CNG to break Rs.50/kg barrier!

Don’t be surprised tomorrow if the tank of Suzuki Alto fills for an amount greater than Rs. 350. The government has decided to raise the natural gas prices by a whopping 30 percent, while going for a Rs.13 per kg increase in the CNG prices so as not to affect the poor of the country. This isn’t a conventional price hike; it’s abnormal. The reasons are preposterous. The international prices have nothing to do with this, because Pakistan produces all of its gas domestically. Can someone please say how will this price hike not affect the poor? Are we talking about the poor who don’t have a car? Even so, those who have a car and a low wage, should they sell their car to come in the category of poor people? I don’t know how this government is defining poor.

While they claim that they have inherited the country in this state, they really cannot blame the previous government on the gas prices. They were very critical (always) whenever there was even a 2 rupee price hike in the previous tenure. This is why they say, never say words you’ll have to regret (even in opposition). But there is no regret, right?

Every time I see such ridiculous acts of the new government, I’m taken back in history, not far but near history. A Prime Minister, who was labeled dummy (not more than the current one), who was an educated and certified economist, who’s blamed for financial crisis by the uneducated thugs (who don’t even know what the GDP is). That Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, must be applauded. His government’s cumulative increase in CNG prices never reached 13 rupees, while this government has achieved the spectacular feat in one go. See what difference an educated man, who’s an expert in his field, can make?? Hats off to Shaukat Aziz!

And When They Did This…

“Pakistan launches major offensive against Taliban hideouts” – this is the first news item at my homepage of Yahoo!. A couple of days back the PM and his cabinet gave full authority to the Army Chief for the use of force in the region to maintain peace. The use of force has begun after a brief hiatus. Citing threats to Peshawar as one of the major reasons, the Interior Ministry and the government, in general, are defending their actions and are trying to give various reasons to prepare the people for another battle in tribal belt. This same bunch of people, and the defense analysts (now called the government) were critical of Pervez Musharraf and the previous government of PML-Q for doing just this. They lured the people into believing that the Army is attacking the citizens of Pakistan, and what not.

Now, the same thing is happening again. Is this somehow legitimate because the government is elected? Was Pervez Musharraf not a farsighted person then, who could foresee a bigger threat, as it is claimed now, and he tried to clamp the surge in militancy with the use of force? He was labeled military-minded for doing this. What has changed now that the use of force is unavoidable? Despite claims of talks to ease out the situation, the government has realized that there is no way out of this, without the use of force. The army is given the authority (as if it never had), ohh! why will army decide? Did the House vote for this? Was this even brought to the Parliament? Wasn’t this the issue that the Parliament should decide and not the Army? It was, then, but not now. Why? Because the viewpoint changes with the seating arrangement in the Parliament.

Power Abuse

This news article is not something new. It happens everyday in different parts of Pakistan. The person who said NO is suspended. The event managed to make it to the last page among the least important news items. Why not the main page? Why not demonstrate in favor of the police officer? Why, why, why?!! This is worse in fact. Not only is the office holder abusing his power but his whole family is doing it as well. A collective abuse of power!

Conspiracy Theories

Sometimes I’m forced to think about the ancestry of the people in Pakistan. It has to be linked with Sherlock Holmes, or someone similar (and in reality). Thinking like detectives seems like a congenital disease of the majority. Spending time developing these theories has also developed into some kind of a national hobby of a time-spending (wasting) activity. In such conditions, lies, rumors, allegations and blames perfectly fit in the puzzle. Whether it is the politicians blaming the military, nation believing in a theory that all happenings in the country are conspired by US, saas-bahu stories, the controversies in the cricket team and board, educational institutes or professionals on job being suspicious of their colleagues; all of these and more, they are happy to portray that their present situation is a result of someone else’s conspiracies.

What the hell is wrong with us? When will we learn to accept our mistakes? When will we be ready to take the blame on ourselves rather than dumping it all on someone else? Is it an easy escape to absolve ourselves of responsibilities? Or do we like twisting the realities to suit our side of the story?

Regardless of the myriad unanswered questions, we’re deep into the sin of conspiring and believing that others are doing so. We just love it, don’t we?

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