The holiest month of Ramazan comes as a test; barring Muslims from food and water; from sunrise to sunset. This year, however, those living in Pakistan are being forced to sit through an even more difficult version. Long days, scorching heat and unending bouts of load shedding. There have been reports of unscheduled power outages disrupting both Sehris and Iftaris, even in major cities. What is going on in small towns and rural areas in the name of maintenance-related disruptions and so-called operations against power theft is a different saga altogether. While the present and former governments continue to engage in a vicious game of pass the parcel, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set May 1 as the deadline for the power woes to end. Neither long-winding stories of how we ended up here from the ruling party’s representatives nor the smug looks on the PTI supporter can pull any rabbits out of the hat. There has been swirling talk of depleting furnace oil reserves for quite some time, which requires acquisitions on a war footing. Still, investing all our energies in putting out fires is exactly what set the stage for such dismal affairs in the first place. Every government loves singing the tunes of a new energy policy, which is very conveniently shoved inside some dusty folder once the hue and cry die down. It is high time that Islamabad comes clean about the degree of emergency of its constituents because providing clarity and holding up the mirror remain its foremost responsibilities. Raising hopes unnecessarily only to come up with a trumped-up explanation on the target day is an immensely counter-productive strategy that does not win hearts or index points. How about some confidence-building exercise for a change, which is then backed by fruitful deliberations with all agents of change. Whether it be increasing the stock of natural gas, investing in procurement of LNG or finally opening our eyes to sustainable solutions (because like it or not, we are in 2022), a determined resolve can choose from a number of ways out. All that’s needed is a will to improve lives and pave the path for a vibrant economic activity. If not for the people, do it for the businesses. *