DAWN Editorials - 6th January 2025

[faheemustad]

Poll petitions’ delay

THOUGH electoral transparency and justice are essential for the health of any democracy, the relevant quarters in Pakistan seemingly remain unconvinced of the need to address poll disputes with alacrity. While nearly a year has passed since 2024’s controversial general elections, only 27pc of poll petitions have been decided by election tribunals. Though the process may have picked up pace, the speed at which it is proceeding is still unacceptably slow. By law, petitions have to be decided within 180 days of their filing.

The figures, released by electoral watchdog Fafen, point to the fact that tribunals in Punjab, Sindh and KP are moving particularly slow, while those in Balochistan have performed relatively better. It should be pointed out that due to a legal dispute between the ECP and LHC, eight election tribunals were only notified in Punjab last October. Initially, only two tribunals had been notified in Pakistan’s most populous province, even though most of the petitions had been filed in Punjab. Of the petitions that have been decided so far, most have been dismissed by the tribunals.

The road to a functioning and dynamic democracy will remain a long and winding one unless key lacunae affecting Pakistan’s electoral process — such as post-election disputes — are resolved with speed and fairness. A cloud continues to hang over last year’s polls, and when tribunals take an inordinate amount of time to decide disputes, popular doubts about the whole process are only solidified.

From the controversy of issuance of Forms 45 to the slothful resolution of poll disputes, it seems that the stakeholders are not concerned about the need to present Pakistan’s electoral process as free, fair and transparent. This attitude needs to change for the betterment of Pakistani democracy. While the tribunals need to pick up the pace, political parties must highlight the need to reform the electoral process, so that elections in this country are free from controversy.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2025


Migration racket


A KEY part of dismantling human smuggling and illegal migration rackets in the country — along with busting the gangs involved in this sordid business — is to identify and punish the individuals within government agencies that help facilitate these illegal activities. There has been a sudden burst of activity in this regard after last month’s tragedy off the coast of Greece, in which several boats carrying migrants capsized. Around 80 Pakistanis are believed to have drowned; the deaths of nine individuals have been confirmed. This is the second tragedy of its kind in recent years, as a similar disaster in 2023, also off the Greek coast, resulted in the deaths of over 350 Pakistanis. In the wake of last month’s debacle, the prime minister ordered action against human smugglers and the officials involved in the racket. As a result, the Federal Investigation Agency says, according to a report in this paper, that 35 personnel have been dismissed, while criminal cases have been filed against 13 FIA men.

The action against errant officials is welcome, but internal accountability must be a continuous process, and must not be a reactive exercise, with the state swinging into action only after a tragedy occurs. It is hard to believe that criminals involved in the smuggling and trafficking rackets can operate without help from compromised state functionaries. Migrant smuggling is big business, with individuals forking over thousands of dollars per person to try to get to Europe, and it can be assumed that many officials also have a cut in this booty. Therefore, there needs to be constant vigilance of state functionaries, particularly at airports and border crossings, to ensure no government official gets away with abetting the illegal migration trade. In the long term, the state also needs to address the triggers that force people to spend huge sums, and risk their lives, in a bid to get to greener pastures abroad. While some leave the country due to discrimination and persecution, the vast majority are economic migrants, many hailing from relatively prosperous parts of Punjab. Victims have said economic hardship made them opt for illegal migration, while others are inspired by compatriots who made it ‘big’ in Europe. Hence, ensuring social and economic justice is essential if people are to be convinced to not put their lives on the line by making these risky journeys.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2025


Power planning

THE National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, the power sector regulator, has rightly blamed poor planning for generation overcapacity, which has made electricity unaffordable not just for residential consumers but also for industry. In a new report, the regulator has noted that “overinvestment in generation capacity to meet peak demand” is one of the key contributors to rising consumer tariffs and a burden on government finances. “Despite the fact that existing installed electric power generation capacity often remains underutilised in Pakistan, the IGCEP (Indi­cative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan) is developed with the aim to meet the peak demands that occur for less than few hours annually,” Nepra said. Other factors driving up consumer tariffs, according to the report, include delays in the expansion of Thar coal power and discouragement of rooftop solar adoption.

At the close of the 2024 fiscal year, the installed generation capacity was 42,512MW while the transmission and distribution network could bear a maximum load of only 25,516MW. That is not all. The maximum demand had peaked to 30,150 MW for a limited duration while the minimum demand stood at 7,015MW. The average annual load served was 18,463MW. In other words, Pakistan still has much more generation capacity than what it actually needs. However, these are the facts that most of us knew and which have widely been discussed. The question is what policymakers and planners can do to find a solution to the challenge of excess generation capacity combined with fluctuating demand and the system’s inability to consistently meet maximum demand.

The fact remains that the National Transmission and Despatch Company, one of the power sector regulators responsible for planning future needs of generation, transmission and distribution, has repeatedly proved that it does not have a vision or capacity to predict future demand and requirements. Not just that; a look at the last draft of the IGCEP, a document that projects future demand for the next 10 years, clearly indicates that the NTDC is also incapable of ensuring the development of new generation capacity on least-cost basis. That draft has now been retracted and a new version is being developed. With new developments being reported in renewable energy and battery technology helping slash the installation costs and increasing storage capacity, it is now only a matter of time before solar power disrupts and displaces the national grid. The Nepra report has correctly pointed out that the adoption of solar power should not be seen as a challenge but as an opportunity. The new IGCEP draft should focus on encouraging renewable energy, especially solar, rather than looking towards expensive hydel and dirty coal power. The reliance on fossil fuel-based generation technologies will only make electricity more expensive at the expense of economic progress.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2025