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ICEP Dawn Analysis

DAWN EDITORIALS PLUS OPINIONS
DECONSTRUCTION

Dated: Wednesday 08July, 2020

BY: ICEP Analysts M.Usman & Rabia Kalhoro.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Note:
We pick out Opinions from different Newspapers
related to:

#Competitive Exams
#Essay Writing
#Current Affairs
#Historical episodes
#Pakistan Affairs
# General Knowledge
# Global Issues
# Geopolitics
# International Relations
# Foreign Policy

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Crime in Karachi |Dawn Editorial Seen Together: means two things
are there JIT &Uz Crimes
SEEN together,

the just released JIT reports about the Baldia factory fire and

Uzair Baloch’s alleged criminal career

shed some light on Karachi’s dark underbelly(hidden criminal part of society) and
the urban violence that blighted(ruined, destroyed) the city until a few years ago.
Nevertheless(however), there is little that can be described as major revelations in
these accounts. At most, they confirm long-held suspicions pertaining to both the
Sept 11, 2012, tragedy as well as the man often described as the kingpin (essential
element) of Lyari gang warfare.

Key Points:

▪ The horrific Baldia inferno (hell-like incident), in which 259 workers

perished, was no accident, but a “planned sabotage/terrorist activity” allegedly
carried out by MQM thugs in reprisal (retaliation) against the factory owners
for refusing to pay the protection money demanded.
▪ The investigation gives a glimpse of the atmosphere at a time when the MQM
ruled Karachi with an iron fist, using fear and violence to intimidate law
enforcement, the media and anyone it deemed an adversary. The report
describes the initial police investigation into the case as having been carried out
in an unprofessional manner that worked to the offenders’ advantage.
▪ The JIT report about Uzair Baloch reveals details about his espionage
activities, a crime for which he was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment by a
military court in April. It also lists a large number of targeted killings and
politically motivated murders allegedly carried out on his orders.

Critical Analysis of the issue: In Pakistan, and other dysfunctional democracies

where institutions of governance are weak, the truth is inevitably a casualty of
political machinations and point-scoring. Indeed, the public has justifiably little
faith in the willingness of the state machinery to get to the bottom of even the most
heinous offences. It does not appear therefore to be too far-fetched to assume, given
earlier leaked information from the report on Uzair Baloch, that some inconvenient
truths may have been excised from that document before it was released. Maritime
Affairs Minister Ali Haider Zaidi alleged as much yesterday. Of course, facts that
could have given a more complete picture of how criminal elements are exploited by
multiple actors to further strategic objectives were undoubtedly never considered for
inclusion in the first place.

Conclusion: The one bitter truth is that the state is indifferent(disinterested) to its
duty to protect the people, if that goes counter(opposite) to its own interests. The
three JIT reports — including one on Nisar Morai, former chairman, Fisherman’s
Cooperative Society — did not see the light of day until long after the crimes in
question were committed. Why have hard-core criminals been allowed to get away
for years with terrorising civilians? The Sindh government seemed to have only made
the reports public when its hand was forced by the provincial high court acting on the
petition filed by Mr Zaidi, also no doubt acting in service of political point-scoring.
When will the state realise the dire, long-term effects of such sinister(evil) games?

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Grammatical and Linguistic Analysis:
Connectors Words

Connectors - also called conjunctive words - are words that link two similar
elements in a sentence. It is also used to connect one paragraph to another.

Examples of connectors in red colour from the above Editorial:

1) Nevertheless(however), there is little that can be described…..

2) Indeed, the public has justifiably little…….
3) Of course, facts that could have given a more complete picture….

Fancy Adverbs used in the EDITORIAL:

▪ Allegedly
▪ Inevitably
▪ Justifiably
▪ Undoubtedly
▪ Consequently

Best Adjectives used in the EDITORIAL:

▪ Criminal
▪ Horrific
▪ Unprofessional
▪ Heinous offense
▪ Indifferent
▪ Dire need

Most Rhetorical Sentence Structure ever in the Editorial:

Indeed, the public has justifiably little faith in the willingness of the state
Analysis: This sentence is semantically awesome. If we try to put it in another way;

▪ Indeed, the public has very little confidence in the State's will:
▪ Public confidence in the willingness of the state is legitimately low:
▪ In fact, the public rightly has little confidence in the State 's willingness:

So as you see it can be written either way, but dawn Editor has used it beautifully.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Safer for investors |Dawn Editorial
THE confidence expressed by multinational companies
operating here regarding an improvement in security conditions
in the country will help project Pakistan globally as a peaceful
destination for foreign visitors and capital. The manner in which
law enforcement swiftly(quickly) tackled the attack on the
Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi the other day seems to have
reinforced foreign investors’ trust in the country’s ability to
counter future security challenges.

Can you give me some proof that Pakistan is safe:

▪ The annual security survey released by the Overseas

Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry that captures the perceptions
of the 200 member foreign companies regarding the security environment is a
critical assessment of operating conditions in Pakistan. The findings of this
survey are taken seriously by potential foreign investors and diplomats.
▪ The very fact that the OICCI security surveys have for the last few years
recorded positive sentiments expressed by foreign investors about continuously
improving security conditions is helping mend (reconstruct) Pakistantan’s
international image.

Detailed Analysis:

▪ The 2020 survey findings also reaffirm(recertify) that law and order, especially
in the two major business centres of Karachi and Lahore, has improved as
reflected by the increasing number of trips to Pakistan by OICCI member firms’
senior management from their headquarters and regional offices, as well as the
number of their board meetings held here in the last one year.

▪ The initiatives implemented in the last five years under NAP to tackle security
challenges after the 2014 APS attack in Peshawar have helped improve security
in most parts of the country.

▪ Consequently, many countries including the US, UK, Portugal and Norway have
significantly eased travel advisories for their citizens planning to visit Pakistan.
British Airways also resumed its flight operations in Islamabad last year as
Pakistan was declared the best holiday destination for 2020 by a reputable British
travel magazine.

▪ The number of tourists from abroad had been rising in the last few years because
of improved security conditions until the Covid-19 pandemic struck the world,
forcing countries everywhere to impose lockdowns to halt the spread of infection.
However, the challenges remain, as reflected by the militant attack on PSX and
periodic protests by certain organisations, disrupting life and business in cities.

Conclusion: Besides, the government still has a lot to do to root out militancy in
parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Indeed, the country is much safer
today than it was a few years ago. Yet there is little to no room for
complacency(undesirable satisfaction).

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Iran nuke sites | Dawn Editorial
Introduction:

AS the Iran nuclear deal unravels (unfolds), a series of

mysterious incidents have been occurring at several sites
linked to the Islamic Republic’s atomic programme. The
most significant of these was at a facility in Natanz last
week, which hosts a complex that produces
centrifuges(draw away things). In what has been termed
an ‘accident’, Iranian officials have said there was no loss
of life, “but damage is significant on a financial level”.
Moreover, there have been reports in the international
media which claim that dissidents(in opposition to official
policy) within the Iranian security services may be behind
the incident. Due to the sensitivity of the matters
concerned, it is very difficult to ascertain the facts, though
two possibilities emerge: that of an industrial accident, and
sabotage carried out either by Iran’s foreign adversaries,
internal opponents of the regime or a combination of
hostile

Critical Analysis:

If it is indeed an industrial accident, then Iran must

consider re-evaluating and scaling down its nuclear
activities, for the sake of its own people. It is a fact that
Tehran has been battered(hit, stroked) economically by
US-backed sanctions, while it struggles to cope with the
Covid-19 pandemic. If proper operation of nuclear facilities
cannot be carried out due to financial constraints, the Iranian administration must do
whatever it takes to minimise the chances of future accidents in the country.

Is there any possibility of America intervention?

However, there is also a strong possibility of sabotage. In the past, America and
Israel have been known to launch cyberattacks against Iran’s atomic facilities causing
considerable damage, while a number of Iranian nuclear scientists have been
assassinated, with suspicion falling on Mossad. If it is indeed true that hostile powers
are sabotaging Iran’s nuclear programme, then they are playing a very dangerous
game. The fallout from an attack on a nuclear facility can be catastrophic, especially
for civilians living in the immediate vicinity, which is why such devious(deceptive)
activities must be halted immediately, and all sides must work to salvage( to save)
whatever is left of the nuclear deal.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Pakistan's Occupied Balochistan | The Diplomat
By: Kunwar khuldune Shahi

From CSS Point od view this will be helpful in current affairs,

Pakistan affairs and Essay paper

In a scathing speech on June 18 in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Balochistarn

National Party (BNP-M) Chief Akhtar Mengal asked that the province that he
represents be declared "occupied Balochistan" if the state wants to continue its abuses
in what is currently a "no-go area" spearheaded by "death squads."

Introduction:

Announcing his party's departure from the federal

government coalition led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-
Insaf PTI, Mengal underlined that the currently rulng
party is the latest in a long list of culprits to have
backtracked on its vows for Balochistan since 1948.

Without naming the military, Mengal

castigated(condemned) the crackdown in
Balochistan, and the growing number of missing
persons, which has reduced the locals to mere
"bloody civilians." Drawing parallels with Bosnia,
Palestine, and Kashmir, the BNP chief accused the
state of colonizing Balochistan, rendering the blood of
the Baloch "less worthy than tomatoes”.

"You can think about Kashmir when you get it, what
you have in hand is slipping away," Mengal said,
alluding to the separatist movement in Balochistan.
Mengal's speech came during National Asembly
deliberations on the federal budget, which saw Balochistan's provincial share slashed in
the National Finance Commission transfer.
ICEP Dawn Analysis
Balochistan Grievances
Balochistan's seven-decade-old grievances with Pakistan range from being denied a fair
share in the province's own resources to a continuum of military operations. Baloch
nationalists maintain that the province was militarily usurped in March 1948, against
the will of the locals. The growing ethno-nationalism in Balochistan saw insurgencies in
the late 1950s and 1960s.

The 1973-1977 conflict, launched under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, reaffirmed control over the
province's riches, and reinstated centralized political control in the atermath of the
separation of East Pakistan in 1971 -which, like Balochistan, saw an ethno-separatist
movement against misappropriation of resources and military occupation.

The ongoing dirty war in Balochistan exploded following the turn of the century under
Pakistan's military ruler Pervez Musharraf, with the 2006 killing of nationalist leader
Akbar Bugti sparking the most gruesome(horrible) wave of Baloch insurgency.

Over the past decade and a half, thousands of Balochs have gone missing. if not tens of
thousands. The exact numbers are unknown owing to complete control over intormation
exercised by the state.

▪ On Saturday, two senior journalists became the latest to go missing in

Balochistan.
▪ In April, the dead body of Sajid Hussain Baloch, editor-in-chief of Balochistan
Times, was found near Uppsala, Sweden with Reporters Without Borders (RSE)
maintaining that his death could be linked to his work.
▪ Between 2007 and 2015, 29 journalists were killed in Balochistan.
▪ Meanwhile, the mainstream mecia is only allowed to run the military's press
releases as part of its coverage on Balochistan.
As a result, one story that wasn't covered last week was that of a Baloch woman, a
mother of three, who killed herself after giving up on the protracted(prolong) fight to
find her missing brother.

Similarly, many other families await the of their - most of them unheard and unseen
await – the return of loved ones, dead or alive. State, however, continues to either deny
the existence of many missing persons, or lumps(put someone indiscriminately in
group) them in an undefined category of "terrorists”.

Mama Qadeer, the activist who initiated Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) and
launched a 2,800 kilometer march from Quetta to Islamabad five years ago, leads
regular protests in front of the local press club.

▪ Qadeer says that at least 47,000 Balochs have gone missing since 2000, the figure
also quoted by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistarn in its latest report.
The exploitation of Balochistan Minerals:
Parallel to the military abuses, resulting in the growing number of missing persons, is
the center's unabated stranglehold over Balochistan's resources.

▪ This is exemplified by the Balochistan town Sui, which has supplied gas to the
entire country over the decades, but is still not getting any of the daily 800 million
standard cubic feet of natural gas that it produces.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Balochistan, which still supplies almost a quarter of
Pakistan's total gas, this year faced the worst gas
shortfall in history amid plummeting winter CPEC, Gas, and
temperatures. After decades of the center's control all others
over their gas, the Baloch now have similar advantages are
apprehensions vis-à-vis the Reko Diq gold and taken aback by
copper reserves. After long having raised alarm bells Balochistan.
over "Punjabi" hegemony, Baloch nationalists are
deeming the growing influence of Beijing in the area Till now 47000
as bona fide "Chinese colonization." Baloch have gone
missing by
With Beijing calling the shots on the much touted Agencies off the
$62 billion China-PakIstan Economic corridor record. Their
(CPEC), the nationalists maintain that one occupier plight is unseen
is being replaced with another looking to exploit and unheard in
Balochistan's rich resources and its geopolitical Pakistan. Another
significance. The deep-water port at Gwadar holds
1971 Accident is
the geostrategic key to CPEC, connecting Eurasia,
awaiting God
South East Asia, South Asia, and Africa with the
forbade.
much peddled Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

It is poetic injustice that CPEC is wrapped around a

corridor of estrangement that connects Xinjiang and Balochistan. To the native
populations, CPEC might as well be a multibillion- dollar graveyard for the aspirations
of the two subjugated territories.

Baloch nationalists are now issuing stern warnings over growing Chinese influence in
Balochistan. Local militant outfits like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) are
targeting Chinese consulates and luxurious hotels in Gwadar.

Instead of managing to curb the growing Baloch militancy, which has also targeted
civilians, the Pakistan Army has long used Balochistan's volatility(unpredictability) to
serve its strategic interests, with the large swathes(area) of uninhabited land bordering
Afghanistan and Iran providing havens to many jihadist groups. It is similar to the
military's duplicitous(two-faced) security policies in the former Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA) on the Arghan border.

The military has also historically kept check on Baloch Separatists by deploying groups
like Lashkar-e-jhangvi (Lej), which have now overlapped with the Islamic State's (IS)
South Asia factions. The Lej and IS, meanwhile, have collaborated to devastate the
religious minorities in Balochistan, especially the local Shia Hazara and Christian
populations. In his meeting with the Hazara protestors in 2018, Army Chief General
Qamar Javed Bajwa conceded that sections within the military have colaborated with
jîhacist outfits in Balochistan in the past, owing to a "mindset that has existed" for
decades.

Conclusion:

As far as Balochistan is concerned, the colonialist mindset of the military, and its
selected band of politicians, remains well and truly there. And now with Baloch
insurgency intensifying in recent weeks, and echoes of "occupied Balochistan"
resonating in the National Assembly, Islamabad and Beijing have to consider giving
locals due right to their own resources…or spend a significant chunk of Balochistan's
riches just on continuing the military occupation.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

For a knowledge economy| The News
Introduction

In the post-Covid world, we face challenges but also many wonderful opportunities,
if our planners truly understand the full implications of the 4th industrial revolution.

McKinsey Global has predicted a 100 trillion dollar impact of emerging

technologies by 2025. Artificial Intelligence alone is predicted to have an impact
of $15.7 trillion over the next five years, We must move with a sense of urgency if
we hope to be competitive in this fast changing world where only those nations will
forge ahead that can successfully ride on the huge wave of disruptive innovations that
is upon us.

Thesis Statement

There are a number of key factors that are essential for the development of a
knowledge economy. The most important of these is an honest, visionary, technocrat
government in which the leadership truly understands and implements a clearly
defined road map for transitioning from our low value added agricultural economy to
a strong knowledge economy.

Asian Countries leading in technology : a lesson for Pakistan

This was what propelled Singapore and China forward, where the leadership was
determined to give the highest national priority to education, science, technology,
innovation and entrepreneurship. Singapore is today ranked No 1 in the world in
the Global Competitiveness Index, ahead of the US. Pakistan stands at a
pathetic 110 behind Nepal and Nicaragua. In the Global Ease of Doing Business
rankings, Singapore stands at No 2 in the World with Pakistan at a lowly 108,
behind Vanuatu and Tajikistan. The story is no different if we now turn to China.
China today has the highest R&D (Research and Development) expenditure in the
world, having overtaken the US in this critically important aspect in 2019.

Technocrat government : a need of the hour

According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) based in

Geneva, the US had only 597,141 patents filed in 2018, as compared to 1,542,002
patents filed by China in the same year. This illustrates how China has forged ahead
of the US in innovation and creativity. Clearly, as done by Singapore and China, here
in Pakistan too we need to have a technocrat government with the best minds
appointed as ministers and secretaries.

Prerequisite for knowledge economy

An important prerequisite for a knowledge economy is a strong and fair justice

system. Genuine industrial development and businesses cannot flourish with a
corrupted judicial system as we have in Pakistan. The failure of successive
governments to perform has been due to corrupt leaders who looted and plundered at
will. With a few exceptions, they managed easily to escape justice while they
amassed (accumulated) vast illegally acquired wealth in foreign lands.

Prospects of CPEC after Covid-19

ICEP Dawn Analysis
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor represents a wonderful opportunity for
Pakistan to leapfrog (jump over) by establishing joint ventures for the manufacture
and export of high-technology goods between the industrial groups of the two
countries. This should be done by establishing hi-tech industrial clusters all along the
China Pakistan Economic Corridor. For example, the knowledge hub in the field of
biotechnology products could focus on the large-scale production of enzymes,
vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, biopolymers, and recombinant proteins.

Similarly, the knowledge hub in the field of electronics could produce personal
computers, video game consoles, telephones, mobile phones, radio receivers,
television sets, MP3 players, video recorders, DVD players, digital cameras, and
camcorders.

A chance to renew our agriculture products through technology

Another knowledge hub could focus on high value agriculture products including
hybrid rice and vegetable seeds, horticulture, high yielding and disease resistant
varieties of cotton, wheat, rice and other edible crops, selected high value medicinal
plants/extraction of commercially important constituents, mushrooms, ornamental
trees, fisheries, and milk products.

Similar hubs could be established in manufacture of engineering goods, trucks,

automobiles, tanks, defense products and other such areas. Specialised metal alloys
and new materials such as graphene with special characteristics are in great demand
for manufacture of engineering goods, as well as for production of defence
equipment.

A knowledge hub for manufacturing specialized materials including special metals,

composites, polymers, nanomaterials etc would therefore be important. A related hub
should set up focusing on mineral extraction and processing. This could include
technologies for production of rare earths needed in the electronics and other
specialized industries.

Four key components of Technology hub

Each hub should have four key components within it. These should be:

▪ industries for the production of high technology and hence high value products
in specific field technical training centers;
▪ university research centers;
▪ technology parks; and
▪ technical training centers

The fields in which these knowledge hubs should be set up need to be carefully
chosen in consultation with the Chinese government and industries so that they can
attract Chinese private sector investments of $500 billion over the next 10 years.

Utilization of resources in Balochistan : a mineral hub

Balochistan is rich in mineral resources but this national wealth is being drained
by smuggling of precious and semi-precious gemstones as well as through export
of crude ores. Immediate steps should be taken to prevent this loss and
manufacturing industries should be established in collaboration with China, Russia
and other countries so that we produce and export only highly purified minerals.

Suggestions for effective performance of technological hubs

ICEP Dawn Analysis
 ▪ The technical training institutes within each hub should train highly
professional technicians required by the industries.
▪ The university research centres in each hub would carry out cutting edge
research in the development of next generation products in that field.
▪ The tech parks would incubate and assist new startup companies and help in
the transformation of the research undertaken in the research centres into
commercial products and processes.
▪ The industries in the tech parks should be assisted by long-term tax holidays
and by access to electricity, gas and other services at highly subsidized rates.
▪ A government sponsored insurance scheme should also be launched.

Way forward : Pakistan can learn from Asian Countries

Pakistan stands at the crossroads of history. After the Covid pandemic, a new world
will emerge – a world dominated by artificial intelligence, next generation genomics,
autonomous vehicles and strange new plant and animal species created through
synthetic biology. In this world, the divisions between those blessed with knowledge
of technology and those living in darkness of ignorance will be even sharper. It is in
this brave new world that we must make our mark, as Singapore and China have
done. This requires a complete overhaul of our judicial system, as well as the
introduction of a presidential system of democracy.

The writer is the former chairman of the HEC, and president of the Network of
Academies of Science of OIC Countries (NASIC).

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Politics powered by public funds |Daily Times
Main source of public fund

The main source of funding for all public sector departments and projects all over the
world is the revenue which is being collected from citizens either by direct or indirect
taxes. On other hand that collected revenue is known as public funds whenever
government spends on any project, activity, services or infrastructure. However case
is different in oil rich countries as those countries have minimum dependency on
taxes to run their public sector departments. The real owner of public funds is public.
We can say public funds mean the funds collected from the public and spend for the
public.

Mismanagement and low quality service never flattens the curve of poor
planning

Unfortunately, public sector institutions in Pakistan are badly suffering from

mismanagement of public funds, poor planning and low quality of service
delivery. Ordinary citizens and taxpayers never come to know about proper
utilization of public funds and the reasons for failure of any project built by the
public funds. And why not a single institution is held responsible by the government
and what policy measures are under way to minimize the rate of failures.

Lack of accountability and transparency : ungranted access to Public reports

Accountability and transparency in the public sector is still a far cry. Annual
economic surveys, budget documents, parliamentary proceedings and discussions,
performance reports and government websites never reflect any information about the
budget, cost and saving of any of project, programme or public institutions.
Although, as per the Right of access to information Act 2017, every citizen can
request to get any information from any government institution at federal level.
And same Act is available in provinces with different name. But due to lack of
awareness, most of our people do not have any information about this basic
right.

Either our public office holders or our relevant officials are not capable or both are
not taking care to control these type of issues may be because they have authority to
play and waste public funds

Absence of strict execution and quality control by departments

How easily our relevant departments plan, develop and execute low quality projects
funded public funds. However, we have very strict monitoring and quality check
procedures in documents but due to moral and financial corruption project
engineers, third party consultants and decision makers approve projects and
execute funds. In other words public funds are being wasted but nobody is taking
care of all this wastage.

Low quality and high cost :a quagmire of corruption

We know, if a small or medium class contractor plan any personal project the
contractor can get good quality on very low cost and if same project is being
done by public funds then case will be vice versa as low quality on high cost. The
answer is very simple, in first case personal funds are used and in second case public
ICEP Dawn Analysis
funds are used. So we can understand whenever we use public funds we love to waste
these funds in terms of corruption, low quality and high cost etc.

The management of mega public sector organizations have also same story. Because
these entities are also being run by public funds. Let’s have a look on few of them.

Pakistan Steel left at the mercy of public funds to feed corruption

Pakistan Steel was the country’s largest industrial undertaking having a production
capacity of 1.1 million tons of steel with a third unloading and conveyor system at
Port Qasim is the third largest in the world. PSM recorded a loss of Rs16.9 billion in
2008-09, which jumped to Rs118.7 billion in five years. PSM’s loss continued to
swell and reached Rs200 billion at the end of its tenure on May 31, 2018. During
all this fall, governments used public funds for overstaffing, corruption, bailout plans
and release of salaries without any production.

Adversaries of Pakistan International Airlines

Pakistan International Airline is also suffering from poor management and corruption
and governments always released bailout schemes to bring out the national flag
carrier from the mud of corruption. All these relief plans were provided from
public funds.

Metro Bus Service : financed heavily by public funds

The Mass Transit project of Lahore Metro Bus Service was also one of the most
expensive project where public funds were used for low quality infrastructure
on high rates. If we compare the similar projects of that time in neighboring country,
it will make it more clear that how public office holders wasted public funds.

The total length of Lahore metro bus track is 27km (8 km elevated) with 64 buses
and total cost of this project is Rs 30 billion with per kilometer cost of Rs. 1.1
billion. On other hand same project is done in Amritsar, India and numbers are
different and better in all aspects. The total length of Amritsar Bus Project is 31 km
(12km elevated) with 78 buses and the total cost of the project is Rs 9 billion and per
kilometer is Rs.29 million. These amounts are in Pakistani Rupees. The purpose to
share this comparison of total cost is to give an idea that how our decision makers
finalize contracts without keeping in view that the cost of the project will be
generated from public funds. While same project with more features and high quality
is done comparatively with less cost.

Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit depicts loopholes of mismanagement

To gain rapid political benefits before general election, The then Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Government laid the foundation stone of 8th wonder of this world with
the name of Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (Peshawar BRT) in a bit hurry without
any proper planning, feasibility and project cycle-1. Although the project is initially
being built with the assistance from the Asian Development Bank. It was projected
to cost ?41 billion, but its final estimated cost is approximately ?66.437 billion.

The total cost for the 27.37 kms road project is estimated at Rs66.437 billion. This
translates into approximately Rs2.427 billion cost per kilometre which is exorbitantly
high. The master mind of this project is not going to pay back all this ADB loan from
his pocket. Yes all these billions of dollars will be paid back from public funds in
future.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Orange Line : a huge debt bubble blowed by public fund

Orange Line Train was said to be a gift from China to Punjab. Public was told that
out of a total initial cost of Rs165 billion, China was providing Rs150 billion.
That money however was in the form of a loan and eventually further financing was
required as due to mismanagement and poor planning the cost of the project
reportedly escalated to Rs271 billion which will be paid from public funds
generated from the pockets of poor Pakistanis.

Plagues destroying our public organizations

These all above mentioned mega projects and public sector organizations are badly
suffering from

▪ corruption,
▪ mismanagement,
▪ poor planning,
▪ unprofessionalism,
▪ politics and
▪ nepotism.

Who is responsible for all this mess? Above mentioned all projects were launched by
political leaders and at the end losses are being recovered from public funds.

Despite qualified engineers govt. Lacks good planning

In all these departments we have highly qualified engineers, consultants and

professionals. Why they are unable to ensure good planning, quality of work on
best competitive rates. It means there is something wrong with system. Either our
public office holders or our relevant officials are not capable or both are not taking
care to control these type of issues may be because they have authority to play and
waste public funds.

Conclusion

All mega projects at federal and provincial level and small projects at district
levels are announced by political leaders to gain their political targets and these
projects in fact open doors for corruption, nepotism, extra income and misuse of
public funds. Who will change all this process so that public funds can be saved
from wastage?

The writer is associated with Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)

ICEP Dawn Analysis