The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the National Electricity Power Regulatory (NEPRA) both have approved large tariff increases. After government has also given its approval, these tariffs would go into effect in July. The electricity tariff hike of Rs 1.07 per unit is massive, and is particularly cruel in these days, which have seen the heatwave typical of this time of the year, and which necessitate the operation of ceiling fans, air conditioners and other cooling devices, all electrically powered. The tariffs are already high enough to be exerting inflationary pressure, and it is also clear that raises are being carried out because the government is doing its best to meet IMF demands by the time the budget is introduced on June 3. The IMF is not granting Pakistan the remainder of a promised loan, not unless Pakistan meets its conditionalities. Since the IMF issues loans not on the basis of economic viability but of obedience to US demands, at this particular juncture, the only loans the IMF would make to Pakistan would come at an exorbitant political price, which would include not just accepting the USAs right to invade Pakistani territory, as its forces did, but also doing the impossible by ensuring the US victory in Afghanistan despite its forces being defeated there. While the government pursues the mirage of IMF approval by economic measures, even though it is politically dependent, the ordinary man suffers. The fuel prices have been linked to international prices, despite the fact that the government knows that their linkage, again an IMF imposition, has made for much misery among the masses. It is of no help to know that the government has already made it known that it will not allow any pay raise to the huge salaried class of government servants. The government is also not paying sufficient attention to the minimum wage, thus once again showing that it does not care how the ordinary citizen meets the ongoing crisis. The failure of members of the government to curb the lavish lifestyle they are leading at taxpayers expense is proof enough that the government is not doing what is needed at this time of national crisis, something which is virtually all that a government can do at such a time, which is to control its deficit. And by creating conditions for this, the IMF is as much an accomplice in this as the Finance Ministry. The government must put its house in order, not depend on raising tariffs to win IMF favour.