Power to the party? High electricity bills seem to be ripping the PML(N) apart

HIGH electricity bills, boosted by record fuel adjustment charges, are driving the consumer from pillar to post. The blame is being placed squarely on the government, and though there have been no power riots yet, the ordinary man is not sure in which direction he is being pushed. Is he supposed to come out on the streets and riot? The government’s insistence on keeping the fuel adjustment charges where they are is based on commitments made with the IMF, which is scheduled to approve the long-delayed tranche in Pakistan’s EFF. The Prime Minister’s promise to exclude fuel adjustment charges from bills for poorer consumers has apparently not been fulfilled, with the result that he is now among the targets of the consumer’s wrath, along with Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, who had announced the relief. Dr Ismail has got credibility problems, it seems, for he had announced that the new SBP governor would be appointed in three days, and then took more than a month to do so.

Another problem has been that Dr Ismail has become a divisive figure within the party. Because of him, antagonism between the brothers, nawaz and Shahbaz, has begun to crystallize. Those who see themselves primarily as nawaz supporters, like khwaja Asif or Saad Rafiq, while members of Shehbaz’s cabinet, feel free to indulge in public sniping at their colleague. Dr Ismail’s biggest backer is apparently the PM, who does not seem to share Mian nawaz’s fear that the party will lose support. Is Mian Shehbaz willing to back Dr Ismail to the point that Mian nawaz is obliged to distance himself from the government and its economic measures? The choices are obviously not easy. The main problem seems to be that Mian nawaz’s favourite economic manager, Ishaq Dar, has got legal reasons to stay away, and it is not clear what magic wand he is supposed to wave to provide relief to the common man. Relief would have been particularly welcome because the bills coming in were for the height of the summer, when fan and air-conditioner use was at a peak.

It may well be too late. Dr Ismail missed the chance to dicker with the IMF over the details, which would have allowed the government to provide some sort of cushion to the common man. It might still be possible to make such a renegotiation, but it will be that much more difficult, after the readiness of Dr Ismail, to agree to any condition the IMF placed, because the government was so desperate to get a deal.