expensive suits and neckties. However, they may not be meant to be worn in the sizzling heat until the place is laden with airconditioners.

During summer neckties and suits can be replaced with simple pants and shirts or by safari suits which are designed according to seasonal requirements of semi-tropical countries like ours.

In India the safari suit has been very popular among bureaucrats and business executives. For decades, it has been a virtual uniform for those working in corporations. We can start wearing it to save ourselves from being smothered in the blistering heat.

It is interesting to note that in Japan people usually do not iron clothes and one can see men, as well as women, also wearing fashionable clothes but in wrinkles. In this need of the hour, the ultimate aim should be to conserve energy.

S. SAJJAD Q. ASHRAF Haripur