Wapda has had a major role in inflicting irreparable damage on our economy, firstly through failure to provide electricity and then, secondly, by raising the tariff to almost double the international levels. Under the dictatorship imposed by globalization policies and followed blindly by our leaders, the principles formulated with respect to this major economic institution have been such that instead of uplifting the economy it has pulled it down. Wapda must be finished in its present form and divided into much smaller companies and each district should have several such companies in the private sector. These companies should be bound to produce electricity from indigenous resources of coal, sun, wind, and garbage etc. Each district and tehsil city should have a separate electricity company. Whatever the subsidy the government wants to give for the poor should then be handed over to these companies under a poor man’s package. Speaking of subsidies, our whole country shall remain on subsidy for as long as we keep ourselves dependent on the IMF. This is because IMF deliberately depreciates our currency as soon as we have finished taking steps to cope with the last such depreciation. This is done under a carefully thought out politically strategic plan. More over the dictates of globalization are really killing us. This is the kind of mischief we shall have to endure for as long as we let the international lending agencies to interfere with our economy. In the meantime, if Wapda is allowed to go on like this for a little while more, a total and complete bankruptcy for the country must be expected in the not too distant a future because loadshedding is increasing steadily.
KHALID AHMAD,
Muzaffargarh, May 11.