Earth Hour in Pakistan

www.pakpositive.com Today, there is no difference between my place and Burj-ul-Dubai, the Faisalabad's "Ghanta Ghar" and the London's Big Ben also stand in the same row, the Sydney's Opera House or Lahore's AlHamra Hall, also share something common. That is, the power cut off, something with which we Pakistanis are quite familiar with (or I should say "In Pakistan a. k. a. Load Shedding, Batti Chali Gai"). So as per WWF's (World Wild Life) recommendation, this year almost 121 countries have signed up for "Earth Hour ". A global campaign of reducing power consumption to minimum simultaneously world wide to high-light global warming, climate change and other such issues (which are mainly the headache of developed nations, but not a big-deal for us, the "poor" third world people.)

But as the awareness spreads, the Earth Hour phenomenon also becomes popular with the Pakistanis, (you can see Geo News, calling for "Lets make a difference. � Its show time). In all this media sensationalized environment, does anyone wonder "Do we have a right to mark the earth hour?" Or one should say "In Pakistan, well, where every hour is an earth-hour".

Blame-game is the most things to do. You may curse Zardari, you may ridicule Water and Power Minister (for always giving a new-deadline to the end of power crisis), or simply forwarding TXT messages bearing foul-language about WAPDA, KESC. But is this all we can do?. Well, we cannot absolve ourselves so easily.

Just think how many major water reservoirs we built after Mangla and Tarbela? No. . not a single one. Just a few small ones (like Bhasha or Manda Dam) that mainly fill with water during Monsoon only. . . thanks to Mother Nature that shes still blesses us, although we keep on wasting Her Benefits. Just say "Kala Bagh Dam bnao" and immediately you will be entitled as "TRAITOR. . . . You Punjabi. . %#&*@!!" in Sindh or, the response of Pashtuns of NWFP, won't be much different. and the Balochs have their own reservation about same.

So in Pakistan, Earth Hour, should be an hour to ponder over, an hour of self-analysis. No one asks you to make dams at the cost of national-integrity. but in this hour of need, can the four of our provinces, just like four brothers, sit together and think as a "Pakistani� not as a punjabi, baloch, sindhi or pathan!! And clarify to the Sindhis that Punjab is not going to steal away your part of water, to Pashtuns that "No dear, your historic city, Nowshera is not going to sink down in Kala Bagh. �These are just a bunch of political clowns who make you believe so, to make their own ends meet.�

So as you mark this Earth Hour 2010 in Pakistan, then do remember as well, that our beloved founding father, M. A. Jinnah, left a piece of advice " PAKISTAN IS DESTINED TO PLAY ITS MAGNIFICENT PART YEAR AFTER YEAR AS WE GO ON, PROVIDED WE SERVE PAKISTAN HONESTLY, EARNESTLY, AND SELFLESSLY"

(I am student of Medicine's second year.)earth hour www.pakpositive.com