Chowrangi

In Pakistan the crisis doesn’t get resolved, they just get old, and the hapless and apathetic people just get habitual. It seems that after people have got used-to of the power load-shedding, they are also beginning to accept the flour-crisis, and they have resigned to the fact that they aren’t going to find it in any humane way at reasonable prices.

Print and electronic Media has also moved on to other things. The sufferings of people are still there and the shortage is still there, and the hoarders as well as smugglers are happy to cajole with rangers, who are just there wondering about their duties.

Government is once again introducing the old ration card system, and I am not that warmed up by that idea, as I don’t idealize Russia much. Also there was initially a much-touted talk about “stern” action against the hoarders, but now that passion has also gone cold.

Caretaker Prime Minister is saying that the crisis has passed, and now flour is available like dust everywhere, and the prices have also come down. Perhaps that would be the case in Jacobabad and on Constitution Avenue, but in rest of the country, the roti is still selling at Rs. 6, and flour is as expensive as ever, and there are still long lines of people against the windows of utility stores, and hoarders are dancing nude.

The opposition parties, PML-N and PPP has accused former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and some other former minister that they earned Rs. 38billion from the flour and sugar crisis. Many other sources are also clamoring that. Would anybody listen? Does anybody care?

Other posts by Commoner

• Rare Chink in FATA - August 28th, 2008
• Presidential Campaigns Pick Momentum - August 28th, 2008
• Just Brought About Change - August 27th, 2008
• Speck of Hope - August 27th, 2008
• Daggers Drawn - August 27th, 2008
• More Load Shedding - August 27th, 2008
• Whose Writ is This - August 26th, 2008
• So They Parted - August 26th, 2008
• New Alignments - August 24th, 2008
• Vindicated Operartion in Swat - August 24th, 2008