Politics – Rhapsody

The use of Pivot Tables in Excel

What is a pivot table? It is a feature in MS Excel made to help organize and condense complex-to-understand data. The pivot table is best for finding patterns appearing in the data matrix being processed and brings out trends and relationships in the data, enabling the user to present key aspects of information in a more meaningful way.

Pivot tables allow us to summarize and analyze numerical data. We can group and total data, explore details behind the totals, and create neat and visually appealing reports. They are particularly useful for comparing data, analyzing trends, and drawing insights from complex datasets, such as sales data or financial data. Pivot tables work by reorganizing and summarizing data without altering the original dataset, making data analysis more efficient and insightful.

Users can choose which data to include in the pivot table and can specify the rows, columns, and values that they want to see. This allows users to customize the pivot table to meet their specific needs and goals.

So reiterating the purpose of pivot tables: calculate, summarize, and analyze data in Excel. It helps you see comparisons, patterns, and trends within your dataset. Hence the keywords #Organize and #Summarize.

Let’s assume, for demonstration’s sake, that we have an e-commerce store with customers from some major countries in the world. Our website gathers the data in a spreadsheet in downloadable form. In the scenario, we have order id, customer names, products category, purchased products, product price, quantity, order date, country and city columns in the downloaded file. To get useful insights, we start with a sizable dataset (typically tabular) and build a pivot table.

We can either do this stuff by manually putting in formulas and functions, or use pivot tables and let excel do the heavy lifting. Here, Pivot Tables come in handy and allow us to: Group data by different criteria (e.g., sales by region, products by category); Summarize values (e.g., total sales, average scores); filter, sort, and rearrange data dynamically.

Pivot-table-dataset-example-exerciseDownload

The sample dataset for the pivot table exercise uploaded at the above link for convenience. In the next step, we want to analyze a few points in the information to better understand your business position. This will help us in our decision making in the future and direct the business into a more desired state.

Creating a Pivot table: Basic Steps

Select the data range (ensure it’s organized in columns with headers). Go to the Insert tab and click Pivot table. Choose where to place the Pivot table (new sheet or existing sheet). Drag fields (columns) into the Rows, Columns, and Values areas to build the summary table.

Now the next step would be to identify patterns for further decision making. Suppose we want to find out what country and city is giving us the most sales so that we can devote a CSR team to provide seamless customer service for that area.

Place the cursor on a cell of the table, go to the Insert tab and click on Recommended Pivot Tables. Excel will suggest pivot tables with different calculations for your ease. Either choose from the list or we can click the pivot table and start from scratch.

As seen above, the Sum of price by country is a very simple table which can help identify which country is giving the most sales. Choosing this will open a pivot table in a new sheet for editing. Here’s what happens. Excel rearranges the country column inputs into row labels and then adds up the values in the price column and presented the results in a single cell in the Sum of price column. See below:

Note that we have the option to calculate prices manually using other formulas, like SUMIF. However, here the Pivot table is performing the action for us. If we want to see country and city wise data, we can drag the city field into the rows and so on as per requirement.

Editing Pivot Tables

Based on the table, it might seem that the USA is giving us the most business, however to determine other aspects, we might need to know how many items are being sold in Italy to give the total price amount. For this, we can drag “Quantity” into the values field and choose SUM in functions (when selected in values area). Subsequently, we move the order id and quantity columns from the dataset to the values area, for calculating the sum of quantity and count of order.

Next, we adjust the prices of products in Italy (which were mistakenly put before) and recreate the pivot table. This time we see that the sum of price divided by the sum of quantity is higher for Italy than that for the USA, meaning Italy may have more potential for quality product sales.

From the above brief example, we can infer that Excel’s pivot table function empowers users to explore, analyze, and summarize huge datasets with ease. It helps in presenting data in a user-friendly way, filtering, grouping, sorting, and conditionally formatting subsets of data, and rotating rows to columns or vice versa (pivoting) to view different summaries of the source data.

For effective pivot tables: organize data in columns (not rows), ensure all columns have headers, use clean, tabular data for best results, format your data as an Excel table, and consider using Power Query for complex data transformations.

Hope this helps!

Useful Links & References:

Interviewing Methodologies

Choosing the most effective interview type is important to hiring the right candidates. Each interview format has its own strengths, and understanding them can help you tailor your approach to meet your hiring goals.

Let’s take a look at the different strategies that can be adopted by interviewers and human resource professionals.

Group Interviews

In a group interview, multiple candidates are interviewed simultaneously. They respond to the same questions, sometimes in turn or at others in the form of a discussion. Group interviews facilitate assessing how candidates interact with one another. Observations during these sessions provide insights into teamwork and collaboration skills, allowing direct comparison.

However, group interviews may prove to be expensive, hard to assess, may not always relate to the job in question, and may lack personal contact.

Ideal for roles that require strong interpersonal abilities and teamwork. If you have watched the popular TV show “The Apprentice,” a group of aspiring candidates are given tasks in the form of teams. Often naturally aligning the candidates as per their skills. This is similar to that scenario, which provides for tagging the right people for the right roles in real time.

Panel or Board Interviews

In panel interviews, several interviewers participate concurrently. They may all ask questions or designate a lead interviewer, while others observe and participate where required. Panel interviews provide diverse perspectives and allow for a comprehensive evaluation.

On the flip side, an applicant may feel outnumbered or intimidated, or possibly the panel members may argue within themselves.

It is useful for senior positions or when multiple stakeholders are involved in the hiring decision. Public sector interviews are commonly conducted in a panel format, where the highest-level management, concerned people from the hiring department, and the Human Resources team are present to evaluate the candidate from different perspectives. Sometimes a psychologist is also present at interviews, which are for jobs in security or defense establishments.

Behavioral or Biographical Interviews

Behavioral interviews focus on past behavior. Candidates explain how they handled specific problems or events. The assumption is that past behavior predicts future responses.

Assessing how candidates apply their skills and experience to real-world scenarios. Valuable for roles where practical problem-solving and adaptability matter.

The interview questions will be something like the following: ‘A key competency for this position is the effective management of change. Can you relate to me based on your personal experience at a time when you had to demonstrate this specific competency? What were the circumstances? What was the result?’

Hypothetical (Situational) Interviews

Hypothetical interviews present imagined scenarios. Candidates describe how they would respond. Evaluating critical thinking, decision-making, and creativity. The questions asked are derived from the job description, and candidates are required to imagine themselves as the job holder and describe what they would do in a variety of hypothetical situations.

Personally, situational and behavioral interviews can be part of other types of interviews, as it depends on the type of questions being asked.

These interviews may be relevant for roles where quick thinking and adaptability are essential. There is no guarantee that the candidate will actually behave in the way suggested. The quick thinker will score at the expense of the person who can take action more effectively than they can answer riddles.

An example question would be: “Imagine you have to complete a project with very limited funds so that a larger project can be acquired from the stakeholders. What would be your approach to completing the project within time?

Directive Interviews (Structured Interviews)

Directive interviews, also referred to as structured interviews, involve the interviewer asking a predetermined set of questions to all job candidates. This method ensures that questions are planned in advance, enabling hiring managers and HR professionals to feel prepared, minimizing bias during the interview, and standardizing the interview process.

In a directive interview, the interviewer does not improvise or deviate from the set questions based on the candidate’s responses. This enables a consistent and impartial evaluation of all candidates by ensuring that each candidate is asked the same questions in the same order, facilitating the comparison of responses and qualifications.

Moreover, structured interviews can be tailored to accommodate various hiring strategies and positions, providing a clear framework for both interviewers and candidates, ensuring consistency, and minimizing bias.

Non-Directive Interviews

Unlike structured interviews, non-directive interviews take a more conversational approach. Rather than following a strict script, the interviewer acts as a facilitator, guiding the discussion through open-ended questions. This allows candidates to talk in detail about their experience, thought process, and motivations.

Digging deeper, these interviews provide valuable insight into the candidate’s personality, aspirations, hopes, and ability to adapt to the company’s culture.

For this reason, non-directive interviews are particularly useful for assessing soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork, as well as a candidate’s fit with a company’s values and working environment.

Striking Balance: Semi-Structured Interviews

Semi-structured interviews fall between the rigor of structured interviews and the open nature of non-directive interviews. The interviewer has basic questions designed to gather specific information about the position and the candidate’s qualifications.

However, unlike structured interviews, the order and wording of these questions can be adjusted based on the candidate’s answers. This allows the interviewer to expand on interesting points or explore unexpected experiences that may be relevant to the position.

This flexibility is especially useful when evaluating roles that require great adaptability and critical thinking. By allowing the conversation to flow organically based on the candidate’s answers, the interviewer can learn more about how the candidate handles tasks, solves problems, and thinks independently in real-world scenarios. can be understood. This approach is suitable for a variety of roles, from project management to sales, where the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and think critically is important.

Stress Interviews

Stress interviews intentionally create anxiety-inducing situations to observe candidate reactions. This is useful in evaluating how candidates handle pressure and stress and is relevant for roles where stress tolerance is critical.

It should be kept in mind that it requires a very skilled interviewer who knows how to navigate without alienating and losing a suitable applicant. It has the danger of affecting the company’s public relations image Relevant to only a few positions.

It may have an appeal to managers who are attracted by the idea of injecting at least some stress into the interview ‘to see what they are made of’. Most candidates feel that the procedures are stressful enough without adding to them.

Note that all these strategies revolve around soft skills or the “knowledge” of hard skills, and the evaluation of hard skills is only truly possible after the candidate has spent considerable time working on the job. That is why a probationary period exists to facilitate exits.

Undoubtedly, understanding these interview types empowers you to choose the right approach based on your organization’s needs.

Whether you’re seeking team players, problem solvers, or visionary leaders, tailoring your interview process ensures better hiring outcomes.

Remember, each interview type serves a purpose, and combining them strategically can lead to a well-rounded evaluation of candidates. Happy interviewing!

Some useful links:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/types-of-job-interview

https://insightglobal.com/blog/different-types-of-interviews-pros-cons/

https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/UserFiles/Servers/Server_4208/File/ERHR/Recruiting/InterviewApproaches.pdf

Credit: Featured image from freepik.com

Job Fair Infographic

Rethinking Voting Dynamics

February 8th, 2024, marked the day of much-awaited polls throughout Pakistan. Despite speculations on the conduct of elections whatsoever, the elections did take place on the said date and as expected, immediately sparked allegations of rigging and mandate stealing.

Before the elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) estimated the expenditure for the general elections would exceed Rs. 49 billion (approximately $266 million USD), which is a huge amount considering the total foreign reserves of Pakistan stand at $ 7.9 billion.

Keeping in mind the sparsity of funds in the national kitty, every Pakistani wishes those funds were utilized in the best possible manner this time and would be used sensibly in the next elections. It is imperative that the exercise of reevaluation of established norms to ensure fairness and efficacy in the democratic process in the future be constantly carried out.

In my personal opinion, a few issues in the electoral process mentioned below must be deliberated in social circles and groups responsible for reforms, which have not been highlighted enough as required.

1) Can the eligibility for voting be reduced from 18 and a cut-off age established beyond which voting should not be allowed?

2) The expatriate Pakistanis who are sending remittances need to be included in the voting process.

3) It is time that we seriously think about adopting electronic voting systems to ensure transparency.

Traditionally, the voting age starts at 18, which is considered the age where maturity sets in, while some societies think the age of 21 is when you are able to correctly decide about your rights. However, it is realized that these ages are mostly based on societal norms and cultural needs. An example would be the lowering of the adulthood age from 21 to 18 in the US to cater for the need for soldiers during WWII.

Discussion regarding the age limit has already started in some countries, as is evident from a study conducted in 2012 showing that “Lowering the voting age to 16 in Austrian elections does not negatively impact democracy, as young people under 18 have similar ability and motivation to participate, and their vote choices are equally representative as those of older voters.”

Additionally, the recent debate about the presidential candidate age limit in the United States is also evident of rethinking the age limits set for the democratic process, where critics suggested setting a maximum age limit for the office holder. In this regard, scientific research sheds light on the cognitive abilities of individuals as they age, indicating that cognitive decline often becomes noticeable after the age of 60, affecting decision-making processes and cognitive flexibility.

Consequently, it may be inferred that just as we agree that individuals under 18 may not possess the maturity or cognitive capacity to make informed decisions, we must acknowledge that cognitive decline in older adults may similarly impair their ability to participate meaningfully in the democratic process. It is, therefore, to be noted that if voting rights are given based on a measure of cognitive ability, or the understanding level of the individual, a logical extension would be to reassess the upper age limit for voting.

However, implementing such a policy shift would undoubtedly spark debate and controversy. Concerns about ageism, discrimination, and the rights of older adults would need to be carefully navigated. Political parties will also be afraid of losing a part of their electorate, particularly aging individuals who base their decisions on provisions promised by the parties to the population in later stages of life.

Nevertheless, initiating a dialogue on this issue is crucial for ensuring that our electoral systems reflect the evolving understanding of cognitive abilities across different age groups equally.

Another major pain point is the overseas Pakistanis inability to vote in elections via the use of paper ballots and modern voting mechanisms. The former administration, via the Election Act 2022, revoked the voting rights of overseas Pakistanis and prohibited e-voting machine use, citing security and the non-preparedness of the ECP as the reasons.

It may be noted that according to Pew Research, the United States and another 151 of the 216 countries and territories allow external voting for parliamentary elections (124), presidential elections (88), and referenda (74).

The problems identified, i.e., security and non-preparedness, need to be revisited, and the lawmakers need to dive into the possibilities of resolving these problems.

Measures that could be taken are:

1. Training employees of the Embassy and foreign missions abroad to conduct balloting using traditional methods, as done by other countries.

2. If not the whole country, then machines may be used in some areas during the general elections.

3. Or simply, proxy voting can be introduced, where a person votes in lieu of a non-resident Pakistani with their consent.

It has to be realized that overseas Pakistanis play a vital part in the progress of Pakistan. Expatriates have immediate or extended families living in Pakistan, and they contribute to the economy by sending remittances to Pakistan. They also participate in overseas networking and bringing in foreign direct investment into the country.

In fiscal year 2022–2023, overseas Pakistanis sent a total of $27 billion in foreign remittances, mostly from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the U.K., and the US. These remittances are used to pay off the enormous sovereign debt of the country.

The argument that overseas Pakistani’s are not aware of the truth or the realistic environment in their home country is baseless in the age of global connectivity and the internet. We seriously need to involve ex-patriates in the voting process to make them feel entitled, included, and a part of the nation.

Furthermore, the adoption of electronic voting machines emerges as a pressing need in modern democracies. It goes without saying that the traditional paper-based voting systems are not only cumbersome but also susceptible to errors, manipulation, and logistical challenges. By using technology, it can be made more accessible and convenient for all citizens by providing greater accessibility and inclusivity, accommodating people with disabilities and those residing in remote areas, and ensuring security through measures such as encryption and cybersecurity implemented in proper protocols.

Online or Traditional Shopping?

Online shopping is where customers use digital means to select and buy products without using the internet, without being in close proximity to the products, and is referred to as e-commerce. In contrast, traditional shopping, or the old method of buying products, is where a seller has a brick-and-mortar arrangement of products, allowing the buyer or customer to physically interact and complete the shopping transaction.

Availability and access to high-speed internet enabled a large part of the world to shift their transactions to the web. And now most companies are using hybrid models, with an online and offline presence, or, as you say, click and mortar.

Around 20 years ago, things really started in e-commerce to pick up with the support of digital payment platforms like PayPal, and huge e-commerce companies like Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba, with its retail platform Aliexpress, started to emerge and take over the internet markets.

By 2023, an estimate suggests Pakistan had 87.35 million internet users in January 2023, with an internet penetration rate of 36.7%. A few of the most popular online shopping platforms in Pakistan include:

Daraz: Daraz is known for its extensive product selection, frequent sales events, and diverse range of offerings. It serves around 40 million customers in the South Asian region, and the concept of online shopping and installments was popularized by this company in Pakistan, especially after its acquisition by the Alibaba Group.
Foodpanda: A platform serving 11 markets in Asia and a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, is diversifying its product range, has various promotions, is focused on groceries and food, and has the convenience of fast delivery.
Priceoye: Founded in 2015, A well-known platform for electronic products like devices and phones. This platform operates as an online price comparison engine specifically targeting mobile phones in second- and third-tier cities across Pakistan. By leveraging data analytics, it not only offers valuable marketing insights to retailers but also identifies the most favorable deals available from a diverse range of retailers for consumers.
OLX Pakistan: Users of the flexible online classifieds site OLX Pakistan can purchase and sell a variety of goods in a number of different categories. OLX offers a handy platform for transactions, regardless of what you’re looking for—cell phones, automobiles, homes, electronics, or even pets. Because it meets a variety of needs, including those for real estate and used automobiles, OLX is a preferred platform in Pakistan for both buyers and sellers.
Pakwheels: Established in 2003, it has emerged as the leading automotive platform in Pakistan. Serving as the country’s top destination for all things automotive, it facilitates connections between buyers and sellers of cars, bikes, and auto parts. Offering comprehensive price information, reviews, and updates on the newest models, PakWheels streamlines the process for those looking to sell or purchase vehicles.

Personally, for me, both modes of shopping have their own benefits, but let’s compare both to get a better picture.

As opposed to online stores, physical stores occupy large swathes of space and have to bear the related costs of displaying and using the space, infrastructure, and maintenance, which may cause prices to be higher than an online store. Yet, consumers still find online stores less acceptable than traditional stores due to disadvantages in shipping, returns, social experience, and post-purchase service.

A study done in 2017 of prices simultaneously collected from the websites and physical stores of 56 large multi-channel retailers in 10 countries suggested that price levels are identical about 72 percent of the time.

Needless to say, the trend is for businesses that focus on both modes of shopping, and customers are aware that, although in the future, online shopping platforms will grow, the traditional brick-and-mortar retail business will continue to provide shopping as an experience and will keep on catering for the segment of buyers who prefer an online experience or do research before physically going and buying the product from the store.

Toll on the State Exchequer!

Highlighting the issue faced at toll plazas and motorway service stations in Pakistan

Being a frequent traveler, recently, I had to travel from M-2 Bhera interchange to Nurpur Thal, and if I remember correctly, there were two toll-collection plazas before the one on the river Jhelum near Sahiwal area. Most of the road is well maintained and easy on the vehicles, with a little rough patch near Shahpur. The patch is in itself very dangerous for travelers, as it could easily damage a vehicle in the night and cause accidents.

The most disappointing observation during the trip was the non-issuance of receipts to vehicles crossing the first two toll stations. The toll was only 30 rupees for a car; however, when the ticket issuer did not hand over the receipt, the toll felt like it had vanished into the air. At both the toll stations/plaza, the collector did not bother to give any evidence of payment, even though we waited and demanded a receipt, and were promptly ignored or delayed. It obviously implied that those would not be submitted for the whole amount. Even if the reason for the non-availability of ticket copies is to believed, it is a matter of grave concern.

The same is true of the retailers at the motorway service stations. The products cost exuberantly more than in normal areas, and the sellers simply do not bother to give receipts for shopped materials. The most common excuse is a dysfunctional machine or computer, and the customer is made to stand and wait in case he demands the payment receipt.

Although the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Frontier Works Organization (FWO) are the managing departments of these toll plazas and service stations, which are popular as highly professional departments, these undue abuses continue to occur on a regular basis. All these seemingly negligible derelictions are ultimately causing a heavy toll on the national exchequer. The people of this country, be they public or private, simply don’t like to follow rules & regulations, and they also vehemently follow rules when outside of this country.

“All these seemingly negligible derelictions are ultimately causing a heavy toll on the national exchequer.”

There must be systems of checks and balances in place. The foremost way to control this is to increase the salaries of workers at toll stations and ensure contractors are not forced to pay extra amounts, pushing them to fulfill the costs from the people’s purses. This will discourage corruption in the wake of skyrocketing inflation. Digitizing the payment methods can also help a lot, For example, the same e-tag system that has been implemented on the motorways can be expanded to other national highways for tracking toll payments. It will facilitate and regularize transport tax payments.

And finally, the need is to reform and revitalize the tax collection system. Currently, for the purpose of repayment of debts, increased taxes are being charged indiscriminately through utility bills to cover such other losses in tax collection as mentioned above. If the government focuses on brand improvement in tax collection and implements the taxes paid in all fields of life, common businesses will be encouraged to pay taxes other than the already tax-paying salaried class of the country.

Rehan Rana,

Lahore.

Facebook Friend Suggestions

Photo by JESHOOTS.com: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-smartphone-displaying-vk-sign-in-page-834895/

My observation is frequently making me think about things that might be not be of much concern to other people as routine matter. It is one of the perks of being very attentive to small things. Or it may be a curse, depending on the situation (it helps in planning).

One thing I notice on a regular basis is that Facebook suggests friends that make you wonder if their facial features really match those of your existing friends. There have been multiple instances where the picture of the person makes it seem like you have known them, although their name does not ring a bell.

The other day I saw a face in my friends’ suggestions that looked too much like one of my old friends who has moved to the UK. He moved there around 20 years ago, when I was still studying at the college level. And after that, I barely had contact with him, and naturally, I wanted to add this person, though on further investigation, I realized that this person was in fact not my friend.

This interaction made me wonder if Facebook was using some sort of face recognition technology for purposes other than photo tagging, like influencing friend recommendations. So, I asked the question from Bing Chat, and this is what it brought up. There are several factors that Facebook uses to suggest friends for you. Some of them are:

Mutual friends: Facebook may assume that you know someone if you have a large number of friends in common with them.
Imported contacts: Facebook may use your phone or email contacts to locate potential acquaintances on the network if you have synchronized them.
Information about your profile: Facebook may utilize details such as your occupation, education, current city, interests, or likes, to pair you with others who have similar information on their accounts.

The above three items do not confirm what I had in mind and have not satisfied my curiosity.

What is Deep Face or facial recognition Technology?

Deep Face is a facial recognition system created by Facebook’s research group that used deep learning to identify human faces in digital images. It was trained on four million photos using a nine-layer neural network with more than 120 million connection weights. On Labeled Faces in the Wild, the Deep Face approach achieved an accuracy of 97.35% ± 0.25%, indicating that it can occasionally outperform humans.

Although it seems that this technology has various benefits for businesses and governments alike, Facebook is constantly challenged by rights groups and privacy advocacy circles. Following multiple challenges, including a lawsuit against Facebook in which a major fine was imposed by the court due to a violation of a privacy law, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, announced on November 2, 2021, that it would be shutting down its facial recognition system and deleting more than 1 billion people’s individual facial recognition templates as a result of this change on its blog.

Privacy Paradox?

Considering that Facebook has closed down its facial recognition activity, why would it be a winner for the privacy of the common people? Governments already have access to ID data in the respective countries of their citizens, which would be a counterargument to the privacy infringement claims.

However, the development of facial recognition technology and its possible uses underscore the significance of continuing conversations about technology, ethics, and privacy.

It can be safely said that there is no proof of any claim to our hypothesis, however, it is a profound possibility that, considering this type of technology exists, it may be used to do this type of stuff. In conclusion, even though there isn’t enough evidence to prove face recognition plays a part in Facebook friend recommendations, it’s a theory worth investigating. In order to make sure that the values of privacy, openness, and ethical use are upheld in our digital interactions, it is imperative that we have constant conversations and close examinations as technology develops.

Another intriguing aspect is how the AI gets its base ideas—is it using stock photos or private data available online? Do let me know what you think in the comments.

References:

Coursera Financial Aid Application (Successful)

As a part of my Job, I frequently interact with Chinese businesses and state entities. I have realized that having a basic understanding of Chinese may tremendously improve connection development, even though I mostly talk in English to assure understanding.

Due to the prominence of Chinese businesses across a wide range of industries, China has a huge impact on the global business scenario. I can overcome the linguistic and cultural gaps that frequently appear while interacting with my Chinese peers by becoming more comfortable with the fundamentals of Chinese. Stronger business connections may result from using a proactive approach that exhibits respect, a desire to connect, and an interest in the other person’s culture.

I may show respect, and create stronger connections by learning their language. Additionally, it helps me better negotiate, understand cultural quirks, and demonstrate my adaptability. Aside from improving my daily relationships, investing in this language proficiency creates new possibilities for my career success.

I know how important sound money management is since I provide for a family of three. It is a noble objective to look for financial aid to enroll in a course that can improve my career prospects. I hope with all my sincerity that will be considered to get the required funding.

The Need for Pakistan to Shift to Alternate Energy Sources

Pakistan has been dealing with an energy crisis for a number of years, much like many other developing countries. The nation’s dependence on non-renewable energy sources, such as petroleum and gas, increases its susceptibility to changes in the world market and pollutes the environment. Pakistan must therefore quickly switch to clean and renewable energy sources and diversify its energy sources.

So why is Pakistan stuck in a rut of independent power producers who are charging in dollars for the energy produced. In my personal view, it is somehow connected to the International Monetary Fund. When in the 90’s, Pakistan started to avail International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) facilitation frequently, pressure was on the civilian governments to quickly solve the emerging energy crisis. For that the help of private sector was sought. independent power producers offered a quick solution in the form thermal fuel powered power plants at a fast pace.

Unfortunately, the solutions and then fast paced change of governments, has rendered the energy provision strategy of the state as impotent. Even the CPEC arrangement with China has imported coal powered plants included in it, which clearly are not geared towards sustainability of the economy. This keeps pressure on the import bill for energy needs.

Alternate energy is the right way towards sustainability and survival of the Pakistani nation. Solar and wind energy, in particular, have the potential to address Pakistan’s energy shortages. The country is blessed with high levels of sunlight throughout the year, making solar power a viable option. Similarly, wind energy can be harnessed particularly in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces.

There is considerable investment being carried out by foreign companies especially Chinese and European consortium’s in the wind sector, however they are at constant loggerheads with the provincial government or federal government. There are disputes of tariff rates and policies, which the government side has to rightly consider before awarding out contracts of power purchase.

Of course, a transition to a new energy mix containing the majority to alternate energy or hydro is not easy. It requires significant investments and a supportive policy framework. However, the long-term benefits of shifting to renewable energy far outweigh the initial costs. It is a step that Pakistan must take to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for its citizens.

There is one more important aspect not to be neglected in any condition. Industry for solar manufacturing and wind manufacturing has to be established as support cluster, where ever an alternate energy project is established. The effort should be accompanied with a policy that enables smooth conversion to localization of incoming investment, in the areas of raw materials and technology transfer.

Fireworks and Aerial firing on New Year ( A letter sent to Dawn on 01/01/2019 – not published )

It seems that we will never make an effort to step into the civilized nations list by our own. Every violent act is adorned by our youth but only in the confines of security and when their is no peril to their own selves. We have a developed a culture of aerial firing and fireworks ingrained since a very long time at the cost of precious lives being lost.

It does not mean that anyone may resort to barbarian celebrations in residential areas. It is extremely disappointing to see the news of Indian shelling in Athmuqam area of Kashmir where people were hurt and properties were destroyed, yet our youth in major cities like Lahore and Karachi were busy firing in the air and exploding fireworks all night long in a culturally borrowed event. Its a pity that this is done only when they know there is no apparent repercussion of their act, while real soldiers and policemen lay their lives everyday in the field. Old people, scared kids, and sick patients all suffered from the unwanted noise which started on new years night at 12: 00 AM and continued till dawn.

To all the gun totting youth on roofs of their homes; we get it, you have arms, and you are happy that you have survived a year with those dim wits, but please do respect the privacy and comfort of your hard working neighbors. And to their parents: You should be in jail for not controlling your children in such events.

A humble request to the ambitious current government, please take some solid action against such useless celebrations and confine such acts in specified publicly monitored areas.

M. Rehan.
Lahore.