Reading this letter, it feels as if someone has forced a lecture on energy conservation into a diplomatic letter. The very beginning of the letter gives the impression that Dr. Sardar Mohzam has some kind of magical personality and that if he is granted a visa to the United States, perhaps the American energy crisis will end. The letter describes the doctor’s abilities in such a way that it seems as if he is an expert in everything from counting electricity poles in Pakistan to inventing atomic energy formulas.
Under his guidance, the Ministry of Science and Technology has embarked on a revolutionary journey, although the ground reality is that the only practical way to save electricity in most areas of Pakistan is load shedding, which is implemented automatically without any planning! The ministry has mentioned involving various sections, including scholars, youth, students, teachers, and media, under “public awareness campaigns”.
This means that messages like “Save bulbs, reform the nation” would have been given during the sermon in mosques now after prayers. Or would students have been taught that if your fan is running in slow motion, it is not “saving energy” but a result of low voltage? The campaign also included the use of “art, mobile applications, infographics, videos, and social media”. Here the question arises, which app was it that forced the public to save electricity? If such an app was really created, did it get a five-star rating on the Play Store, or did the public ignore it like other government projects?
The letter mentions that Dr. Sahib updated the “Energy Conservation Building Code 2023”. The concept of energy saving in Pakistani buildings is that windows should be kept open when the AC is on in summer, and the geyser should be kept on continuously in winter. Who will read this code and follow it is a mystery.
Finally, it has been claimed that if the US grants Dr. Mohzam EB-2 NIW, he will benefit “US national interests”. This only raises one question: if he was that capable, why couldn’t he end the energy crisis in Pakistan? If he is an expert in energy saving, he would have at least reduced the electricity bills in his office. This letter is a classic example of Pakistani official letters, where there is less talk about real problems and more exaggeration.
The fact is that if the doctor gets a visa, he might go to the US and come up with some energy-saving scheme, but the problem of electricity load shedding in Pakistan will remain the same. How will the American officer react after reading this letter? He might think for a moment that there is an “energy guru” coming to America, but then he would ask the same question: “If they are so capable, why can’t they save energy in Pakistan?”
