Middle East
4:25 pm
Fri July 5, 2013

Energy Crisis Cripples Pakistan's Economy

Originally published on Fri July 5, 2013 5:48 pm










ALI: So all the work we have to do on computers. How we can run computer where (unintelligible)?

REEVES: The students worry that constant power outages are damaging their educational prospects. They're from the Federal Urdu University for Science and Technology. Important exams are coming up very soon, says Aflanic Bow(ph).

AFLANIC BOW: Even if we go home, there is no electricity there so we cannot concentrate or we cannot prepare for exams. So it's going to take a lot.

REEVES: Ikbel(ph) asks why students must suffer power outages while Pakistan's top politicians, judges and generals do not.

IKBEL: If we do not electricity, then they do not deserve the right to get electricity.

REEVES: Mohammed Sadat(ph), from a remote mountain village. He is in town visiting a friend. They've come to a lakeside park just outside Islamabad. Mohammed says back home power outages are severe.



REEVES: Political scientist and former top diplomat Malina Lodi(ph) says here are several reasons for Pakistan's energy crisis. Firstly, even though the economy is in a mess, demand for electricity is rising.



LODI: There's still a part of capacity that's not even being used because Pakistan simply hasn't got the money. The government of Pakistan simply doesn't have the money to get these companies to run.



ZUBER LASHADI: In many cases, they work for 24 hours, for 48 hours, 48 hours (unintelligible) then after 48 hours, I usually will give them a rest for 25 hours.

REEVES: Lashadi doubts Pakistan's' government can fix the energy crisis any time soon. The problem's just too big.



ALI: Actually, we are the future of Pakistan.
