Demanding Power: Contentious Politics and Electricity in Pakistan
This paper explores the electricity supply crisis from 2007 to 2015, and the ensuing contention that shaped public discourse and political events
Abstract
This paper explores Pakistan’s electricity supply crisis that lasted from 2007 to 2015, and the ensuing contention that shaped public discourse and political events in the country. During this period, which witnessed electricity outages of up to 14 hours per day, 456 incidents of contention took place, with just under 20 per cent escalating into some form of violence. Electricity became the number one political issue in the country and was integral in shaping the outcomes of the 2013 General Election. Following the election, public authorities undertook extensive investment to expand capacity and ensure consistency in supply while evading questions about affordability and sustainability. On the surface, this appears to be a case of extensive protest working towards shaping state responsiveness. And it is true that the state now sees supply as a non-negotiable aspect in the social contract with citizens. However, a range of factors contributed to the chronology and the selective, generation-focused nature of this response. On the other hand, citizen inclusion and participation in decision-making, and issues of affordability and sustainability, which impact vulnerable and disempowered groups the most, remain absent from the political and policy conversation around energy. This suggests that while protests were useful in generating a short-term response, their long-term legacy in empowerment related outcomes is less visible.
This work is part of the Action for Empowerment and Accountability (A4EA) Research programme
Citation
Javed, U., with Hussain, A. and Aziz, H. (2021) Demanding Power: Contentious Politics and Electricity in Pakistan, IDS Working Paper 551, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies, DOI: 10.19088/IDS.2021.047
Link
Demanding Power: Contentious Politics and Electricity in Pakistan