Tervetuloa – Welcome to Finland

When a passenger plane descends for landing at any airport, everyone sitting at a window seat enjoys the view while looking down at the earth to observe rooftops of buildings, vehicles maneuvering on highways, treetops, forests, waterbodies, small or large, and sailing or stationary boats. People sitting near the window seat also succeed to manage a glance through the shoulder of the person sitting at window seat, not in entirety though, but a better part of it. Interestingly, passengers on aisle seats also (considering there are three seats on each side of the plane) straighten up their backs and pull their necks sideway to have a glimpse of the earth, in fact a view of horizon only, lasting may be a second or so.

But if you are travelling to Helsinki, Finland, then, rest assured, what you see through the window of plane is a breathtaking and a lovely sight of unending waterbodies and green forests. No high-rise buildings, no bald land. Mind it that above scenario is a depiction of summer, not winter.

As you walk through the large airport terminal premises, after landing, heading to arrival lounge, you come across a greeting term “Tervetuloa” written at many information and guiding signboards. Tervetuloa means Welcome. Welcome to Finland. Please remember this word because you will come across this word everywhere and wherever you go in Finland.

Finland is famous for many good reasons in the world; clean and pure air, peaceful and calm people, high literacy rate, best education institutions, especially for foreign students, less populated, forests all around, freshwater lakes and sea creeks, and last but not the least, the most famous and exciting to watch and experience in freezing cold of northern Finland: Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights.

Why Finland is not a famous destination for international tourists is beyond comprehension. In spite of having all the necessary ingredients for making it one of the best destinations for the visitors, it is unfortunately lagging behind the major central European destinations including Norway. Whatever tourists make it to the Finland, they mostly come from Europe. Why it is so, it is hard to say! Maybe it is remotely located and too cold! Maybe it doesn’t have the famous fjords that Norway possesses in abundance. Maybe Finnish like it the way it is; less hustle and bustle!

We were here for the first time, visiting our elder son. The trip lasted for nearly one month, in two stints with a break of two weeks because we also visited our younger son in Berlin, and two nephews in Paris. Although we are back home in Pakistan about two months ago but memories of Finland still capturing our thoughts. It feels as if some part of us didn’t wish to come back home and stayed there, in Helsinki.

At this fanning age, it was not the shopping malls that attracted us anymore, rather we liked to sit on the bank of a large lake in calmness of tranquil waters before us and tall lush green trees watching us from the behind or sat at the bench at the seashore enjoying the sea breeze, sailing boats and looking at the horizon where islands’ trees met blue sky.

Helsinki was planned, designed and developed that way or it is a natural favour to the Finnish people that almost every neighborhood seems to possess a lake or sea creek along with a small forest, but large enough to go for long walk or run on a trail that runs like a serpentine through the tall trees. These trails are sporadically used and remain deserted most of the time and you will come across a few people coming from the opposite end. Everyone takes time to walk on these trails according to their schedule round the hour. These neighbourhoods have all kinds of sports facilities, indoor and outdoor, in all areas. Most of our afternoons, at least an hour daily, were spent on these trails along the nearby lake and sports arena. They might be missing us as well!

If patience had a shape, it could be depicted on Finnish people. You block their way, unintentionally though, on any entrance of the building, shop or elevator and they will wait silently. You will hardly hear a Finn requesting you “excuse me” on obstructing their way. If you noticed your mistake and looked at them sheepishly, they will simply smile back at you without being arrogant or showing annoyance. While commuting in a bus, tram or train they will remain tight lipped most of the time, not gossiping, discussing or even observing/stalking others. However, our son informed us that long, cold and dark winters have a severe impact on the population. People remain depressed and frustrated during winters. This is something we are looking forward to experience someday.

At restaurants, they do gossip a little but audible to the one sitting in close proximity to them only. They will keep talking lowly while enjoy their “own” large sized pizzas respectively. Yes, everyone buys their own large-sized pizza. At first sight it looked odd to us but then it was revealed that Finnish pizzas are normally prepared with quite a thin layer and thin topping, hence, a large sized pizza can be devoured by a single person easily. It is unlike Pakistan where if two people order a single large sized pizza and consume it fully, they will move their hands up and down their respective tummies and say: Aaj Bahut Kha Liya (we ate too much today).

Traffic in Finland was very organized and disciplined; cars are driven at a speed within the prescribed limits. Traffic remains usually sparse most of the time and on most of the roads. If some 20 or more cars are standing at a traffic signal it means it is a heavy traffic. Finns won’t believe that, in Pakistan, normal traffic means the number of cars is nearly 100 and bikes not less than a 1000 on any random traffic signal of Lahore, Karachi or any other big city. There isn’t any free parking anywhere in Finland. One has to pay for the parking, even at their resident apartment buildings. Guests also need to pay for the parking if their stay is more than the allowed limit at visiting places. Private land houses may have the luxury of free parking!

During our stay in Helsinki, it rained a number of times but each time it was a light drizzle for short spans which did not affect the daily routines or activities. It, however, rained hailstorm with high winds only once. Finns might have not experienced how strongly and heavily it rains in tropical countries as well as Pakistan in monsoon period i.e., July and August every year.

We also undertook a day trip to Tampere, a town, where our son did his master’s. He took us to the visit of Tampere University, and other tourist areas including to a restaurant where we enjoyed the best lunch; reindeer pizza, with a thick base layer and thick toppings. Some other nearby towns and islands were also visited and we enjoyed a number of ferry rides. A day trip to Tallinn, Estonia on a cruise was worth experiencing too.

Among all these short recreational trips, a trip to strawberry farms on one fine cloudy afternoon in the outskirts of Helsinki was exciting, beautiful and unforgettable too. The farms management required each adult visitor to take a basket of one kilogram or bigger one, enter the farms and pluck the ripe strawberries to fill the basket. 

While plucking and collecting, one can eat the strawberries as much as they can. On returning from farms, the baskets were weighed down and payment was made according to the weight of each basket, full of strawberries. Believe me, I haven’t eaten before elsewhere so sweet and juicy strawberries as these were at these farms.

Someone may ask us that why we have chosen Finland as the best destination in the entire Europe although we had been to the most-visited central Europe as well. First reason could be that it’s our son’s home, therefore, we felt like at home there, and the desire of revisiting it rekindles within us all the time. Other reasons are already explained above, like, sea, lakes, forests, less crowded, peace and tranquility. The security of life and property issue, which is a major concern of local population and foreigner visitors in Pakistan, is a non-issue here.

It is true that our one-month long visit to Finland consisted of touring Helsinki and few other nearby towns only which, in a way, does not even make 1-2 percent of the total area of Finland. It is also a fact that without visiting Finland in winter and watching and enjoying Aurora Borealis i.e., Northern Lights, any writeup on Finland does not fully justify it. Nevertheless, I will simply conclude that our love with Finland has begun in summer and we hope that it will not culminate in winter.  

Hey Finland! Waiting for you to greet us again with Tervetuloa, soon. 

Larkana to Lahore

 

Ever since I retired from the govt. job and settled down in Lahore on 31 August 2020 our acquaintances and office colleagues asked us curiously as to why we decided to settle down in Lahore instead of going back to our roots, the place where we belong to, where our family, rather extended family and relatives lived. Accordingly, some of them also advised us that we should go back to Sindh. Our response to these questions and observations has been apparently indigestible and unconvincing so far. Such questions, nevertheless, prompted me to trace back my entire life in order to search for the real reasons of attachment with Lahore, and also to find the pulling force, the reason of romance with this historical city. It could be that I just followed the usual concept about Lahore that once in Lahore the city keeps you chained here or it simply throws you out or the facilities offered by Lahore overshadowed rest of Pakistan. One thing is for sure, however, that I have been shackled here.

I opened my eyes in a village in district Larkana but father moved us to Ratodero, a tehsil town for schooling. I was five years old in 1965 when father grabbed my arm and enrolled me in a primary school (Sindhi medium) located in the vicinity of our rented house. It was a time just after the war with India. I faintly remember that we used to turn off lights in the night to observe blackout so that Indian planes could not drop bombs on our houses. During the morning school assembly all students would sing, in chorus, national songs about bravery of our armed forces. The one such song that we recited loudly and repeatedly everyday was: Khitta e Lahore Tere Jan-NisaroN Ko Salam….. (we salute Lahore for sacrificing its lives….). This song would send chills through my body and as such this was my first introduction to Lahore.

Further, my father was fond of listening to Urdu and Indian filmi songs on Radio Pakistan and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Radio. For listening to news he would switch to BBC, in particular during and after war times. Besides, Newspaper boy would drop “Daily Jung Urdu, Karachi” at our doorstep. My attraction in the newspaper would be: Tarzan, the animated/cartoon (with pictures, of course) series whose episode appeared daily in the newspaper, weekly children page that would print short stories, poems and jokes, and most of all, advertisements of Urdu, Punjabi movies. Dad and our elder brother would often discuss movies that were doing well at the box office after their simultaneous release in the cinemas of Lahore and Karachi. They would wait for hit movies for release in any of the three cinemas of Larkana to go watching them. Once released, Dad would take us to Larkana in a hired Willys Jeep for watching it. I happened to hear often from Dad and elder brother that films were produced in Lahore where large film studios were located. Still under ten I longed for meeting film actors by visiting Lahore film studios.

Since my immediate elder brother had just completed class five (I did class four) in early 1970 our father moved his family to Larkana so that his children could pursue their education, now in English, from class six onwards. By then our oldest brother had joined West Pakistan Railways as Booking Clerk. He travelled frequently to Lahore for trainings and other job-related assignments. He would be all praise of Lahore city regarding greenery, historical buildings, mosques, gardens, colourful kites and of course, plenty of cinemas and film studios. After his every visit to Lahore I would ask him innocently about the new films he watched there and had he been able to visit any of the film studios or met any of the film stars! I would always beg him to take me along in his next visit to Lahore.

The opportunity to visit Lahore knocked on in the mid 1973 when oldest brother’s colleague and intimate friend in Pakistan Railways took me along with him to Lahore for a three-days trip. We stayed in a hotel at the tail end of Anarkali bazar and visited all major monuments of Lahore, besides, visiting shrine of Data Darbar and watching a movie in Ratan Cinema at famous Laxmi Chowk, Lahore. In 1975 our secondary school sent us on an industrial tour of Pakistan wherein we toured Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Murree.  While in Lahore I persuaded a few like-minded classmates to undertake a visit to film studios. We took a taxi that dropped us on the main gate of Evernew Studios on Multan Road. We tried to enter but the security guard didn’t let us go. We waited restlessly at the gate to catch a glimpse of any film star while entering or exiting the studios. Suddenly and much to our delight we saw film star Nadeem driving his car and approaching the studios. As he slowed down at the gate we waved at him and he acknowledged smilingly. We had made our day.

Trips to Lahore continued from then onwards. In 1981 we visited it under all Pakistan industrial tour organized by our university. Later, after having completed my engineering studies in August 1983 I travelled to Lahore for appearing in a job interview at WAPDA Headquarters, WAPDA House in October 1983. Again in January 1983 I went there to join WAPDA. Working with WAPDA meant travelling to Lahore frequently for official tasks. Although I kept visiting Lahore and enjoying my trips I was still looking for an opportunity to serve WAPDA at Lahore so that I could move my family here but this was not forthcoming in near future. I have had to wait till 1998.

After having received the transfer orders to Lahore we, all family members, took the flight from Hyderabad and landed in Lahore. After staying two weeks in the guest house we shifted to a rented portion of 10-Marla house in Ravi Block, Allama Iqbal Town. Old friends and new office colleagues helped us in settling down especially enrolling 3 children in different classes and different schools. Within six months we were allotted an official residence at WAPDA Shadman Flats and we moved there immediately. Shadman is a centrally located area within Lahore with all old and new shopping areas, main offices, theatres, etc., are within reach and especially famous gardens like Racecourse Ground Park and Lawrence Garden are within walking distance. It was a long awaited dream coming true.

The spring of 1999 is unforgettable; flowers and kites everywhere around the city. Both big gardens near our residence blossomed with beautiful flowers. Sky remained colourful right from sun rise to twilight of the day with kites of various colours and sizes. Not to forget the Basant festival that was celebrated in the first week of February. Luckily we were invited to old city on Basant day where we spent full day at the rooftop flying kites and enjoying Lahori food amid slogans of “Bo Kata” echoing on the rooftops of varying heights of Lahore. In the evening we visited Racecourse Ground Park where Food Festival and Flowers Show were going on amid beautiful lights and water fountains. It was nonstop fun, flavour, joy and excitement.

We moved to Hyderabad in the mid of 2007 due to family reasons but it was hard adjusting there for long and hence decided to return back to Lahore. Accordingly, we were back in June 2011 and since then we have been living here.

Now I return to the questions mentioned in the first paragraph that why we chose to live in Lahore. The main reason being safety of our lives followed by peace of mind. Children’s education and their bright future is second in line and lastly, ease of daily life is other major reason. Ease of daily life simply means one can have water, gas, electricity available round the clock, cleanliness in your street and area, and ease of moving in different parts of the city at any hour. Lately gas and electricity are hard to find all the time, especially gas in winter and electricity in summer but still Lahore has comparatively less shortages. Lahore possessed all ingredients of being a big city offering safe and better life. It’s green, peaceful, better schooling, plenty of public and private universities with good standard of education, peaceful to hangout late in nights, less crimes i.e. almost free of ethnic hatred, kidnapping for ransom, street crime, car thefts, etc.

Before the end of my career with WAPDA, Allah (SWT) bestowed me with the resources to build my own house in the suburbs of Lahore. We moved there immediately and are living in absolute tranquility. The journey of my life began in Larkana but I wouldn’t know when and where it ends but at least I can make a wish that the burial may materialize at a peaceful place and in clean environment.

Life with WAPDA (1984-2020) – Part 4 of 4

 

WAPDA went through a major transformation and disintegration in early 2000s. The Power Wing dealing with thermal generation and all distribution entities was detached from WAPDA. Later on, transmission line system was also made independent of WAPDA. From a leading engineering organization of Pakistan with a strength of over 150,000 officers and workers it suddenly had a steep fall to a strength of less than 15,000 only. Before this debacle, Water Wing of WAPDA was already stripped of its major role of planning, design and construction of irrigation and drainage sector.

During early 2000 WAPDA literally lost its control on technical prowess of its engineers when under the Vision 2025 Program, WAPDA distributed/awarded consultancy services of various small and medium dams, storage and hydropower projects. With the award of these consultancies WAPDA engineers felt like becoming redundant and working sans authority and responsibilities. In a way it severely hampered growth and capacity building of WAPDA engineers in years to come. This further exacerbated to already weakened WAPDA engineers when slowly and without being noticed domination of non-engineers took place in WAPDA at the helm of decision making.

After the fragmentation of WAPDA in early 2000s the high echelon of civil and electrical engineers became powerless while Administrative and Finance Wings gripped firm control on decision making. The fallout could be witnessed through abolition of technical positions and creation of new administrative and finance/accounting positions in last 10-15 years.

WAPDA’s scope is now restricted to planning, building and operation of hydropower projects only. This step sans PSDP funding for Water Sector development projects makes WAPDA’s financial liquidity position as fragile. WAPDA’s financial strength gets further delicate in view of federal government’s inability to fully fund new development projects. WAPDA has to chip in with its equity in every new hydropower project. Besides, it also seeks commercial financing through local banks in order to achieving “financial-close” of the new projects. Not to forget that WAPDA’s source of income has become dependent on NEPRA’s tariff allowed on hydropower plants under feasibility/design, construction and operation.

Further, creation of “Assignment Accounts” by Planning Commission for new projects has deprived WAPDA from collection of 2.5% Overheads. This step makes it hard for WAPDA to operate and finance non-hydropower Water Wing offices. WAPDA once took up the matter with the federal govt. for enhancing the overheads up to about 10% but perhaps did not purse vigorously. The research organizations like SMO, IWASRI, MONA, ISRIP etc., have lost their touch due to scarcity of funds and are merely pulling on and may be shut down not in very distant future like P&I Org. and Hydrogeology which have vanished from the scene. Technical Services Org. is merely providing services for review and evaluation of PC-Is and PC-IIs prepared by other formations. WAPDA is having severe dearth of Economists for preparation and evaluation of “Economic and Financial Analysis” needed for PC-Is of future projects. Similarly, CDO has become spineless and does petty design works, and in most cases, it reproduces old designs. WAPDA Environmental Cell (WEC) is also reeling from bare minimum “relevant” staff.

It’s also disheartening that Water Wing of WAPDA is without its head on regular basis i.e. Member Water since early 2017. This highly important and coveted position is being assigned to one of the regular General Managers of Water Wing on additional charge basis on “pick n choose” principle for short spans. Even a GM (Hydel), a Mechanical Engineer, who was already holding addition charge of Member (Power), had been Member Water for about a year in 2018-19. This musical chair game is going on for long now.

Career Development:

Every engineer in WAPDA serves nearly 35 years of his life if their induction takes place immediately after graduation which normally happens under 25 years of age. After having completed compulsory induction trainings, they are placed randomly in various formations, without considering their technical capabilities and aptitude. During the following years of their career, postings remain indiscriminate unless they use influence, external and internal, for transfer on their favourite positions and places.

Generally, there are three categories of WAPDA engineers:

a) Some engineers perform really well in their respective areas and work tirelessly and diligently. Their reputation travels to high level and since they have been “labelled” to work in a particular office therefore, they keep working in such offices for long, get promoted and posted in the same place. Such formations are Central Contract Cell, Hydro Planning, Planning and Investigation (defunct now), CDO, DSO, Environment, etc. Since these people remain working in one office for years (even decades) therefore they lack the capacity and vision to take on field jobs.

Similarly, some other engineers get posted in the field and they excel serving there. Once becoming habitual of working in a relatively independent environment, they don’t like to work “desk jobs” and consider themselves chained, powerless and becoming like clerks if posted in indoor offices.

b)   Engineers falling under “jack of all” category, though technically strong and efficient, are kept rotated/ posted in almost every field, every place, hard area or desk job. They are exceptionally well in adjusting to every kind of situation and possess strong adaptability to work under stress and in emergent circumstances. They are destined to become project directors, general managers and beyond, if luck favoured.

c)   This is special category of those who like to work in Lahore only, come what may. Majority of engineers/ technical experts who hail from Lahore or adjoining areas never want to leave Lahore (even if learning process is stalled). They are compromised in nature and avoid challenging jobs.

As far as career development and management of engineers is concerned it can be firmly termed as “nonexistent” in WAPDA. There could be many “off the shelf” models available for career development or a “tailor made” model could be had through hiring experts. One of such models could be that: after induction trainings the engineers should be placed in various organizations for a term of two years (could be one year too, depending on the situation). They may be kept rotated in at least five different formations during first 10 out of 35 years of their service. The engineers must be knowing about their postings well in advance for the next 5-10 years. After having completed this phase the GMs/ DGs in “career management cell” should evaluate their performance and aptitude for designing future of the engineers for rest of their service with WAPDA. The promotional exams and trainings in vogue are useless and obsolete in nature. Similarly, ACRs system is outdated too. Part of ACR should be written by the engineers/ officers themselves. Innovative and modern practices are need of the hour. WAPDA engineer have inherent deficiency of taking the not-technical matters lightly and casually. In order for them to reach top positions they must demonstrate and improve their proficiency in English, and enhance understanding of administrative and financial matters.

At this particular point in time when I am writing this piece it is promising to say that three large projects i.e. Dasu Hydropower Project, Mohmand Dam Project and the giant Diamer Basha Dam Project have already gone into implementation/construction phase. The next ten years would be an era of great learning experience for WAPDA engineers provided they are assigned role, authority and responsibility to, at least, supervising construction activities. If they kept on doing coordination activities (among WAPDA, Consultants and Contractors), merely reporting periodic progress of work, and preparing briefs and presentations, the learning experience would never be gained.

I wish WAPDA to prosper, serve the nation with dignity and regain its well-deserved glory that it lost some decades ago.

Life with WAPDA (1984-2020) – Part 3 of 4

 

In Feb. 2012 I reported back to WAPDA. Mr. Muhammad Ali Shah, the then GM (C&M) Water who knew me very well offered three options for new posting to choose any one from; Central Contract Cell (CCC), Planning & Investigation Org. and GM (Central) office. I opted for the former and he advised me to visit him after a week to collect posting orders. When I went to collect the same after a week he cut a sorry face and said: Somehow we can’t place you in CCC, therefore, you must give us alternate option. I opted for P&I Org. Nevertheless, my inquisition in the matter revealed to me that postings in CCC were subject to clearance from someone influential with Authority. Since I didn’t take the “prescribed and well defined route” therefore my posting was stalled in CCC. Without lamenting it, I resumed my services in P&I Org. in the following week. Few months later I was promoted as Director (Civil) and retained with P&I Org. on the recommendations of Mr. Ashraf Abid, the then Chief Engineer (P&I). Mr. Abid had been my senior colleague when we started our service with WAPDA at Kalabagh Dam Project in 1984.

On joining P&I Org., I knew that one of our batch mates Mr. Bilal Karimi was working there but had never met him before. I visited his office and introduced myself. He was immediately on his feet and smilingly said: So, you are Mr. Pitafi, I heard a lot about you. I enquired: What did you know about me? He smiled again and said: I always ask my Sindhi friends that they don’t take their respective work seriously? In response they would say: Have you met Mr. Pitafi? Had you met him you would not have passed such a comment.

Working in P&I Org. was altogether a new experience. Planning and design of new water storage dams and hydropower projects was an interesting field. I was assigned to supervise consultancy services of design of Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project in addition to some other assignments. In July 2016 I was promoted as Chief Engineer and kept working there till Jan. 2018. In view of my (and my team along with consultants) excessive efforts in the preparation of bidding documents and initiation of the process of award of consultancy contract and award of work for construction of Mohmand Dam Project it was widely believed in WAPDA that I would be posted as GM/PD of this project. Besides, I was also tipped by most senior officers for becoming GM of Mohmand Dam Project. However, the competent authority had an entirely different idea and arrangement in his/their mind. Eventually I was promoted as General Manager and posted as GM Projects/Project Director, Northern Areas in Jan. 2018.

Only after assuming the charge of the position of GM (Projects) Northern Areas did I come to realization that how problematic this position was! All six contracts of 3-High Head Projects (two each of Allai, Duber and Khan Khwar respectively) needed to be closed down. Similarly, 3-High Head Consultancy Services contract was still intact whereas all hydropower plants were in operation since 2014. In addition, all contracts of Satpara Dam Project were also in dire need of closing. The civil contract of Keyal Khwar HPP was terminated in Dec. 2017 due to poor performance of the contractor and it required to be retendered again. Perhaps this was not enough when I further learnt that more than 200 Audit Paras (PDPs and DPs) needed to be defended at DAC and PAC level for settlement.

Next two and half years were not a smooth sailing at all, however, with the cooperation and efforts of my junior colleagues in the office we were able to conclude all six contracts of 3-High Head HPPs and 3-High Head Consultancy services contract with the approval of WAPDA Authority. Non-approval of 3^rd Revised PC-I of Satpara Dam Project incl. Shatung Nullah Diversion thereby non-availability of PSDP funds is the major hurdle in conclusion of Satpara contracts.

 The most frustrating part of GMship is attending Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) and to some extent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meetings. In DAC meetings, the concerned GM/PD is treated as an “Accused” before some 20 judges to explain the justification of “Wrong Doing” by the incumbent or his predecessors, mostly it’s about predecessors’. In spite of providing all relevant details, explanations, proofs, DAC never agrees on settling the Proposed Draft Para (PDP) and digs out new queries and questions for furnishing revised reply and justification. In rare cases when DAC can’t find any more reasons to keep it pending PDPs are either put under ‘Verification mode” or changed into DPs and referred to PAC for decision when DAC has the power to settle PDPs at its own level.

Till 2018 the Draft Paras used to be defended in PAC by the respective Principal Accounting Officer (PAO) duly supported by WAPDA Authority. Now, concerned GMs are thrown into the arena for defending the DPs before the coveted forum. (Next...Part 4/4)

Life with WAPDA (1984-2020) – Part 2 of 4

 

In middle of 1998 I was promoted as Senior Engineer after 14 years and posted in Lahore. I always longed to live in Lahore since childhood, therefore, receiving posting orders was like fulfillment of one of my goals. I joined multimillion dollar National Drainage Program (NDP) Project office under a team of very competent senior officers/ engineers headed by Mr. Ahmad Khan Bhatti, and later by Mr. Hasnain Afzal, Mr. Shamshad M Khan, Mr. Nisar Ali Akhtar and others. Mr. Akhtar was Advisor/Procurement Specialist from Consultants for NDP. I owe my further learning and gaining valuable experience to him. He was a real mentor in the first place and Mr. Afzal in the later part of my stint with NDP. At the conclusion of NDP Program I requested Mr. Afzal to help me in getting transferred to Hyderabad again despite his relentless insistence to join him in Neelum Jhelam Hydropower Project. Two interesting events I would like to share here:

·    WAPDA nominated me to attend a Land Drainage (Tile drainage) at ILRI, in Wageningen, the Netherlands in early 2000 for which I sent all relevant documents. In response I received a confirmation letter from ILRI to join the international course in mid of August 2000. When I applied for the visa I received another letter from ILRI informing me that their earlier confirmation letter was a mistake and they had put me on waiting list and since they have already received confirmation of all applicants therefore they regretted my participation. It was discouraging and hurting. During that time, NDP Consultants were headed by M/s EuroConsult, a Dutch firm. I explained the situation to the Team Leader (a Dutch) and requested him if he could intervene. He asked me if I had received a confirmation letter from ILRI. I affirmed it positively. He said: Give me a copy of that letter and meet me after three days. Exactly after three days he not only reconfirmed my participation in the course but also arranged my appointment with Dutch Embassy in Islamabad for issuance of visa. Within a week I was in the Netherlands.

·      During 2003 I applied for a lucrative job outside WAPDA through proper channel. My application returned/refused by Mr. Ahmad Khan Bhatti, the then Member Water with a long hand written note that read: Mr. Pitafi is an asset of WAPDA. We must not lose him. He has a long and bright future in WAPDA. Mr. Shamshad Khan, the then Director NDP advised me to get these comments of Mr. Bhatti framed and displayed on a wall.

Alhamdulillah, by closure of NDP in 2007 I had earned enough respect in WAPDA and regarded as an outstanding engineer hailing from Sindh. The praises poured in from different offices in Lahore. Mr. Raghib Abbas Shah, the then GM (C&M) Water was kind enough to agree and transfer me in Sindh but he posted me at Rainee Canal Project at Guddu where I never liked to go. I had wanted to go to Hyderabad to spend some time with my ageing mother. Finally, the competent authority convinced to my request.

While in Lahore during 1998-2007 I have had opportunities to attend international training courses and seminars/workshops in the Netherlands, China and India. Such chances were not easy to come by while posted out of Lahore. Further, when the time came and I was able to do Masters from University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, I preferred to go for MBA instead which I did during 1999-2001 from the University of Punjab. The thirst of doing Masters in any of Civil Engineering fields, however, remained unquenched.

Working in Hyderabad with Consultants for Redesign of Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) for initial two years and further two years for Lining of Canals remained highly fruitful and productive. I also earned accolades by getting nominated and then receiving an Outstanding Performance Award from Mr. Shakeel Durrani, Chairman WAPDA in 2009. In spite of above recognition, it was hard time adjusting in Hyderabad for both myself and family after having spent almost ten years in Lahore. I could not adjust to overall working environment of GM (South) office. It was entirely different culture of working in comparison to Lahore. Gossip precluded the completion of timely tasks. I used to sit long hours while many of us attended the office like visitors. The culmination point was the refusal of the then GM (South) WAPDA in allowing me to do Masters from Mehran University (by then ageing had taught me to concede to my earlier inflexible stance about doing Masters from the best or equivalent to NED university). For family and kids; the inferior schooling standards, non-availability of utilities, especially water supply, poor hygiene conditions, etc., kept them regretting the decision of leaving Lahore. Mr. Hasnain Afzal who helped me in getting posted in Hyderabad had earlier warned me on several occasions that you would regret going back to Hyderabad. After the sad demise of my mother in early 2011 we bade farewell to Hyderabad and returned to Lahore.

Mr. Sheraz Jamil Memon, my NED classmate and lifelong friend convinced me to join his office i.e. Pakistan Commission for Indus Waters (PCIW) on deputation from WAPDA. He was working as Additional Commissioner and also acting as Commissioner/head of office. I was reluctant in the first place to work under a friend (and a boss) but since we were very close friends I decided in favour of him and joined PCIW in March 2011. It was an altogether new experience while working in a different organization dealing with Indus Waters Treaty 1960.

Within a couple of months, I reached to a conclusion that working under a friend was not comfortable. We both have had different natures of dealing with superior officers and subordinate staff. Besides, WAPDA treated me as an alien and did not promote me in the next grade on the condition that I was away and working in a different organization. It was simply a heartbreaking event. Another discouraging situation in PCIW was that the institute was highly politicized and being run by a Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) directly. Unfortunately, Mr. Sheraz was directly under the SAPM’s hammer and facing hard time there. Since I had a choice of returning back to WAPDA therefore I availed the chance and left PCIW after working there for eleven months. Nevertheless, I had the valuable oppurtunity to attend Court of Arbitration for Kishan Ganga HPP Water Dispute on Neelum River at the International Court of Justice, The Hague, the Netherlands and also visited Indian Occupied Kashmir, notably from Leh Ladakh region to Kargil along Indus river. (Next….Part 3/4)

Life with WAPDA (1984-2020) – Part 1 of 4

 

It was my adolescence time during 1975-77 that I read much of the Urdu and a little bit of Sindhi literature apart from my academic books. The travelogues, in Sindhi, of a Marine Engineer Mr. Altaf Shaikh had a huge impact on me. I just wanted to emulate him by joining the Marine Academy in Karachi. After passing Intermediate exam with good grades I shared the same desire with my family especially father who by then was a petty contractor in provincial Irrigation Department. I was straight away instructed to purse Civil Engineering and become an Irrigation Engineer. That’s it.

Completing Bachelors of Civil Engineering from NED University of Engineering and Technology in August 1983 was an honour and achievement of great milestone of my young life. Like most of my classmates I also wanted to win a scholarship and do Masters from the US (first priority) or British University. Doing Masters from a foreign or local university on own expenses was simply out of question/affordability. Joining Irrigation Department or Communication and Works (C&W) Department along with seeking scholarships was the next option. However, nature had had some other planning for me; it sent me to Lahore in December 1983 to join WAPDA after I went through appointment process. The irony was that joining WAPDA was my last priority among tens of federal and provincial organizations. Eventually I was forced to join it in January 1984 owing to my family’s deteriorating and feeble financial position. I was supposed to support them with my income, rather paltry income though.

I started working with WAPDA half-heartedly, aiming to resign it as soon as I have had a better alternate opportunity. It was not forthcoming soon though. I was working at Kalabagh Dam Project site in Pirpehai, district Mianwali when the Project (technically feasible and economically viable) was politicized and became bone of contention among the provinces and WAPDA was advised by the federal govt. to slow down the award of project in 1985. In the meanwhile, my senior colleagues helped in getting me transferred to Hyderabad Sindh in July 1985.

Few trivial but interesting events to share about being at Kalabagh:

·       Soon after joining I started reading all technical documents about the project to get acquainted with the scope and progress of work. A high level meeting chaired by World Bank representative took place at the site wherein foreign and local consultants along with senior WAPDA officers participated. We, some newly appointed junior engineers, were also allowed to participate to gain a learning experience. During the meeting, the Chair asked a question, meaning of an abbreviation. All remained dumb. I replied him spontaneously since I had read it recently in the technical documents. When the meeting was over everyone appreciated me for saving them from the embarrassment.

·       Within a month of my arrival at Kalabagh I was given a proforma by the Admn. to fill in for sending the same back to WAPDA House. It was a kind of biodata and dates of joining WAPDA and retirement were to be recorded. When I wrote down date of retirement as 31.08.2020 I was literally petrified. I kept looking at the year of my retirement: 2020. It was a far reality in early 1984. It was simply indigestible to stomach and unthinkable to mind. I just shook up my head and said back to me; never mind, 2020 is not going to come!

·       Four of us, junior engineers, from Kalabagh appeared for our departmental promotion examination (Four papers) in Lahore in January 1985. About a month later four envelopes in our respective names arrived through postal service and received by our senior engineer. He did not open but observed them closely. He called all four of us in his office and said: Your results are here. I have not unsealed the envelopes but by looking them from outside I can firmly declare that only Pitafi sb has cleared the complete exam while others have cleared in parts. We were astounded. I was excited, naturally, on his guessing. We opened the envelopes hurriedly and found our results exactly the same way our senior engineer had predicted earlier. Now we asked him to explain how he could guess it correctly. He smiled and said: Few people clear the complete examination in one attempt. Pitafi’s envelope contains a single sheet only therefore the envelope weighted light while others had more than 20 sheets. These envelopes weighted thick and heavy. So, I had passed the exam along with 4 others in entire WAPDA while rest of 100s of candidates cleared either one, two or three papers.       

After joining SCARPs Monitoring Organization (SMO) in Hyderabad it was revealed to me that it was not an ideal office to work with for an engineer’s career propagation. I found it blessing in disguise because I never wanted to keep working with WAPDA anymore. Between 1985 and 1991 I appeared in two TOEFL exams (getting good marks on both occasions), applied for Science and Technology Scholarship (twice), Asian Institute of Technology Scholarship, East-West Scholarship, and what not but failed to earn any of them. My colleague and friends advised me to do Masters in Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro and argued that at the end of day people/employer would only ask whether you have done Masters or not, they would not ask name of the institution. I ignored them on the grounds that either I would do from a better or an equivalent university, even if it was local/in-country.

Besides, I appeared in job interviews for Irrigation Deptt., C&W Deptt. and Pakistan Railways but fared badly in the interviews. I don’t blame them for their partiality or question the integrity of selection committees. Eventually in early 1992, I realized that my destiny was written with WAPDA and I needed to excel here. With some hectic efforts and a fairly long visit of nearly a fortnight to Lahore that I succeeded in getting myself transferred to Lakhra Coal Power Project near Khanot village, Distt. Dadu. I joined it in March 1992. It was a field job with lot of opportunities to learn and a responsible position to supervise construction activities. By then I had given up the decision to leave WAPDA and suppressed the desire of doing Masters. I kept working here till 1998 and earned reputation of an excellent worker/engineer. (Next…..Part 2/4)

Grade-20 Officer

Being a Grade-20 officer in a government department is a dream come true like situation. It is almost like reaching at a pinnacle of your career. One enjoys the self-actualization status of their service. You are respected all around, with maximum perks of your stature, besides, being in a highly responsible position.

But there are sacrifices attached to this spot also. A life-long struggle. It is not an instant climb. It took me more than 35 years to attaining this peak, and now left with one or two more years to retain this position before calling it a day at reaching a stage of superannuation. Under the normal circumstance one should reach at this zenith with 25 years of their service coupled with an excellent service record. But government departments work under weird set of rules that delay the promotions and elevation to the higher scales to undesirable extent and due to various unavoidable reasons.

Another obscured aspect of the life of a public officer is that one has to maintain the lifestyle of prevailing working environment. For example, if one is working in Grade-18 or 19 then their friendly and family gatherings would also revolve around the people working in the similar grades or higher; requiring to maintain a certain status.

Climbing up the ladder from Grade-17 to Grade-20 looks an easy ride but it takes a toll of your own and family’s time and resources, ageing in particular. Let’s go back to the four (five, in fact) stages from G-17 to 20 and discuss each one briefly, step by step, in an ascending order, from my personal perspective:

Stage-1: It is an induction stage, carrying lots of dreams and wishes to be realized in ensuing times. Back in 1984 I joined in G-17 as Junior Engineer (Civil) at a place some 1000 km. away from my home town. I was installed on a monthly salary of less than 2,000 rupees. Considering that I was going to be the sole earner in the house after sudden and sad demise of my father two years ago and required to support my family from this paltry income. Supporting my siblings was simply out of question within my meager income, therefore, our widow mother kept selling our agricultural land tracts, one by one, that we used to own.

According to our office service structure my current stage was supposed to last five years. In reality it took 14 years before I moved into the next grade with none of my fault. It was the toughest period of my life in terms of weak financial position while I was raising my family too. Our rich relatives bought us refrigerator on loan basis. Some others also gave us used beds and other old furniture for our rented apartment. During hot summers we sometimes used to take our kids to our relatives’ house to spend a couple of hours in their air-conditioned rooms. The little savings we could make came through Budget Committees that my wife wisely invested in within her friends’ circle of officers’ wives. After 10 years of service I was able to buy some new furniture for our rented house and an air-conditioner too.

Stage-2: It was 1998 when we moved to Lahore as a result of my promotion in G-18. By that time my family had grown into 6 members; our four children. Living and working in a bigger city was a pleasant experience but at the same time it was difficult to manage in a monthly salary of about 8,000 rupees considering that three out of four children were attending the school. But this time I was able to take long term loan from office and manage a bank credit card (means borrowing) while my wife kept investing in committees. During this period of time I was also able to complete my Masters and then started teaching part time in the evening. Some savings also came as a result of three short foreign training courses. During this phase my elder daughter married for which I had to withdraw my savings from Employees Provident Fund (EPF). But it was not sufficient to cover the marriage related expenses and hence my relatives again came to our rescue and let our daughter begin her new phase of life in a satisfactory and befitting manner. This stage took another precious 14 years of my life, but it moved on.

Stage-3: Moved into Grade-19 in 2012, a stage where an engineer is considered and treated as senior officer. Some perks added to my position like orderly allowance, free landline telephone and cellphone, and a vehicle for official use. By now, one of my daughters was happily married at a young age of 21 years, and one of my sons went into practical life after completing his engineering studies. Two younger children went into universities, private ones, causing enormous financial burden owing to their expensive tuition fees. This causes to yet another borrowing; another long term loan from office. This time I was able to buy a small residential plot for construction of the house in future. In 2013 elder son also moved to Finland for higher studies. He kept working as “Paper Boy” in the freezing nights of Tampere, Finland to meet the expenses of his Masters. He completed the studies in 2015 and was able to land a job in one of the multinational companies in Finland.

During all these three stages of life our social life remained limited due to affordability issues. In comparison to tedious and gruesome long two early stages, this one remained short and reasonable and I moved into the next grade within four years and posted as Chief Engineer.

Stage-4: In the middle of 2016 I was posted as Chief Engineer and stationed in the same city i.e. Lahore. It was a time of financial stability in the sense that both sons were working, means earning along with me thereby decrease in the expenses on academics. Elder son got married and settled with his family in Finland.

Stage-5: In January 2018 I was elevated to a coveted position of General Manager. The irony is; the grade remains same i.e. 20. Elevation to a higher position also uproots me from Lahore. Younger son gets into nuptial knots in 2018 and almost a year later he moves to Germany in early 2019 to grab a job opportunity in Berlin.

Considering that I would be retiring from the job in later half of 2020 and that my two sons are in a position to send some remittances I take a giant step of going for the construction of our small house. I am given the estimated cost of construction as Rs. 6 million. I calculate my savings, wife’s savings through committees, EPF and all adds up to less than Rs. 2.5 million. Believing on the premise that when you marry your daughter or construct a house you receive divinely financial help, the construction begins in early 2019. When I write this piece in later part of 2019 almost 95% house is ready with construction expenditure crossing the figure of Rs. 7 million. Divine help surely reaches but it comes in loans. I will be repaying at the retirement about Rs. 2 million taken from various rich relatives, and already paying installments of Rs. 1.2 million bank loan. If the things go as planned, we intend to move to our newly built house by start of next year i.e. 2020.

Final Goals: After having retired from the job and cleared all the liabilities out of my pension gratuity coupled with the financial support of children we (me and better half) wish to spend rest of life in getting our last of children married and settled down, praying for all as usual, buying a car, going for Hajj and waiting for our children and grandchildren’s visits to us.