The flamboyant Federal Minister of Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf declared on a channel recently that he planned to export electricity by the end of year 2009. Perhaps he is visualizing setting up of I.P.P units based on imported fuel to generate power. The estimated cost of such power is said to be about Rs. 16 per unit. Just compare it to the present crushing rate of Rs.6 to Rs 8 per unit that is breaking the backbone of consumers. Such heady talk from a minister who had announced a moratorium on the Kalabagh dam (that could have produced power at Rs. 1 per unit) is akin to daydreaming. What would be the cost of importing fuel for such power generation and who in his right senses would buy such high-priced energy? It reminds one of Sheikh Chilli's brain waves that were often shorn of reality. Perhaps our Raja minister, even in his coat and tie, does not feel the heat due to free, uninterrupted power being provided to him by WAPDA. Such mindless buffoons are a gift of the PPP to the nation. -DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI, Lahore Cantt July 17.