This is not to use a metaphor but just a play of words to say that time ran back in Pakistan – the announcement of putting the clocks back by an hour. The announcement takes effect from midnight on Friday-Saturday five months after the announcement of putting the clock’s ahead by an hour across the country on June 1st, 2009.

The practice of setting time ahead on clocks has been followed in Pakistan for a few years, during summer months, in order to make maximum use of sunlight in the day and minimize the use of electric power. However, Lahore Electric Supply Company Limited officials regarded the practice as a failure since this year too, not enough energy could be saved to reduce load shedding. According to the said officials, only 250 MW of power could be saved daily by modulating clock time while the expected amount of power, to be saved daily, was 300 MW.

It is worth mentioning that many people, especially in rural and tribal areas, continue with the same time setting in summer months even after the government announces an hour-ahead adjustment for saving energy. For these citizens, traveling to cities (where the time runs an hour ahead) is often a confusing experience. When the time setting is resumed to default (+5 GMT), things become ‘normal’ again for them, and for those interacting with them.