Karachi, during Ramadan, has been dealing with a blazing heatwave. The city has experienced one of the hottest days in the past week, with temperatures reaching 45 degree Celsius, close to the highest temperature ever recorded in Karachi at 47.8 degree Celsius in 1938.

The sweltering heatwave has already claimed over 600 lives. There is a rising number of patients and dead bodies with a lack of space in hospitals and mortuaries to serve everyone.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had previously stated that there is no tolerance for power deficiency in the month of Ramadan, but this statement seems to be falling apart. The power deficiency has also incapacitated the water supply in numerous territories, leaving individuals without water. Load-shedding leaves no chance of it getting better anytime soon.

The current government’s fundamental focus was on electricity. However, that battle by all accounts seems to be lost at this point. Hundreds of families lost their beloved due to the weather, yet no preventive measures were taken. This happened despite the fact that government hospitals were running out of clean water and Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) sachets for patients. Should the government not have had a backup for unforeseen incidents?

The government has an agreement with the privatised electric supply company K-Electric, but the government’s inability to clear all obligations or pay them on time is one of the fundamental causes for the lack of power. Pakistan’s ability to generate power is satisfactory, but the deficiency in supply is because of the government’s wrong approach. Metro projects are good but is the government only focused on spending billions in transport ventures? What might be said about the blackouts? Why does the government not use different measures for creating power? For example, they could be utilising imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) to run power plants or use coal, which Pakistan has in reserves, to produce electricity. Why is the government depending entirely on private organisations to produce power and not going forward with reinforcement measures? It is obvious that K-Electric and the government together do not appear to be performing great. Restorative measures from the government’s side are needed immediately.

— Business professional based in Karachi, Pakistan