Pakistan, Oct. 1 -- Pakistan's electricity crisis is no longer simply a story of insufficient energy. It has become a painful story of policy failures, institutional weaknesses, poor governance and an economic burden that is increasingly being transferred to ordinary citizens. For millions of Pakistanis, the electricity bill is no longer just another household expense. It has become a monthly reminder of how expensive it has become to live, work and produce in Pakistan.

On one side, citizens and industrialists are desperately seeking relief from crippling electricity bills. On the other, the government continues to speak of reforms and of reducing the country's dependence on costly arrangements with independent power producers (IPPs). Ye...