EDITORIALS

MONT-1:iLY ISSUE

MARCH 2025

Compiled & Edited By

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Agha Zuhaib Khan
Mamoona Soomro
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Contents
Haqqania bombing ....................................................................................................................... 8
Blood and drugs............................................................................................................................ 9
Exceptional Assembly ................................................................................................................... 9
The vanquished .......................................................................................................................... 11
Cricket overhaul.......................................................................................................................... 12
Local representation? ................................................................................................................. 13
Cold world .................................................................................................................................. 13
Failing women ............................................................................................................................ 14
Aid dependency .......................................................................................................................... 15
IMF scrutiny ................................................................................................................................ 16
Diplomatic protocol .................................................................................................................... 17
Polio politics ............................................................................................................................... 18
Demand for solar power ............................................................................................................ 19
Ad ban ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Terrorism challenge .................................................................................................................... 21
Road ahead ................................................................................................................................. 22
Restoring hope ........................................................................................................................... 23
Cruel customs ............................................................................................................................. 24
Terrorism ranking ....................................................................................................................... 25
Fear and favour........................................................................................................................... 26
Higher power costs ..................................................................................................................... 27
PIA taking off? ............................................................................................................................ 28
Egyptian plan .............................................................................................................................. 28
Miles to go .................................................................................................................................. 29
Torkham dispute ......................................................................................................................... 30
Targeting students ...................................................................................................................... 31
Banning groups ........................................................................................................................... 32
Water scarcity ............................................................................................................................. 33

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Reckless rhetoric......................................................................................................................... 34
Mosquito season ........................................................................................................................ 35
Maulana’s message .................................................................................................................... 36
President’s speech ...................................................................................................................... 37
Indian takeover........................................................................................................................... 38
State Bank’s caution ................................................................................................................... 39
Syria massacre ............................................................................................................................ 40
Too little, too late ....................................................................................................................... 41
Shocking ambush........................................................................................................................ 41
Suffocating crisis ......................................................................................................................... 43
Captive grid................................................................................................................................. 44
Cohesive response ...................................................................................................................... 44
Agriculture tax ............................................................................................................................ 45
Closing the gap ........................................................................................................................... 46
Revised solar policy .................................................................................................................... 47
Toxic prejudice ............................................................................................................................ 48
Children in jails ........................................................................................................................... 49
Fault lines ................................................................................................................................... 50
Embracing crypto ........................................................................................................................ 51
After the review.......................................................................................................................... 52
NAP revival ................................................................................................................................. 53
New reality ................................................................................................................................. 54
Killer traffic ................................................................................................................................. 55
A new direction .......................................................................................................................... 55
BTK settlement ........................................................................................................................... 57
Sugar crisis .................................................................................................................................. 58
Genocide resumes ...................................................................................................................... 58
Strength in unity ......................................................................................................................... 59
NFC weightage ............................................................................................................................ 60

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Victim complex ........................................................................................................................... 61

LSM decline ................................................................................................................................ 62
Education interrupted ................................................................................................................ 63
Personal priorities ...................................................................................................................... 64
Inheritance rights ....................................................................................................................... 65
Anti-Muslim actions ................................................................................................................... 66
Running on empty ...................................................................................................................... 67
Another ultimatum..................................................................................................................... 68
Muzzled voices ........................................................................................................................... 69
Judicial disputes ......................................................................................................................... 69
Biased proposal .......................................................................................................................... 71
JFK files ....................................................................................................................................... 72
Climate action ............................................................................................................................. 72
TB burden ................................................................................................................................... 74
Unsafe passages ......................................................................................................................... 75
Shortcut tactics ........................................................................................................................... 75
Unforced error ............................................................................................................................ 77
Losing again ................................................................................................................................ 78
Kabul visit ................................................................................................................................... 78
Drought warning......................................................................................................................... 80
Deadly roads ............................................................................................................................... 81
Some progress ............................................................................................................................ 82
Time to talk................................................................................................................................. 83
Black Sea truce ........................................................................................................................... 84
Fear tactics .................................................................................................................................. 84
Hints of hope .............................................................................................................................. 86
Capacity issues ........................................................................................................................... 87
New CEC? .................................................................................................................................... 87
Balochistan violence ................................................................................................................... 89

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Turkiye protests .......................................................................................................................... 90

Hard habits ................................................................................................................................. 90
Dreams of gold ........................................................................................................................... 92
No invitation ............................................................................................................................... 93
Eid amidst crises ......................................................................................................................... 93
Women’s rights ........................................................................................................................... 94
Not helping ................................................................................................................................. 95
Dawn Vocabulary........................................................................................................................ 97

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Haqqania bombing
THE bombing of Darul Uloom Haqqania in KP’s Nowshera district on Friday marks a
departure from the recent trend of militants targeting mostly security personnel and
government officials.
A number of victims lost their lives in the tragedy, including Maulana Hamidul Haq
Haqqani, head of the institution, who appeared to be the religious heir of his murdered
father, Maulana Samiul Haq. The latter, along with his involvement in Pakistani politics,
was known as the ‘Father of the Taliban’; he had earned the moniker because numerous
high-ranking Afghan Taliban leaders had attended his madressah. Media reports have
quoted police officials as saying that it was a suicide blast, and that Hamid Haqqani was
the apparent target.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack, the Afghan Taliban have
insinuated that the self-styled Islamic State may be involved. An Afghan interior ministry
official, while condemning the attack, pinned the blame on “enemies of religion”, an
apparent reference to IS. Those familiar with the militancy dynamics of the region also
concur that there is a strong possibility that this is IS-K’s handiwork, as the latter had been
openly critical of the Haqqania seminary.
There is, of course, no love lost between the Afghan Taliban and IS, but from Pakistan’s
point of view, if the attack were indeed traced to IS, it would signal a fresh security
challenge in KP. Already the province, as well as parts of Balochistan, are witnessing
frequent terrorist activity believed to be carried out by the banned TTP and affiliated
groups. IS is an equally — if not more — ferocious entity, with global pretensions and a
mediaeval, sectarian outlook.
What adds further credence to the belief that IS may be involved is that the group, and
those adhering to its ideological narrative, view clerics who endorse democracy in any
form with disdain. The late Haqqania head, as well as his father, were active in politics,
along with their religious activities.
It is also a possibility that the Haqqanis’ strong links with the Afghan Taliban could have
made them prime targets for rival militants. Only a thorough probe can establish the facts,
while fresh IS activity in the country should be cause for considerable concern.
Nevertheless, the attack also offers an opportunity for Islamabad and Kabul to work
together against a common, and highly dangerous foe.
Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025

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Blood and drugs

FREQUENT news stories about bone-chilling murders show that the face of crime is
changing — there is a marked rise in gory, sociopathic methods to kill. Mustafa Amir’s
brutal murder should be seen as a flashpoint for Karachi’s concerns about crime.
According to the police, the 23-year-old was kidnapped and killed at a house in DHA
allegedly by prime suspects, Armaghan Qureshi and Sheraz Bukhari; his body was set
alight in Balochistan’s Hub area. A reminder of the Noor Mukadam, Sara Inam and
Shahzeb Khan murders, the incident has stoked mass outrage and, as per police claims,
blown the cover off an influential narcotics ring with international connections. Indeed, the
tragedy presents a multidimensional test for the authorities. Beyond ensuring a robust
investigation and prosecution built on solid evidence, and impartial legal proceedings,
they must also be able to convey a political commitment towards crushing drugs and
violence.
Modern crime is complicated, and often turns lethal when perpetrated in a drug-induced
haze. Although the city police chief has formed a special investigation team to look into
‘criminal activities’ and network of those involved in this murder, it is more than clear and
crucial that significant steps to thwart the trade of illegal substances have been absent
for too long. Our youth cannot go up in smoke. And to prevent such a fate, the authorities
need to expand their drug crackdown beyond DHA’s rarefied boundaries to cut off supply
channels in the city and weed out enablers within law enforcement. The drastic escalation
in the use of smuggled synthetic narcotics, particularly ice, which triggers psychotic
episodes, has been reported for a while. In 2023, the Sindh Task Force on Demand
Reduction of Drugs and Harmful Substance Control revealed that drug abuse afflicted
every fourth household in Karachi. Pakistan’s youth and its potential cannot be consumed
by the curse of heady hit jobs.
Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025

Exceptional Assembly
WHAT an exceptional legislature we have for these extraordinary times. At least that is
the impression one gets from the one-year performance report of the 16th National
Assembly compiled by Pildat, a think tank which conducts periodic analyses of legislative
activities.
According to its findings, the 16th National Assembly managed to pass more laws in its
first year despite convening for fewer days and hours than the preceding Assembly. In
fact, the 47 laws it passed far surpassed almost all previous assemblies’ first-year output,

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

and were almost “seven times the average number of bills passed during the first year by
the four previous assemblies,” according to the Pildat president.
However, the Assembly’s increased output should not be mistaken for enhanced
efficiency or improved conduct. The Pildat president regrets that “Most of the laws were
hurriedly passed without any meaningful debate in the standing committees or within the
full House amid strong protests […]”.
A cursory look at some of the laws is enough to bolster the impression that parliament
has been acting merely as a rubber stamp for self-serving laws. For example, the 16th
National Assembly enacted three amendments to the Elections Act of 2017, of which at
least two are publicly perceived to have been aimed at, firstly, denying opposition
candidates a fair chance at challenging their defeat in the general election, and, secondly,
to prevent reserved seats from being given to the main opposition party.
Other ‘accomplishments’ included amendments to Peca, which the media fraternity,
lawyers, and civil society are still protesting, as well as the decidedly anti-democratic
Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, which has rendered all public meetings and
political rallies in Islamabad subject to the local administration’s whims and wishes.
Then, of course, there’s the 26th Amendment, through which the judiciary has been
brought to heel, and the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment)
Act, which has increased parliamentarians’ salary from Rs188,000 to Rs519,000 per
month. Despite all these ‘landmark achievements’, the government is still not done
improving its own lot at the country’s expense.
On the eve of the Assembly’s first anniversary, it more than doubled the size of the federal
cabinet. As to why this was necessary, there is no polite answer.
Considering that the prime minister managed to achieve ‘so much’ in his first year with
just 21 ministers, why did he need 24 more in his cabinet? The state must now find the
resources to pay for their salaries, perks and privileges despite the dire state of the
country’s finances.
It is quite disappointing that both the government and the Assembly remained completely
unbothered by public perceptions in their first year. Their disdain damaged the image of
parliament and reduced its standing in the eyes of the people.

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

The vanquished
IT should be becoming more and more obvious to anyone following the judiciary’s new
direction that the critics of the 26th Amendment were justified in fearing that it would be
abused by the government.
Ever since its enactment, it has become progressively more difficult to rationalise the
reconstituted Judicial Commission’s decisions as politically neutral or objective. Take the
recent expansion of the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench, for example. Why did the
bench need to be expanded with five judges, with five judges only, and why did all five
have to be only those who have only recently been elevated to the Supreme Court?
There are no legal or moral justifications, only political ones, for why several senior,
experienced judges were once again ignored during consideration. Even to the layperson,
it is clear that now that the judiciary has fallen to executive control, the vae victis principle
has been put into play.
Objectivity would demand that each judge appointed to the Constitutional Bench pass a
rigorous test of merit and judgement in constitutional matters. What we have seen,
instead, is an arbitrary system of appointment dominated by ‘like-minded’ individuals who
feel no need to give the public any reasoning or justification for why they have made their
decisions. This lack of transparency hurts judicial integrity.
Several judges and stakeholders had previously demanded that the Constitutional Bench
include all Supreme Court justices, at least for the purposes of adjudicating on the
question of the legality of the 26th Amendment. This demand has been repeatedly
ignored, and the recent expansion of the bench with selected judges suggests it may
never be entertained. It is unfortunate that this path has been chosen, as it means that
some important questions that concern the legitimacy of the Constitutional Bench itself
may never be settled.
Those who have managed to impose their will on the judiciary should realise that they
have won a pyrrhic victory. In dismantling a pillar of the state, they have gravely hurt the
legitimacy of the current regime in the public’s eyes. The Constitutional Bench is
supposed to hear cases with far-reaching implications. Any impression that its judges
have been cherry-picked erodes faith in its ability to adjudicate justly and sows the seeds
for social divisions.
It is not proper or fair that certain justices are being repeatedly prevented from hearing
any matter of national import just because they have vocally defended their
independence.

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A system of justice that is publicly perceived to be skewed cannot deliver judgements that
the public will accept unquestioningly as objective and just. Without the public’s trust, the
apex court loses its raison d’être.
Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2025

Cricket overhaul
PAKISTAN’S team management has pleaded for time and patience. Cricket head coach
Aaqib Javed took responsibility for Pakistan’s dismal Champions Trophy campaign but
said that the side’s lack of experience proved costly. Assistant coach Azhar Mahmood
blamed it on the lack of trust and the scant time offered to players to start performing.
Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan vowed the team would work harder and return
stronger. Sadly, Pakistan cricket is back at the same place — a place it seemed to have
escaped following its disappointing campaigns at the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024
Twenty20 World Cup. The ODI series triumphs in Australia and South Africa had
reinforced the belief that the team was back on track — until its flop show at the
Champions Trophy at home. Past failings returned to haunt; losses against New Zealand
and India were followed by a washout against Bangladesh as Pakistan ended at the
bottom of their group. Aqib Javed noted that Pakistan had failed to make the best use of
home conditions — teams such as Australia and New Zealand, who had beaten Rizwan’s
men twice in the preceding tri-nation series, have shown what it takes to win. Talk of an
overhaul is rife; many former Pakistan greats are vocal about following merit in team
selections and the need for consistency in the Pakistan Cricket Board leadership and
decisions, as well as fostering an aggressive mindset in the team.
All this has been talked about earlier too. However, little has been done to address the
problem. Aqib Javed was keen on backing the big guns — batters Babar Azam and
Rizwan, and pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah — stating they
were Pakistan’s best. For a team that once had a number of players waiting to make the
jump to the national team, this is alarming. The big guns failed to fire, the promising
newcomers having flattered to deceive. The disappointing Champions Trophy campaign
comes after the team’s struggles in other formats. Pakistan finished at the bottom of the
World Test Championship table. They lost all the T20s they played in South Africa and
Australia. Pakistan cricket needs a reset. A long-term plan is needed to restore national
cricket to its former glory, as the sport is in danger of following the declining trajectory of
hockey and squash. The PCB has to act — fast.

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Local representation?
THE disdain that major political parties harbour towards local governments is no secret.
No party in power wants to lose control over the bureaucracy and the resources that their
leadership uses to dispense political patronage aimed at pampering their constituencies.
Added to this is the fear of having to share powers with, or cede them to, rivals at the local
level, thus losing their leverage over the voters. These concerns continue, despite the
LGs’ minimal financial and administrative authority. While true for the entire country, this
is especially the case in Punjab, which has been deprived of local representation since
the PTI government dissolved LG institutions controlled by its rival the PML-N in 2019.
Repeated interventions by the ECP notwithstanding, governments in Punjab have since
avoided holding LG polls mostly on the pretext of altering the legal framework for the local
bodies.
The reason the provinces are able to delay local elections for as long as they want is
embedded in our Constitution. Indeed, the Constitution binds the federation and the
provinces to establish LG systems in their territorial jurisdictions to devolve political,
administrative, and financial powers to the third tier of government. But, unlike the case
of the federal and provincial legislatures and governments, it does not provide a detailed
framework to give constitutional cover to the establishment and powers of this missing
link in the democratic chain. Though the ECP has again instructed Punjab to expedite the
finalisation of its new LG model so that it can begin the process of holding polls, the
government is unlikely to heed its instructions unless it finds the political situation
favourable to the ruling PML-N. In the absence of a clear constitutional LG framework,
Punjab has more than one way to scuttle any ECP directive and stall new LG polls for as
long as it wants. And it will do so because of the challenge it faces from the PTI.
Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2025

Cold world
WESTERN countries do not have a heart for poor, non-white migrants. A recent BBC
News report comprising leaked audios exposes the complicity of Greek authorities in the
botched rescue attempts for the Adriana, which sank with 700 people onboard in 2023;
350 were Pakistanis and only 82 bodies were retrieved. In one call, Greek rescue officials
order the captain to inform the approaching boat that passengers do not want to arrive in
Greece. In another, they ask the “big red ship” captain to “write it in your logbook” that the
migrants want to reach Italy. Their foul play was confirmed by a Pakistani survivor. This
news coincided with the arrival of the remains of six Pakistanis lost in the boat tragedy off

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

the Libyan coast; of the 63 nationals, 16 perished and, Pakistani authorities say, 37
survivors have been tracked but 10 are missing.
Pakistan does little for a populace wracked by deepening poverty and violence. Recently,
the law minister stated that 1,638 human traffickers had been arrested and 458 were
convicted. While a clampdown is desperately needed, what is the government’s blueprint
for unemployment, pay gap, climate displacement, and other pressures that compel
people to risk their lives for a better future? India and Bangladesh have accelerated
development at home by providing skill training to their youth for employment. We, sadly,
are a long way from ensuring peace and economic progress so that our citizens can
willingly shun the dangers of flight. The fact that hundreds of Pakistanis who took illegal
routes to Europe have perished is an international disgrace. The toll of the persistent
internal and external cruelty perpetrated on our people should sear our collective
conscience. As the truth behind Adriana and Lucky Star exposes Fortress Europe’s
racism and xenophobia, Western nations must spare a thought for their own role in
exacerbating the same conditions. That is the white man’s true burden.
Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2025

Failing women
OUR justice system has truly failed to protect women, a recent SSDO report has revealed.
With conviction rates hovering at an appalling 0.5pc for honour killings and rape, 0.1pc
for kidnapping, and a mere 1.3pc for domestic violence, we have a real crisis of
accountability on our hands. Each day in Pakistan in 2024 brought with it an average of
67 kidnappings, 19 rapes, six domestic violence cases and two honour killings. And these
are the instances that were reported. Social stigma and distrust in the justice system
ensure that only a fraction of incidents in the country is brought to the fore. From the
registration of cases to conviction, the path is riddled with obstacles. Statistics show that
in Punjab, out of 4,641 rape cases, only 20 resulted in convictions. Shockingly, Sindh and
Balochistan recorded zero rape convictions.
So, what has led to such abysmal conditions when it comes to gender-based violence in
our country? For one, patriarchal norms that have long permeated law-enforcement and
judicial bodies lead to an environment where victims are often not believed or are
pressured to withdraw their cases. Out-of-court settlements have sadly become the norm,
often sanctioned by informal jirgas and panchayats. Investigations, if they ever occur, are
routinely mishandled with inadequate evidence collection and victim intimidation.
Procedural delays see cases stretch on for years without resolution. Police departments
lack specialised GBV units, which has resulted in inconsistent handling of cases, allowing

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

the perpetrators to evade justice. Reforms are sorely needed if we are to address these
issues. Firstly, female police officers must be hired on priority. Female officers bring
essential perspective and sensitivity to GBV cases and create a more comfortable
environment for survivors to report crimes. Currently, women represent less than 2pc of
our police force — a figure that must increase dramatically if we hope to build trust with
victims. In addition, fast-track courts that are dedicated to hearing GBV cases must be
established to overcome judicial delays. Legal aid for survivors must be guaranteed and
expanded and out-of-court settlements in cases of sexual and domestic violence must be
outlawed. For their part, law-enforcement agencies must improve forensic evidence
collection and digitally track cases to prevent bureaucratic delays. Without decisive
action, countless women will continue to suffer violence, with little hope of seeing their
perpetrators brought to book.
Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2025

Aid dependency
WITH Donald Trump and Elon Musk effectively dismantling the US Agency for
International Development, and no guarantee that America’s humanitarian arm will
emerge intact after the ongoing ‘restructuring’, developing states, including the CSOs
working in these countries, must come up with contingency plans. The changes USAID
is undergoing will have a global impact, with the developing world — including Pakistan
— particularly affected.
Although the aid agency has been known to participate in dubious overseas missions, for
example regime change, its funds were helping crucial sectors in developing states, such
as health, education and climate. It disbursed billions of dollars in assistance, helping
fund projects to save lives, prevent disease and promote educational activities, among
other initiatives. Now, for the most part, all of this will come to an end. Media reports say
that some 39 projects in Pakistan, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, have been axed.
It is also true that thousands of workers associated with USAID in America, as well as
those working in the development sector worldwide, are now jobless due to the purge.
Two important points need to be made with regard to foreign aid. Firstly, Western states,
particularly the US, have a duty to support humanitarian endeavours, specifically in states
they have bombed and invaded. Hence, it is morally unacceptable that the US spent
billions on destroying states like Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, but now feels the need to
tighten its purse strings where the reconstruction of these countries is concerned.

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Yet it is also true that the ‘dependency syndrome’ stemming from an addiction to foreign
aid that ails many developing states, Pakistan included, plays a key role in allowing the
governments of these countries to shirk their duties in the social sector. It is laudable
when rich states offer a helping hand, but it is the primary responsibility of the
governments of developing nations to provide their citizens with health, education,
security, etc. While the USAID closure has come as a jolt, it might offer an opportunity to
the developing world to take responsibility for the well-being of its own people.
The fact is that governments, including ours, need to increase funding in critical areas
such as healthcare that have been affected by the USAID shake-up. Elsewhere, civil
society groups need to adapt their policies accordingly and work to secure funding from
other sources to ensure that important programmes continue. These include projects
working for human rights, including marginalised minorities. It is no use shedding tears
over the lost billions that will no more be making their way from Washington to developing
countries. The time has come to take responsibility for our own development.
Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2025

IMF scrutiny
AN IMF delegation is in Islamabad to assess progress on the Fund’s ongoing $7bn
funding programme amidst hopes that the review will not encounter any serious obstacles
that could delay the next tranche.
The mission will evaluate how Pakistan has done on quantitative performance criteria,
structural benchmarks and indicative targets for the first half of the current fiscal year.
There have been some “technical slippages”, such as delays in meeting the deadlines for
certain goals, like legislation on agriculture tax.
Officials insist that they have covered all the bases, although the failure to meet the tax
target will likely remain a major source of worry. Yet, the officials are confident that the
IMF will ignore the slippages in the tax target because of a “higher-than-targeted primary
budget surplus and greater-than-estimated revenue-to-GDP ratio”.
The FBR attributes the shortfall largely to reduced tax collection from imports, sluggish
LSM growth and an unexpected drop in inflation. The IMF’s response to the tax shortfall
remains to be seen. However, the stock market’s decline betrays investors’ anxiety at the
anticipated contingency measures under the Fund’s pressure to pull off the actual tax
target.
The investors’ anxiety notwithstanding, the IMF’s scrutiny of Pakistan’s performance is
most likely to progress smoothly without any harsh new conditions for the second half of

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

the present fiscal year, or punitive demands from the lender for tax slippages. That said,
the ongoing review will be critical in determining how the economy moves forward.
On its success depend the strengthening of economic stability, official flows from other
multilateral agencies, and upgradation of the sovereign credit rating, which is crucial to
Islamabad’s plans to raise funds from international bond markets. Any hiccups in the
programme would put paid to these plans and lead to a new wave of uncertainty and
volatility.
For now, the macroeconomic indicators suggest a temporary reprieve: the rupee has held
steady, inflation has plunged to 1.4pc, the current account is running a surplus of over
$600m, remittances have jumped to over $3bn a month, and exports are showing
resilience.
These improvements are mostly due to financial support from the IMF and bilateral
lenders, as well as stability in the global commodity markets. The price for this fragile
stability has been massive though: a sharp slowdown in domestic growth as well as rising
unemployment and poverty.
With the second Trump presidency in the US shaking up the global economic and political
order, the need for freeing the economy from the clutches of the forces of status quo and
restructuring it to get it back on its feet has never been so compelling. The current IMF
bailout could be the last opportunity to avoid a repeat of the past.
Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2025

Diplomatic protocol
IT is a fact that KP — which shares a long border with Afghanistan — is directly affected
by cross-border terrorism, while people on both sides of the frontier share centuries-old
tribal, cultural, and linguistic links. Yet where the conduct of foreign policy is concerned,
while the federating units, particularly those sharing borders with neighbouring states,
ought to give their input, bilateral negotiations with foreign powers should be the sole
prerogative of the centre. This should be kept in mind as the PTI-led KP government
seeks to open dialogue channels with the Afghan Taliban regime. While meeting the
consul-general of the ‘Islamic Emirate’ on Sunday, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur
reiterated that negotiations with the Afghan side through a tribal jirga would start once the
terms of reference were approved by the federal government. While there can be little
disagreement with Mr Gandapur’s assertion that negotiations are key to establishing
lasting peace, how these parleys are conducted, and by whom, needs further attention.
The KP administration has been pushing the idea of direct talks with Kabul for some time

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

now; the chief minister had mentioned the need for ‘tribal diplomacy’ at a meeting two
weeks ago, while a similar proposal was also floated last year.
Considering our frigid ties with Kabul, and the fact that dialogue is preferable to
confrontation, the Afghan Taliban should be engaged. But the centre must continue to
lead this effort, with significant input from KP. Foreign policy should not be allowed to
become a victim of political differences. At this time, different parties are in power in all
four provinces and the centre; if all provinces were to pursue independent relations with
neighbouring states, it would have a negative effect on the cohesion of our foreign policy.
That is why external relations should remain the preserve of the centre, with all four
provinces providing their input regarding the direction of ties with neighbours. The KP
government has reiterated that talks with the Afghan Taliban will remain “aligned with
security and foreign policies”. The best way to maintain this alignment is for the peace
initiative to be led by the foreign ministry, where professional diplomats aware of the on-
ground situation are advised by elected representatives and the provincial administrations
concerned. It would be inadvisable for the provinces to take solo flights on foreign policy.
Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2025

Polio politics
THE dispute between the centre and Punjab over the detection of polio cases in Mandi
Bahauddin is unnecessary and dangerous. While Punjab officials argue that the child in
question does not meet the clinical criteria for polio, the National Institute of Health has
confirmed the presence of the virus in her stool sample. At a time when Pakistan remains
one of two countries still battling the disease, such discord hampers progress. The
controversy surrounding the case in question highlights complacency. When health
authorities contest scientifically confirmed diagnoses and present videos of children
running about as ‘evidence’ against polio’s presence, they misunderstand the nature of
the disease. Mild cases, where children retain some mobility, are actually indicators of
progress in immunisation efforts — not proof that diagnoses are incorrect. Detection of
such cases represents a success of our surveillance system, not a failure of our
vaccination drives. As the NIH epidemiologist rightly noted, “What may seem like bad
news today is actually good news for tomorrow.” This scientific approach must prevail
over political considerations and provincial pride.
The path to eradication requires accepting hard facts. Each confirmed case — whether
in Punjab, Sindh, or elsewhere — demands immediate response, not denial. Our
surveillance systems must remain vigilant enough to detect even atypical presentations,
especially as we approach the endgame of eradication. Moving forward, both federal and

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provincial authorities must prioritise unity over division. The centre should ensure
transparent communication of test results and diagnostic criteria, while provinces must
accept scientific findings without defensiveness. Joint training of healthcare workers on
recognising varying presentations of polio will boost our detection capabilities. Pakistan’s
children deserve protection from a preventable disease that continues to threaten their
futures. This requires putting aside jurisdictional disputes and embracing collaborative
action. Only through acknowledging every case — mild or severe — can we develop
targeted strategies to finally put polio behind us.
Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2025

Demand for solar power

A GREAT solar rush across Pakistan is transforming the nation’s energy landscape.
Households and businesses are rapidly switching to solar energy for a cheaper and
reliable power supply. With 22 GW of solar panels imported in the last 18 months, the
country is going through a massive shift from grid to rooftop solar solutions. It is
heartening to note that both the federal and provincial governments are striving to keep
up with the change to enable this shift through various initiatives. While Sindh has led the
distribution of solar equipment among its citizens, the free solar panel scheme for low-
income households consuming up to 200 units a month is the first initiative of its kind in
Punjab. As many as 47,182 systems of 0.55 kW and 47,301 systems of 1.1 kW will be
installed under the scheme. Likewise, the national food security ministry is implementing
a Rs201bn project for converting tube-wells to solar power. These initiatives are aimed at
protecting consumers from soaring electricity prices that most households and
businesses can no longer afford.
While the solar momentum being generated by rising demand and government-financed
projects is welcome, it must be supported by a well-designed policy to offset the possible,
near-term negative impacts of this shift. For example, the shift from national grid to rooftop
solar is already believed to have contributed to reduced consumption of grid electricity
and higher per unit rates for those who have not yet switched to off-grid solutions.
Similarly, the solarisation of tube-wells is said to be impacting fast-dwindling aquifers,
threatening agriculture and food security. Pushed by economic factors, the demand for
solar solutions will rise further. No matter how advantageous the shift towards solar power
is on account of its contribution to reduced carbon emissions and a cheaper alternative
for consumers, it can have some unintended consequences for the broader economy if
not regulated under a well-thought-out policy framework.
Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2025

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Ad ban
SILENCING criticism is no solution, whether the issue at hand is social, political, or of any
other nature. Unsurprisingly, weak rulers have always struggled to grasp this simple truth.
In era after era, we have seen dictators attempt to control the press — to cajole, bribe, or
browbeat newspapers and journalists into submitting to those they were meant to hold to
account. In every such era, there were many who suffered for choosing to put the public
interest above other considerations. They endured physical violence, financial loss, and
even pernicious lawfare.
Much of this suffering was borne with patience, because responsible newspapers and
journalists always knew they could not abdicate their duty or betray the public’s trust.
They believed Pakistan is made stronger by their sacrifices. They should be honoured
and remembered as the Pakistani media once again suffers one of the worst periods of
repression and control.
Last week, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, in its ‘Islamabad Declaration’,
pointed out how both military and civilian dispensations have deployed government ads
as a way to “promote their own ‘fake’ news’”. For context, government ads are being
denied to publications which have chosen to pursue independent editorial policies,
ostensibly to choke their revenues and force compliance.
The PFUJ cited the example of this publication, Dawn, which has been denied
advertisements by the federal and Punjab governments in particular since last October
“because of its professional and critical approach in reporting and editorials”. The Sindh
government, too, has periodically withheld its ads for arbitrary reasons.
This is not the only way in which the authorities have tried to obstruct fair reporting. After
the so-called ‘Dawn Leaks’, the paper’s circulation was blocked in large parts of the
country, especially the cantonment areas, on the orders of certain individuals. Gen Qamar
Bajwa later reportedly stated that the crisis had been created so that his predecessor
could secure an extension.
The current regime’s attempt to punish the paper has taken a different form, but its aim is
the same: to apply pressure tactics to gain compliance. This publication always takes into
consideration multiple angles when making editorial decisions. Others may not always
agree with its stance, but pressure tactics will not force Dawn to abandon principled
journalism. Its duty, first and foremost, is to maintain journalistic integrity.
Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2025

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Terrorism challenge
AS the country continues to face a multifaceted terrorism threat, the state has yet to come
up with a matching response, even as we continue to lose a high number of security men
and civilians to terrorist attacks.
Figures released for February by the PICSS think tank point to the grim reality we face:
over 100 lives were lost to terrorism last month, with civilian fatalities (55) overtaking those
of security personnel (47). In keeping with earlier trends, the violence has been
concentrated in KP and Balochistan, with religiously inspired militants such as the banned
TTP, as well as Baloch separatists, spearheading the violent campaigns.
Even in the current month, the past few days have seen numerous incidents of
bloodletting. The latest incident occurred on Tuesday, when suicide bombers reportedly
struck Bannu Cantonment. Earlier, an FC man was martyred on Monday when a woman
suicide bomber, apparently belonging to the banned BLA, carried out an attack near Kalat.
Four security men were similarly martyred in firefights with terrorists in North Waziristan.
Meanwhile, the deadly bombing of the Haqqania madressah last week — believed to be
the handiwork of IS — shows that other militant actors, too, feel confident enough to stage
fresh attacks.
Many of these acts of terrorism have been carried out in regions bordering Afghanistan,
where the Taliban rulers are hostile to some terrorist groups, such as IS, yet maintain
cordial ties with others, such as the TTP. Therefore, Pakistan has few options but to
cooperate on the counterterrorism issue with Kabul. But bilateral ties are going through a
particularly low phase, with the Torkham border closed since Feb 21, after the Afghan
side reportedly started construction in a disputed area. Things have worsened since then
as both sides exchanged fire, involving the use of heavy weapons, on Sunday. The fact
is that while Pakistan is right in blaming the Afghan Taliban for doing little to curb cross-
border terrorism, if ties deteriorate further, it will negatively affect CT cooperation.
The presence of IS in both countries should serve as a point of unity for Islamabad and
Kabul. Both sides confront a bloodthirsty foe, and the only way to defeat it is to work
together. Having said that, Kabul cannot rage against the ‘bad’ IS terrorists, and feign
ignorance about the malign activities of the ‘good’ TTP terrorists. Action must be taken
across the board, and all terrorist groups that threaten Pakistan should be dealt with by
Kabul.
On the other hand, the state here must go beyond rhetoric and implement a CT strategy
that can deliver lasting results. Over 1,600 security men and civilians lost their lives in
terrorist attacks in 2024. This blood-soaked trend must be arrested through an effective
CT campaign.

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Road ahead
PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently celebrated his government’s one-year
performance scorecard as a testament to its success in “steering the country out of
multiple crises”. He spoke glowingly on the macroeconomic stabilisation achieved thus
far, which has been made possible with the help of a bailout package from the IMF,
assistance from friendly countries, and sharp adjustments in the domestic market which,
though they have inflicted unbearable pain on ordinary citizens, have also helped tame
runaway inflation.

Mr Sharif’s exuberance may be excused — the present government faced extremely

daunting challenges from the get-go, and it deserves to give itself a pat on the back.
Admittedly, a more hard-nosed assessment of what the country has gained and lost over
the past year may yield more sobering reflections, but as far as political statements go,
this one, at least, wasn’t completely full of hot air. It is hoped, however, that it hasn’t made
Islamabad lose sight of its bigger goals.
As an opinion published recently in these pages warned, what comes next should be
giving the PM sleepless nights. The macroeconomic stability he has been extolling will
start seeming meaningless as pressures build to show economic growth. Ordinary people
have seen their purchasing power decimated over the past three years, and now that
prices seem to be stabilising, they will soon start expecting a return to their old standards
of living.
Once that pressure takes hold, this government’s survival will depend heavily on
managing public expectations and delivering a path to prosperity that can avoid the pitfalls
of past models to engineer growth. This, by no means, will be an easy task, especially if
one factors in the seismic changes expected in international finance as the US’s priorities
turn increasingly inward, as well as the festering socio-political instability at home.
On the latter, it should be noted that where the government has achieved success in
achieving macroeconomic stability, it has failed to improve social conditions or address
political instability. The model it has chosen to respond to various existential challenges
— use of overt and excessive power — will prove counterproductive once it starts needing
public support during the critical transition from stability to growth.
It is well understood that the economy cannot improve till public sentiment improves, and
public sentiment cannot improve if the state continues to act against public wishes. This,
of course, is an entirely self-inflicted limitation and one which now requires some difficult
measures to remove. However, there are no other options but to take the rocky road.
Socio-political stabilisation should now be the government’s top priority. Otherwise, the

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fruits of its labour will not reach the masses, and the immense political price it has paid
for stability will have been for nothing.
Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025

Restoring hope
THE disillusionment of Balochistan National Party chief Akhtar Mengal should give all
democratically inclined Pakistanis cause for concern. Talking to the media at his Kot Wadh
residence last Saturday, Mr Mengal expressed considerable disappointment over what
he sees as the capture of the electoral process by non-political powers. “Neither politics
nor democracy is intact in the country,” he is reported to have said. Resenting the fact
that past political alliances abandoned their commitments to Balochistan once they
achieved their short-term goals, Mr Mengal pointed out that where the Baloch people
were simply asking for development, basic facilities and constitutional rights, they are now
agitating against unconstitutional actions and fundamental rights violations as well. While
Mr Mengal may be seen by some as just one politician among many, the fact that he is
one of the few Baloch nationalists who have invested deeply in mainstream politics and
participated actively in the democratic process cannot and should not be disregarded.
Indeed, his opinion is a canary in the coalmine, an indicator of how well-meaning citizens
of the province view their relationship with the state. It would, therefore, be a grave error
to ignore his apprehensions.
As the situation in Balochistan grows more fraught, the state needs to recalibrate its
strategies and seek out all possible means of containing the unrest. One of the most
obvious and prudent ways to do so is to cede more space to local political representatives
so that they can raise their constituents’ concerns in parliament and address their needs
with the resources that have been made available by the state. Unfortunately, the
Balochistan Assembly is not seen as being representative of its constituents, and there
have been frequent complaints that politicians from the province are not fairly elected to
parliament. This concern was also aired by Mr Mengal on Saturday. In the absence of
‘real’ representatives, it is understandable why the citizens of Balochistan have grown
increasingly alienated from the state. Though Mr Mengal has resigned from the National
Assembly, it is necessary to keep him and other representatives of the people engaged
in the political process. The people of Balochistan have as much right to shape provincial
policies as the citizens of other provinces. This right should be restored as a priority. The
rest will gradually fall in place.
Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025

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Cruel customs
THE recent rescues of two Asian black bears — Rocky from Jauharabad and Sunny from
Jhang — remind us how the horrific practices of bear baiting and dancing bears continue
in today’s Pakistan. Rocky, a seven-year-old bear forced into 35 brutal fights, arrived at
Islamabad’s Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre with multiple bleeding wounds on
his face and back. Meanwhile, three-year-old Sunny was found emaciated, her teeth
forcibly removed to render her defenceless, and displaying signs of extreme anxiety —
all common in the dancing bear trade. Both animals had nose rings embedded in their
sensitive flesh, used to control them through pain and fear. These two traditions — bear
baiting, where bears are chained and attacked by dogs for entertainment, and dancing
bears, where cubs are tortured into performing unnatural movements — are shameful
relics that must be shunned. Despite being illegal for decades, these customs persist in
rural areas where law enforcement is scarce and public awareness remains limited.
Why are such cruel spectacles so rampant? For one, there is economic desperation
among handlers, who keep these animals as a source of income. Then, there is a lack of
education about animal welfare. What many fail to recognise is the ecological importance
of the Asian black bear, a vulnerable species whose numbers continue to dwindle in
Pakistan. Organisations such as Four Paws International deserve commendation for their
rescue operations. But individual rescues are not enough. To eradicate these horrible
practices permanently, we need strengthened legislation with harsher penalties,
expanded resources for wildlife authorities, community education programmes in
vulnerable areas, and alternative livelihood options for bear handlers. The removal of
Sunny’s nose ring symbolises, as Four Paws’ Dr Khalil noted, “her last dance”. The
government must commit to the welfare of these magnificent animals. No bear must be
forced to dance or fight again.
Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025

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Terrorism ranking
IT is an unenviable ‘achievement’. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, Pakistan
stands second in the world — just behind Burkina Faso, and just ahead of Syria — in the
ranking of countries affected by militant violence. Moreover, according to the index, the
banned TTP, which has been waging a bloody campaign against the state and people of
Pakistan, ranks among the world’s top four deadliest terrorist outfits.
Before protestations are made that such rankings harm Pakistan’s fair image in the world,
the data presented by the study needs to be calmly digested. The numbers do not paint
a reassuring picture. For example, compared to 517 terrorist attacks in 2023, last year
1,099 such incidents occurred, with half of the attacks carried out by the TTP. The index
also confirms that KP and Balochistan are the worst affected parts of the country, suffering
96pc of the attacks. While the TTP carried out the largest number of attacks, it was the
proscribed BLA that was responsible for 2024’s deadliest terrorist rampage — the suicide
bombing of the Quetta railway station.
The worrying scenario highlighted by the index is reminiscent of the predicament Pakistan
found itself in nearly two decades ago, when it was confronting another terrorist
insurgency spearheaded by the same malign actors.
Unfortunately, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has given great impetus to the TTP
and other violent groups to take on the Pakistani state. The terrorism index recognises
this, while there can be little denying the fact that militants find safe havens in Afghanistan.
For example, the military has said that Afghan nationals were involved in the recent attack
on Bannu Cantt.
But what is complicating Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts is the fact that relations with
the Afghan Taliban remain poor. For example, Pakistani and Afghan forces have been
clashing for several days due to a border dispute at Torkham. Difficult as it may be,
mending fences with the Afghan Taliban is essential to tackling the threat posed by the
TTP.
The Global Terrorism Index report recommends that Pakistan take “a combination of
military, political, and socioeconomic measures” to deal with the militant threat. Yet the
political tribes are too consumed by infighting to notice that the country is going through
a major terrorism crisis, while other powerful institutions seem more concerned about
‘digital terrorism’ and other such ‘threats’.
The dreams of economic revival and national harmony will be shattered if we do not wake
up to the severity of the present terrorist threat. An effective CT strategy — with input from
the civil and military agencies, lawmakers, and independent experts — is essential, for
focusing on both kinetic tactics and long-term goals. Cooperation with foreign partners is

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also key, as the successful capture of the IS-K militant involved in the Kabul airport
bombing has shown.
Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2025

Fear and favour

IT came as something of a pleasant shock. Pakistan, long sidelined in America’s list of
foreign policy priorities, received a surprise commendation in the US parliament on
Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump, while addressing the Congress for the first time since taking
power, credited Pakistan for arresting the “mastermind” behind the 2021 Kabul airport
bombing, which had killed 13 American soldiers and 170 Afghan citizens.
“I want to thank especially the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster,” Mr
Trump said.
The development triggered much excitement in Pakistan, with Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif quickly thanking the US president for “appreciating Pakistan’s role and support”
and reminding him of Pakistan’s “critical role in counterterrorism efforts aimed at denying
safe havens to terrorists”. Thrilled TV pundits and commentators, too, seized on the
development, with many taking it as an indicator that the ice between Washington and
Islamabad may have finally thawed. Meanwhile, there must have been much
disappointment in the opposition camp, which has been waiting eagerly for Mr Trump’s
endorsement of their own cause.
It would be wise, however, not to get swept up in the excitement just yet. It is quite likely
that Mr Trump was merely scoring a few political points against his predecessor, Joe
Biden, whom he blames for botching the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. By taking credit
for nabbing a key antagonist from that tumultuous period, he may have wanted to
demonstrate strength against Mr Biden’s perceived weakness.
It is also worth remembering that Mr Trump is a very transactional person, always looking
to maximise his advantage in any situation. It would, therefore, be quite surprising if the
arrest of one terrorist completely overhauled Islamabad’s diplomatic equation with
Washington.
In fact, a new Reuters report suggests Pakistanis could face US visa restrictions as soon
as next week. The final decision is to be based on a US government review of countries’
security and vetting risks, three informed sources have told the international wire service.

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Pakistan has been recommended for inclusion in the list, along with Afghanistan,
according to Reuters.
The Trump administration’s position on Pakistan will become clearer with time, but what
our leaders need to do immediately is to stop giving it more leverage by constantly
seeking its approval. Our problems are ours alone to solve — the sooner we recognise
that, the better.
Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2025

Higher power costs

IN recent years, soaring energy prices have drastically impacted Pakistan’s economic
growth potential in general, and its industrial productivity and exports in particular by
raising production costs and reducing international competitiveness. Now a new report by
the International Energy Agency shows that power tariffs for energy-intensive industries
in Pakistan averaged 13.5 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2024, surpassing those in other
economies, including both regional competitors and major trading partners. The report
states that industrial electricity prices in 2024 stood at 6.3 cents per kWh in the US and
India, 7.7 cents in China, and 11.5 cents in the EU. In Norway, a key European market,
rates were as low as 4.7 cents per kWh. This means that our industrial sector is paying
almost double the electricity prices compared to China, India, and the US, and 18pc
higher than the EU.
Indeed, the adverse impact of higher electricity costs for energy-intensive industries was
largely offset previously by lower labour rates and subsidised export finance, as well as
energy subsidies and other incentives for the export industries by the government.
Nevertheless, the situation is changing fast now, with energy, export finance, and other
subsidies either being eliminated or significantly reduced under IMF pressure. This is
adversely impacting the country’s export competitiveness in global markets. Hence, the
growing demand for a substantial reduction in energy rates for export-oriented industries.
This is something that will not be possible for a cash-starved government to meet, unless
it implements deep power sector reforms involving the creation of a competitive energy
market, reduction in electricity theft and system losses of around 30pc, the restructuring
and sale of distribution companies, and so on. Additionally, the government will have to
cut reliance on imported fossil fuel, and effectively harness its enormous, cheaper
renewable solar and wind energy resources. So far the movement in this direction has
been very slow, notwithstanding the authorities’ claims otherwise.
Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2025

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PIA taking off?

IN the second round, the government says it is going to make prospective buyers of PIA
an offer they can’t refuse. What that offer is going to be will not be known until the
authorities call expressions of interest for the sale of the national carrier three months
from now. However, from what the outgoing privatisation minister said the other day, it is
clear that the authorities plan to address most of the concerns of investors interested in
acquiring the debt-ridden airline. These concerns, including but not limited to 18pc GST
on the acquisition of new aircraft and transfer of a portion of the existing debt liabilities to
buyers, were enough to scare away some bona fide investors days before the botched
first attempt to sell 60pc of the government shareholding in the company, leaving behind
only one real estate developer, who offered peanuts, and a hole of $4.3m in the
exchequer.
Something has changed since. Reports suggest that some major business groups from
Karachi and Lahore are gearing up to bid for the airline and inject the required equity of
half a billion dollars to expand the fleet and operations over the next several years if an
unencumbered offer is made. Restarting PIA’s profitable European operations followed
by its resumption of flights to the UK and US will be added attractions for buyers. PIA still
has the potential to make a rapid recovery if injected with fresh equity to expand its
operations and managed professionally — something which is not possible as long as the
company remains in the control of a parasitic bureaucracy. The successful sale of loss-
making PIA is crucial for privatisation not just for the airline’s own revival — the alternative
is its liquidation — but also for the resumption of the overall process of privatisation of
SOEs. The sale must be crafted in a manner that attracts businessmen who not only
revive the airline but also provide credibility to the privatisation programme.
Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025

Egyptian plan
AS the Gaza ceasefire faces an uncertain future, the Arab world has endorsed a new
proposal for the occupied Palestinian territory’s governance and rebuilding to counter
Donald Trump’s monstrous ‘Riviera’ plan. Hammered out by the Egyptians, the Arab
League has supported the plan that seeks an administrative committee for the devastated
Strip, while envisioning a multibillion-dollar reconstruction of Gaza without removing its
Palestinian inhabitants. As opposed to this, the Trumpian scheme proposes shipping the
Gazans off to other Arab states as their homeland is transformed into a garish real estate
project, overseen by the US. The Egyptian plan is a definite improvement over this
hideous proposition, though many questions remain. The US has rejected it, with an

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official stating that “President Trump stands by his vision” for a Gaza “free from Hamas”.
In fact, Mr Trump again threatened Gaza’s people with extermination unless the Israeli
hostages were released.
Where the future of Gaza — and all the occupied Palestinian territories — is concerned,
it is the Palestinians who should decide the fate of their land. Keeping this principle in
mind, Mr Trump’s plan is a non-starter, and should be consigned to the dustbin. The
Egyptian plan can be implemented, but realistically speaking, there are too many
variables involved, and its long-term success is questionable. For example, while Hamas
has tacitly accepted Cairo’s plan, it has rejected the imposition of a “non-Palestinian
administration” in the Strip. Moreover, will the Saudis and Emiratis — whose riyals and
dirhams are crucial for the plan’s success — be willing to put in money without Hamas’s
removal, considering their deep distrust of the Palestinian group? Likewise, Washington
and Tel Aviv will also want Hamas and other armed Palestinian factions out of the picture.
Therefore, it is very difficult to foresee this plan working, and Hamas exiting the scene.
The only practical point to emerge from the Arab plan is that the Palestinian Authority has
committed to holding elections in the occupied territories “if circumstances” allow. Hence,
perhaps the goal, along with Gaza’s rehabilitation, should be the revival of the poll process
in occupied Palestine, so that its people can chart a democratic course for their future,
and freedom struggle. Externally imposed plans, without a clear timeline for the end of
Israeli occupation, are bound to fail.
Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025

Miles to go
IS the state deliberately unconversant with the desolation faced by females? On
International Women’s Day, global communities applaud women’s contributions in various
spheres.
But for many places, this day is a reflection of the challenges that plague women’s journey
towards empowerment. Take regressive societies and conflict zones — Afghanistan and
Gaza — where women endure adversities that beggar description: they are made
invisible through moral policing, denial of education, healthcare and employment, and
experience violence, aggression, starvation and more.
On the home front, the realisation that a large part of Pakistan’s misfortunes is a
consequence of women’s oppression is lost on the rulers. Pakistan’s women, largely
encumbered by poverty, health risks and abuse, with scanty access to knowledge and
opportunities, bear a weighty cross. Hence, the UN theme ‘For ALL women and girls:
Rights. Equality. Empowerment’, which demands action that assures equal rights,

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

prospects and a “feminist future”, particularly for young females and adolescent girls,
holds particular significance for a country devoid of them.
Over the years, the reluctance shown by our leadership to liberate the country’s
institutions from the visceral language and culture of patriarchy and power has turned the
possibility of moving towards purposeful empathy into a tall ask.
Despite definitive movement in the form of pro-women legislation, constitutional
protections and commitments to international treaties, the statistics narrate a sorry tale:
in 2024, the human rights ministry said that in the last three years, 63,000 cases of
violence against women were reported; most cases, sadly, do not come to light.
The Global Gender Gap Index 2023, released by the World Economic Forum, ranks
Pakistan 142 out of 146 countries and as one of the worst performing countries in gender
parity, with grim literacy and high school dropout rates, and an age-old climate of disdain
towards women’s education. The Labour Force Survey 2020-21 shows that female
participation stood at 15.5pc.
So what hope do Pakistani women have of breathing in an equitable rights environment?
There is defiance aplenty alongside some glimmers of hope. Two Pakistani women
became international portraits of courage under fire — Baloch rights activist Mahrang
Baloch and singer Hadiqa Kiyani featured in the BBC 100 Women 2024 list, and novelist
Alishba Khan Barech was a finalist for the 2025 Women Changing the World Awards.
Interestingly, Aurat March will occur on multiple dates; ‘2025: The year of the Aurat March
Caravan’ states that challenging norms and accommodating varied feminist
representations are central to the movement.
But the fact that a new order remains a utopian dream is a brutal indictment of the state.
Patronage extended to reactionary quarters is the original sin. Without it, this struggle
could have been condensed into years. We now face a moment of truth.
Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025

Torkham dispute
THE Torkham crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan has remained closed for two
weeks, after a dispute over border demarcation escalated into armed clashes between
security forces of both states. While this impasse threatens to further degrade Pak-Afghan
ties, the closure and associated hostilities are also having a negative economic and social
impact on ordinary people in both countries. Up until Thursday, there was exchange of
fire, at times heavy, between Pakistan’s security forces and Afghan Taliban troops.

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Thankfully, the guns have remained silent since, but the threat of fresh hostilities looms
large unless a lasting solution to this dispute is found. Commerce is central to the local
economy, but all cross-border trading has been suspended since the initial closure.
Moreover, residents of border villages have said their homes have suffered damage in
the crossfire, and villagers have been asked by the authorities to vacate the area for safer
locales. There have also been reports of loss of life due to the violent cross-border
exchanges. While some efforts had been made to negotiate a settlement, these parleys
were suspended when the exchange of fire picked up pace.
The Torkham dispute — and indeed all the controversies concerning the Pak-Afghan
frontier — needs a permanent solution so that people’s lives are not upended by closures
and violence every few months. Pakistan needs to address this issue at higher levels with
the Taliban authorities, with a clear demarcation of the frontier so that disputes do not
arise. Long closures translate into hefty economic losses for locals and traders dependent
on cross-border commerce. Pakistan and Afghanistan must also reach an amicable
solution so that there is a mutually agreed regime in place concerning the documents
required for border crossing. Pakistan cannot compromise on its security, and the border
must be monitored for malign actors. But ordinary citizens in the two countries should not
have to suffer frequent closures.
Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2025

Targeting students
THE Trump administration’s mission to ‘Make America Great Again’ is well underway, and,
in true Trumpian logic, it entails the immediate dismantling of everything that made
America ‘great’ in the world’s eyes. Be it insulting steadfast American allies and berating
them at international forums; rolling back USAID and the ‘soft power’ it helped project in
developing countries; upending global markets with ‘America first’ policies; cheerleading
xenophobes, neo-Nazis and rabid Islamophobes; or gleefully dismantling various
domestic initiatives aimed at fostering a more equitable and inclusive culture and society,
America under Donald Trump seems intent on tearing up the image it had built for
decades in the post-World War II world. Now, the administration has turned its attention
to American universities, globally regarded as some of the best centres of learning. In an
effort to punish these institutions, apparently for promoting progressive ideas which the
MAGA movement considers antithetical to its mission, the State Department has started
using AI to identify so-called ‘Hamas supporters’ among the tens of thousands of their
foreign students. It intends to either deport those already present in the universities or
cancel their visas, preventing their return.

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In American right-wing and ultra-Zionist rhetoric, a ‘Hamas supporter’ is often used to

deride anyone who voices sympathy for ordinary Palestinians. Unfortunately for those
who came up with this policy, anti-Israel sentiment is quite strong even among the
American Gen Z, ie, those of university-going age. A Harvard poll last year said only 29pc
of American youth aged 18-29 years trusted Mr Trump on Israel-Palestine, while a poll
conducted by The Economist said 49pc of them believe there is a genocide ongoing in
Palestine. It seems likely, therefore, that this policy will polarise the country further.
Meanwhile, it will send a message to bright students from around the world that they and
their ideas may no longer be welcome in America. This human capital may go elsewhere
to pursue their education, creating lasting linkages with countries other than the US. The
result is likely to be a proliferation of newer perspectives, which would gradually erode
the US’s hegemony on global thought and innovation. With the rise of Mr Trump, it has
often seemed as if the world may be witnessing the end of another empire. The most
unexpected part? How self-inflicted this decline appears to be.
Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2025

Banning groups
THE Punjab government has released a list of ‘banned outfits’, warning the public that
giving money to these groups is a crime punishable under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
Numbering some 84 groups, the list mirrors a similar inventory of supposedly proscribed
outfits maintained by Nacta.
While these organisations — ranging from religiously inclined and sectarian armed groups
to ethno-nationalist separatists — are supposed to be out of commission, in many cases
this is not true, and they operate with relative impunity.
The rationale behind the Punjab administration’s move seems to be the fact that as many
people give zakat and other donations during the ongoing month of Ramazan, care
should be taken so that people’s charity does not end up in the coffers of terrorists. While
this is a noble aim, the bigger question is why such a large list of terrorist outfits still exists,
and why these groups have not been permanently disabled.
As Pakistan faces multiple terrorist threats, the state’s approach of banning groups, and
then letting them operate with new monikers, must be revisited if we are sincere in our
counterterrorism endeavours. For example, some groups on the list have gone through
several name changes since the Musharraf era: their names change, but their leaders,
operatives and ideologies remain the same.

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Moreover, while the state has banned sectarian groups, they still freely organise and hold
massive rallies in Pakistan’s cities. Similarly, while those peacefully struggling for their
rights get the rough end of the stick from the state, violent elements — such as the ladies
and gentlemen of Islamabad’s Lal Masjid — are treated with kid gloves, with the state
‘negotiating’ with those who have threatened it on multiple occasions. Until this glaring
disconnect is addressed, Pakistan can ban a thousand groups, but militant violence will
not come down.
If the state has banned a group on paper, this means it has sufficient evidence of
wrongdoing against it. The logical corollary should mean cases against the leaders and
financiers of such violent groups, so that they are prosecuted and jailed. Though some
jihadist leaders have been prosecuted, many others remain free. The battle against
violent extremism will be a long and hard one, and will require long-term efforts such as
promoting genuine moderation in society, as well as deradicalisation campaigns.
But the first steps of this long struggle must be defeating terrorist groups in the field, and
ensuring that banned groups are actually banned. If groups are able to re-emerge under
new names and continue their destructive activities, all efforts to fight terrorism will fail
despite the loss of tens of thousands of precious civilian and security personnel’s lives.
Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2025

Water scarcity
THE Indus River System Authority has warned Punjab and Sindh, the main breadbaskets
of the country, to brace themselves for up to 35pc water shortages for the remaining
period of the current Rabi crops, including the staple wheat harvest.
The warning comes amid reports that the country’s two largest dams, Tarbela and Mangla,
are mere days away from hitting dead level. There is a likelihood that Punjab and Sindh
might face a 30-35pc shortfall while operating the two reservoirs on the run-of-the-river
mode at or around dead levels, the water regulator has told the provinces. This is in line
with Irsa’s forecast on Oct 2 that dam storage would reach dead level towards the end of
the winter crop cycle.
Though alarming, the warning is hardly a surprise since growing water shortages for the
summer and winter crop seasons have become the ‘new normal’ in the last several years
due to the increasing number of dry days in a year as well as the shrinking glaciers
resulting from climate change. Reduced precipitation is evident from the 40pc below-
normal winter rains and snowfall between September and mid-January this year, which
have created drought-like conditions across the country.

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Dry conditions still persist in many areas in spite of the February rains that have largely
offset drought-related risks to the new wheat harvest. Dry weather on most days has
meant that the winter months were reported by the Met Office to be hotter than usual.
The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as floods,
droughts, heatwaves, and abnormal rains, show that we are already experiencing post-
climate change conditions. Ranking as we do among the top 10 countries most vulnerable
to the effects of climate change, we must urgently prepare ourselves for the costly and
disastrous impacts of such events on our lives, livelihoods, food security and economy.
The need to meet the climate challenge is even greater when a country like Pakistan is
prone to multiple disastrous events at the same time. For example, in 2022, we were first
hit by a heatwave and drought and then flash floods that displaced 33m people, followed
by landslides that destroyed infrastructure in KP and other northern regions. Tens of
thousands of those affected are yet to be resettled and re-employed.
Sadly, our policymakers are not investing enough in helping the people and economy
withstand the effects of climate change, though the danger is very visible. Climate
disasters can severely stretch a country’s resources. They can ruin countries unprepared
for them. This year we may have averted any significant damage to our staple food
despite water shortages and drought. But who can guarantee that we will be as lucky next
year?
Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2025

Reckless rhetoric
ONCE again, the Indian leadership gave in to their worst impulses, with External Affairs
Minister S. Jaishankar making dangerous remarks about Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
Speaking at Chatham House in London, Mr Jaishankar said that the “stolen part of
Kashmir” (AJK) must be ‘returned’ to India for the issue to be “solved.” Mr Jaishankar has
not only displayed an utter disregard for historical facts but has further poisoned the well
of potential dialogue between the two nuclear neighbours. As the Foreign Office pointed
out, Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory. The
FO’s assertion that “India’s prevarication cannot change this reality” strikes at the heart
of the matter. No amount of constitutional tinkering or attempts to alter the demography
of held Kashmir can erase the fact that the region’s final status must be determined in
accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions through a free and impartial
plebiscite.

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This is not the first time the BJP government has resorted to such provocation. Since the
abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Modi administration has sought to present occupied
Kashmir as a settled issue, despite clear evidence of continued repression. The BJP’s
attempts to force demographic changes, suppress dissent, and stifle journalism in the
region have only served to deepen Kashmiri alienation. Reports from international
watchdogs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented
the grave human rights abuses in the held territory, including arbitrary detentions and
crackdowns on press freedoms. No amount of rhetorical grandstanding can erase these
realities. Pakistan has repeatedly extended offers of dialogue to India, including Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent remarks in the AJK Legislative Assembly, in which he
invited India to the negotiating table while emphasising that Pakistan would not
compromise on its national interests. However, India prefers brinkmanship over
diplomacy. The path forward remains clear. Rather than engaging in such escalation,
India should heed Pakistan’s offers for dialogue. Global stakeholders must also play their
part by holding India accountable for its increasingly belligerent stance. Try as they might,
Indian leaders cannot change the fact that they are Pakistan’s neighbours. In these tense
times, prudence cannot be understated. For lasting peace in South Asia, India must
abandon such reckless rhetoric. Anything less is a recipe for continued instability in the
region.
Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2025

Mosquito season
AS temperatures rise, the threat of dengue looms large over Pakistan. Its warning signs
have already arrived. Dengue mosquito larvae were detected in 1,471 housesduring a
surveillance campaign in Rawalpindi. While the Punjab government has issued directives
for amplified public awareness and a comprehensive programme to lower dengue
incidence, the country requires more deeply explored precautionary methods to block a
wave. Besides, climate change has led to heat- and cold-resistant mosquito species as
well as a shift in the pattern of vector-borne diseases. Last year, dengue cases showed
an upward trend despite cooler temperatures — in November,Peshawar logged 85 new
cases of denguehaemorrhagic fever. The overall picture was not heartening: according to
a National Institute of Health report, Pakistan recorded 20,057 dengue cases in 2024. A
consolidated approach involving inter-departmental coordination for strengthened
supervision and timely purging of larvae throughout the year, with penalties for those who
flout the stated SOPs, is the answer.
Punjab has known success. In 2011, the province adopted a game-changing strategy
involving collaboration between Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Indonesian medical experts to

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help the government fight the illness. Along with proven procedures, medicines and
machinery arrived in the country, including blood separator machines from Germany.
Perhaps, it is time to revisit and replicate an upgraded version of the same in the country.
We cannot afford another year of indolence. The federal and provincial administrations
must embark on extensive fumigation operations in rural and urban areas, apart from
preventing waterlogging to limit the havoc wreaked by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. All
aspects of deterrence must be as fast-paced as mosquito breeding. Clean and ventilated
living conditions with cost-free dengue tests are vital to keep swathes of people safe from
infection. Pakistan must ensure that vector-borne misery does not mark the onset of each
season.

Maulana’s message
EVER since the rapid rise of global religiously inspired militancy over two decades ago,
Muslim governments and ulema have tried to build counter-narratives using religious
arguments to checkmate terrorists.
On a recent visit to the Darul Uloom Haqqania to condole the deaths of Maulana Hamidul
Haq Haqqani and others in a suicide bombing, cleric and politician Maulana Fazlur
Rehman also deployed faith-based arguments to denounce those behind the violence. To
his credit, the JUI-F chief was quite bold in his rejection of militancy, saying that killing
Muslims was not jihad but terrorism. He pulled no punches, describing those involved in
acts of violence as “murderers … criminals”. As Pakistan confronts a fresh wave of
terrorist violence, few political or religious leaders are willingly to so openly slam the
fanatical forces involved in bloodshed by misinterpreting religious precepts. In that sense,
Maulana Fazl’s efforts deserve kudos.
However, it will take more than zealous speeches and fatwas to turn the tide against
religiously inspired militancy. Firstly, we have to acknowledge our own mistakes, which
have enabled the terrorist threat to grow in lethality and reach. For decades, the state
itself promoted jihadi groups, until a U-turn was made post-9/11.
Moreover, most clerics themselves were all for using religious fighters in the battlefields
of Afghanistan and held Kashmir. Many of the terrorists that today threaten Pakistan were
either directly involved in, or inspired by, these conflicts. It should be remembered that
the Haqqania madressah itself was considered a ‘jihad university’ for mentoring many of
the leaders that would go on to form the Afghan Taliban. The problem now is that most
jihadi fighters and ideologues refuse to end their ‘struggle’ on the advice of the state or
mainstream clerics. In fact, takfiri groups look upon Muslim governments and moderate
clerics as ‘apostates’.

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So while Maulana Fazl’s words may have an effect on young madressah students or
those sitting on the fence, they will do little to dissuade hardened fighters. Plus, attempts
have been made in the past, such as the Paigham-i-Pakistan fatwa in 2018, as well as
Gen Musharraf’s ‘enlightened moderation’ scheme, to use religious arguments against
militants, with limited results.
Without doubt, it is important for influential clerics to speak with one voice against
terrorism. But a lot more is required to truly defeat the monster of militancy. This includes
kinetic action, as well as deradicalisation efforts. It must also be said that the mushroom
growth of seminaries — with little to no oversight by the state — also aids extremism and
contributes to militancy. The road to a more moderate and peaceful Pakistan is a long
one, but it is essential that the state and the ulema play their part in pointing the nation in
the right direction.

President’s speech
PRESIDENT Asif Zardari, addressing Monday’s joint session of parliament to mark the
start of a new parliamentary year, ticked off a standard list of all the things one expected
to hear on the occasion. There was the usual concern about health and education, the
welfare of Pakistan’s young population, and growing incidents of terrorism. He also
dutifully extolled the government’s economic successes. There was the standard lip
service to good governance, strengthening democracy, restoring public confidence and
establishing the rule of law that is expected in all parliamentary speeches. The president
took care to thank Pakistan’s foreign partners for their support and reaffirmed Islamabad’s
diplomatic commitments, and also did not forget to give due consideration to CPEC and
its centrality to Pakistan’s interests. All in all, the speech was as usual as they come. To
his credit, Mr Zardari also offered some subtle and not-so-subtle criticism of the
government’s shortcomings and placed on record the PPP’s disagreement with the six
new canals planned on the Indus, urging the rulers to revisit policies that were placing a
strain on the federation and come up with “viable, sustainable solutions”.
The speech may not be remembered so much for its substance as for the accompanying
spectacle. The opposition, too, stayed true to custom, disrupting the proceedings with
rowdy catcalls and sloganeering against ruling parties and in favour of jailed former PM
Imran Khan. So raucous was the protest that it was often difficult to make sense of Mr
Zardari’s words. One was struck by how closely the image of the president sombrely
reciting Pakistan’s challenges while chaos unfolded around him resembled the state of
the wider country. It has often seemed as if all of our present challenges have been
eclipsed by a political dispute that has taken up the entirety of the nation’s attention. The
president seemed cognisant of this reality. “Think of the unity and consensus our country

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

so desperately needs,” he urged the elected representatives present. “Democracy needs

give and take, and what better place to work on collective goals than this parliament?” he
asked. He may as well have been speaking to the walls: at that moment, our elected
representatives were too busy hurling invectives at each other. Good speeches alone
cannot make things better. The country needs more than words; it also needs commitment
and action.
Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2025

Indian takeover
BY the time the Champions Trophy final ended, the only indicators that the tournament
had been hosted by Pakistan were the branding inside the stadium and the golden
embroidery on the white jackets worn by winners India. Sunday’s title match at the Dubai
International Cricket Stadium was all about India; its triumph capping its takeover of the
tournament from Pakistan. Rohit Sharma and his men had won unbeaten, without setting
foot in the country that was supposed to host it. But while they did showcase their prowess
as arguably the world’s best limited-overs side, their glory will be overshadowed by the
politicking that preceded it. India had refused to play in Pakistan and the International
Cricket Council bowed to its demand. India played all their games in Dubai whilst the
other teams travelled across Pakistan and then to the UAE to play against the Indians.
India had a permanent home base and, as it transpired, it seemed they — with former
Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jay Shah now ICC president — were the
organisers of the Dubai leg. So much so that in the final, the presence of PCB officials
was limited to tournament director Sumair Ahmed. Even he was not there at the
presentation ceremony.
The balance of power is in India’s favour but they also have the winners to take them to
glory. They made a home away from home and used it to their full advantage. In contrast,
Pakistan could not even benefit from home conditions. Their tournament was over in five
days after losses to vanquished finalists New Zealand and India in their opening two
matches. Unlike the two finalists, they looked under-prepared and the debatable quality
of the personnel was also laid bare. It was catastrophic. Returning Pakistan to the top of
the world game will be an arduous challenge. But for now, that is India’s place — it has
the team and the influence to hold on to it.
Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2025

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State Bank’s caution

THE State Bank’s decision to pause its monetary easing cycle, after six consecutive cuts
of 1,000bps in its key policy interest rate since June to 12pc, in spite of a bigger than
expected drop in inflation last month, reflects its efforts to achieve a balance between
emerging strains on the economy and the fragile macro stability.
Though CPI inflation is down to just 1.4pc because of declining food and energy prices,
the “inherent volatility” in these prices poses significant risks to the current downward
trend going forward. In addition, the sticky core inflation remains elevated. This means a
halt in the monetary easing cycle is necessary to beat it down and counter the impact of
a potential rebound in food and energy prices.
The external account has also come under pressure of late because of shrinking financial
inflows and rising imports due to an uptick in economic activity amid growth in private
sector credit. The current account deficit of around $0.4bn in January hacked away at the
surplus of just above $1bn accumulated over the past several months with the help of
rising remittances.
The current account is being used to make foreign debt payments due to weakening
private and official capital flows into the financial account. The exchange rate remains
stable but the international reserves accumulated in the last eight months have dropped
slightly on account of debt payments due to a delay in some of the planned inflows, which
may come through after the IMF review of its $7bn programme. Foreign debt repayments
of $3bn, the net of rolled-over and refinanced loans, are yet to be made during the
remaining period of FY25. Further, increased global economic uncertainty amid tit-for-tat
tariff escalations amounting to a trade war between the major economies has posed a
risk to international trade, commodity prices and inflation outlook.
No doubt the economy has come a long way from the edge of default less than two years
ago, thanks to the implementation of stabilisation policies under IMF oversight. Key macro
indicators have improved. But Pakistan is still not out of the woods. Both the fiscal and
external sectors remain under stress, impeding the consolidation of the nascent recovery
and the economy’s movement towards faster growth.
While the fiscal sector is suffering due to lack of reforms to broaden the tax net, with FBR
due to miss the fiscal year’s tax target of Rs12.97tr by a big margin, foreign private and
official flows have nearly halted. The global uncertainty caused by a steep hike in US
tariffs has set off new disturbing forces. Without large, sustainable foreign capital inflows
and structural tax reforms, the State Bank will continue to find it difficult to ease monetary
policy without risking another deeper balance-of-payments crisis.
Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2025

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Syria massacre
THERE were valid fears of sectarian and religious bloodshed when anti-Assad militants
triumphantly marched into Damascus last December. Yet then rebel leader and now
interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who traded in his jihadi fatigues for sharp suits,
promised the world that there would be no place for such bloodshed in the new Syria. His
promise has been severely tested as a spasm of bloodshed has rocked the Arab state
over the past few days. There were initial reports of clashes last week between armed
Assad loyalists and government forces in the coastal Alawi heartland. However, more
horrific details have emerged, of Alawi families being butchered, or their possessions
looted. According to a UK-based war monitor, nearly 1,000 civilians have been killed in
the violence, most of them belonging to the Alawi community, to which Bashar al-Assad
also belongs. Eyewitnesses say children were slaughtered by pro-government militants,
while the attackers repeatedly said they would finish off members of the minority
community. Some victims say that non-Syrian fighters, including Chechens and Uzbeks,
were involved in the rampage. The bloodbath only subsided after the Syrian
administration sent in troops to control the marauding militant groups.
Syria stands at a very dangerous junction. Mr Assad and his brutal regime may be gone,
but the country is far from achieving stability. The fact is that the transition from religious
militancy to democratic statecraft is proving to be a difficult one. Mr Sharaa — known for
his fiery jihadi rhetoric when he was better known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani — has
promised moderation, but the fact is that many fairly extreme militant factions still operate
in Syria. In fact, many foreign militants have been given positions in the Syrian
administration. Controlling these factions will be essential if Syria’s rulers are serious in
assuring the world there is no room for extremists in their country. Further complicating
matters is the fact that Israel has expanded its occupation of Syrian territory. For Syria to
rebuild, all foreign forces must stop their interventionist activities, while Damascus must
disarm or expel all sectarian and extremist groups active in the country. This will be easier
said than done as many of these outfits helped Mr Sharaa achieve victory. The interim
Syrian leader has promised accountability for the recent sectarian massacres. He will
need to act fast before such atrocities become the norm.
Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2025

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Too little, too late

WHEN desperation reaches a point that a father has to end his life to save his daughter’s,
the state has failed its citizens spectacularly. Such an extreme measure was taken
recently in Dera Ismail Khan. Adil, a poor barber, endured torture, extortion of Rs700,000,
and the ultimate cruelty: having his 11-year-old daughter forcibly taken away as vani —
‘compensation’ — for an alleged conversation between his nephew and another girl. This
crushing injustice drove him to consume poison, leaving behind a heartbreaking audio
testimony that indicts our failed institutions. Vani is not merely a barbaric ‘custom’ — it is
a crime. Child marriage laws criminalise underage marriage, and the Prevention of Anti-
Women Practices (Criminal Law Amendment) Act, 2011, makes it illegal to give women
as compensation to settle disputes. Yet, out-of-court settlements and tribal ‘justice’
continue unabated, rendering the state’s writ meaningless. How can a panchayat be
allowed to function as judge, jury, and executioner while the authorities look the other
way? The fact that police action came only after a man’s suicide speaks volumes about
the state’s failure to protect its citizens.
The incident reflects a disturbing pattern where women are routinely punished for
society’s warped sense of ‘morality’. In another case, a woman and her infant son were
shot dead in an act believed to be an ‘honour’ killing since she had married of her own
free will. The arrests made after the vani incident, while necessary, represent too little,
too late. The state must dismantle all panchayats practising such rulings, establish
proactive police monitoring in vulnerable areas, and swiftly prosecute all involved in such
‘verdicts’. The KP government must establish specialised units to identify and prevent
vani before it occurs, rather than merely responding to tragedies. Educational campaigns
are essential, but meaningless without enforcement. More must be done. A father should
not have to end his life to protect his daughter in a nation of laws.
Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2025

Shocking ambush
THE chilling ambush of the Jaffar Express on Tuesday by terrorists is a rude wake-up
call, reminding us of the state’s shrinking writ in Balochistan.
Late Wednesday evening, the military confirmed the counterterrorism operation was over.
But the fact that BLA terrorists were able to waylay and hijack the train carrying hundreds
of passengers, as well as security men, in a desolate region is terrifying. Passengers have
recounted distressing accounts about how they survived the traumatic experience. This
is not the first time this particular train has been singled out; the suicide bombing last year

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at Quetta railway station also targeted the Jaffar Express. The fact is that in Balochistan
freedom of movement has been greatly curtailed, with militants able to hijack trains and
block highways.
The time for platitudes is over. Balochistan needs a solid security plan to ensure its people
can live in peace, and carry on with their lives without the fear of violence. Up till now, the
state has failed to do its duty on these counts. While there have been CT operations
carried out in the province, resulting in the martyrdom of security men, no long-term
stability has been achieved through these actions.
This means that the state must review its strategy. For one, there can be no more no-go
areas and ungoverned spaces where militants run fiefdoms. The state must exercise its
writ over the entire province. Secondly, the military has confirmed that the terrorists who
attacked the Jaffar Express were in contact with “supporters and masterminds” in
Afghanistan. Pakistan must forcefully take this matter up at the diplomatic level with the
Afghan Taliban regime, while other hostile states must also be warned not to indulge in
misadventures. There can be no compromise on internal security. The sophistication of
the attack indicates that the separatists likely had support from experienced external
players.
Beyond kinetic actions, there must be sincere efforts to address the root causes of
Balochistan’s misery that are exploited by separatists. These include enforced
disappearances, the province’s appalling socioeconomic indicators, and curbs on political
activity. While no cause can justify atrocities that target civilians, many voices — including
this paper’s — have been raising these issues for years. But those who make and execute
policies in this country are not listening.
Security and the rule of law are essential. Lasting peace in Balochistan, however, can
only come when there is good governance, the province’s people have a share in its
mineral wealth and other resources, and the genuine representatives of the inhabitants
are allowed to take the democratic process forward. The Jaffar Express assault shows
that time may be running out before the separatist insurgency spreads further. The rulers
must act now to save Balochistan.
Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2025

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Suffocating crisis
THREE of the five countries with the most polluted air on Earth are in South Asia. They
include Pakistan, which has earned itself the unwanted bronze medal in the rankings,
coming behind Chad in Africa and Bangladesh. The country’s annual average
concentration of PM2.5 stands at a staggering 73.7 micrograms per cubic metre,
according to the World Air Quality Report published by IQAir, a Swiss air-quality firm. That
is nearly 15 times the level deemed acceptable by the WHO. The situation is particularly
bad in urban centres. Lahore crossed the 100μg/m³ threshold for the first time since 2018.
November saw five cities exceed 200μg/m³, while December recorded nine cities above
120μg/m³. Such toxic air had great ramifications: school closures, shuttered public spaces
and hospitals overwhelmed with respiratory cases.
A noxious cocktail of factors drives this crisis. Agricultural stubble burning meets
temperature inversions in winter months, trapping pollutants at ground level. Brick kilns,
operating with antiquated technology, spew particulates skyward. Industrial facilities,
many operating without proper emissions controls, add to the miasma. Vehicular
emissions from ageing transport fleet further thicken the haze. Regional dynamics
complicate matters. Pollution recognises no borders, and events like Diwali celebrations
in India contribute to transboundary contamination. Yet pointing fingers across frontiers
offers little relief to citizens choking on toxic air. The government’s response offers a case
study in policy incoherence. Efforts to regulate brick kilns have been sporadic and poorly
enforced. Public transport initiatives remain underfunded. Air quality monitoring networks
are patchy at best, leaving citizens in an information vacuum about the dangers they face.
What Pakistan needs is a national clean air policy that matches the scale of the crisis.
Declaring air pollution an emergency would be a start, followed by the creation of a
dedicated regulatory body with genuine enforcement powers. Market-based mechanisms
could accelerate the adoption of cleaner technologies, complemented by stricter
emissions standards. The farm sector requires alternatives to stubble burning, potentially
through waste-to-energy programmes that turn a pollution problem into an opportunity.
The economic costs of inaction are substantial. Lost productivity from illness, premature
deaths and diminished cognitive function among children represent a drag on our already
struggling economy. Pakistan must act decisively or resign itself to its citizens perpetually
gasping for breath.
Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2025

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Captive grid
IT is a common practice: the government makes commitments with global lenders for their
money and then tries to wriggle out of them when faced with pressure from powerful
lobbies that might be affected. Previously, it would find a way around the agreed reforms.
But no longer. On Tuesday, it had to notify a grid levy of Rs791/mmBtu on all supplies of
domestic gas and imported LNG to captive power plants as required under the ongoing
IMF programme. The policymakers had been delaying the levy under pressure from the
wealthy textile lobby but were forced to notify it after the visiting IMF mission, currently
scrutinising progress on the present loan agreement, took a “tough stance”.
The new levy raises the gas prices for captive power by 23pc to Rs4,291 and comes on
top of the recent increase of Rs500 to meet power sector restructuring benchmarks under
the IMF loan. The idea behind making gas supplies expensive for captive power is to
discourage cheaper self-generation by the industry, and force it to switch to grid power
for its electricity needs to boost consumption of excess grid electricity for long-term power
sector viability. The shift will deprive the industries of a cheaper energy source, making
exports more expensive. However, it will potentially lead to an average reduction of Rs2
per unit for every consumer linked with the grid, a goal for which Aptma and FPCCI had
launched a campaign against the IPPs. Besides, it must force textile exporters to invest
in plant efficiencies, and move towards value-added products for higher export earnings.
Simultaneously, distribution companies will have to invest in their networks to ensure
reliable supplies to industrial users apart from expanding to areas where factories still
cannot access the grid. That said, the government needs to urgently come up with a plan
to reduce the burden of Rs1.5 per unit on grid users due to its bad rooftop green metering
policy for affluent segments of society.
Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2025

Cohesive response
WITH a long history of terrorist attacks in the country, it is a pity that, instead of taking
steps to pre-empt, or at least minimise, them, the government begins to calibrate some
kind of a response only after the event.
A day after the terrorist hijacking of the Jaffar Express ended, Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif headed to Quetta on Wednesday to take stock of matters, while the Foreign Office
shared details of external involvement in the incident. Mr Sharif reiterated the need for
national unity at this time of crisis, and acknowledged that the lack of development in
Balochistan was an obstacle to eliminating terrorism. The FO, meanwhile, reaffirmed the

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military’s earlier assertion that the train hijacking had been coordinated from Afghanistan,
while adding that “India is … sponsoring terrorism” in Pakistan.
The state needs to make it amply clear to foreign actors seeking to harm Pakistan that
their efforts will be thwarted. Earlier, the government had repeatedly been raising
concerns about the Afghan Taliban’s lack of action regarding TTP sanctuaries in
Afghanistan. Now, it must strongly take up the issue of BLA terrorists being allowed to
entrench themselves across the border and plan attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban should
know that unless action is taken against all anti-Pakistan terrorists on Afghan soil, bilateral
ties will not improve.
Similarly, Indian involvement in stirring trouble in Balochistan is not unknown. The
Kulbhushan Jadhav episode, and the dossier that Pakistan handed to the UN, detailing
India’s malign activities, should not be forgotten. It is regrettable that India has yet to learn
to live like a responsible neighbour, and refrain from attempts to destabilise regional
states.
The PM must follow up his visit with action. His mention of development is important, but
along with kinetic measures, a national reconciliation effort to bring Balochistan in from
the cold is required — an effort which should be led by parliament in particular, and the
political class in general. While there is a visible security angle to the Balochistan crisis,
at its heart it is a political problem, which needs a political solution. Of course, there can
be no justification for terrorism, and Pakistan’s territorial integrity is a red line. But a solely
militarised response has failed to deliver, which is why counterterrorism efforts must be
complemented by political outreach in Balochistan.
Nationalists who believe in working within constitutional parameters must be allowed to
spearhead the political process in the province, while lawmakers from across the country
must stand in solidarity with Balochistan and its people, pledging that they will be given
the security, development and rights that all Pakistanis should have. Several ‘Balochistan
packages’ have been launched previously. This time, the state and politicians must move
beyond clichés, and pursue a lasting solution.

Agriculture tax
THE changes in the provincial agriculture income tax laws aimed at aligning their rates
with the federal corporate and personal tax regime was the easier part. The harder part
is the effective collection of the tax. This is the part that the visiting IMF mission, which is
scrutinising the progress on the benchmark targets of its funding programme, has been
discussing with the centre and provinces. The collection of agriculture income tax under
the new legislations is scheduled to start from July. But none of the provincial

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governments appear to have the capacity or apparatus needed to effectively levy the new
rates. Perhaps the issue is politically too explosive for them, especially Punjab and Sindh,
that together contribute more than 90pc of the country’s farm output, to implement the tax
anytime soon. This is despite the fact that effective taxation of agriculture income is a core
condition of the IMF bailout and part of the overall tax system reforms. “…[T]he provinces
will take steps to increase their own tax collection efforts … [on] agriculture income tax”,
says the loan agreement.
How important farm tax collection is for the IMF can be gauged from the fact that the
Fund’s review mission has spent nearly two days engaging individually with the provinces
and holding a joint technical workshop to explore the way forward for an effective and
uniform collection of this levy. Seemingly, all the provinces are in the same boat as far as
their preparedness for agriculture income tax collection is concerned. This is not
surprising given the fact that none of the provinces have ever prepared themselves for
this task because it involves strong resistance from the growers’ lobby in the assemblies.
Neither PML-N nor the PPP would risk losing their support by enforcing the law in the
near future. Moreover, the effective enforcement of the tax requires capacity building of
revenue officials to assess farm incomes that vary from region to region and crop to crop,
digitisation of the land record, etc. Its collection will also be a challenge because a large
portion of the agriculture market in the country functions outside the documented
economy, and transactions are conducted in cash. While it is important for the IMF to
continue to insist on early enforcement, it must also help develop a comprehensive
framework for implementation.
Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2025

Closing the gap

PAKISTAN continues to struggle with gender inequality in its labour market. A new report
by the ILO shows just how disparate incomes in the country’s workforce are. Women earn
a mere Rs750 for every Rs1,000 that men make per hour of work, representing a 25pc
gender pay gap that rises to 30pc when calculated on monthly wages. This places our
gender wage inequality among the highest in the region, significantly worse than Sri
Lanka (22pc), Nepal (18pc), and Bangladesh (-5pc). What is particularly troubling is that
this disparity cannot be explained by differences in education, skills or job sectors. The
vast majority of the gap is attributable to what the ILO diplomatically terms “unexplained
factors” — more plainly, discrimination. This discrimination is most pronounced in informal
and household employment sectors, where the pay gap exceeds 40pc.

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There are, however, rays of hope. The gender pay gap has decreased from 33pc in 2018
to 25pc in 2021. More importantly, the gap nearly disappears in the formal economy and
public sector, where labour laws are more rigorously enforced. This contrast offers a clear
roadmap for addressing the problem. Pakistan needs to make certain that its provincial
legislation is updated to fully comply with ILO Convention No 100, ensuring that
“remuneration” encompasses all forms of compensation. Only Balochistan has explicitly
incorporated the principle of equal pay for work of equal value — other provinces must
follow suit and implement gender-neutral job evaluation systems. Additionally, the
limitations on female employment in certain sectors should be critically reviewed,
maternity leave policies harmonised, and childcare services expanded. Most crucially,
existing labour laws must be enforced through robust inspection systems. The economic
cost of gender inequality extends far beyond immediate wage differences. When half the
population faces systemic barriers to fair compensation, the entire economy suffers. The
path forward is clear; the question is whether we have the political will to take it.
Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2025

Revised solar policy

THE decision to significantly revise down buyback prices at which power distribution
companies purchase electricity from rooftop solar system owners is the correct step
towards energy price equity for all consumers.
Under the revised net-metering policy, distribution companies will buy unused surplus
solar electricity from net-metered consumers at Rs10 per unit, down by nearly 63pc from
Rs27, during the day while selling grid power to them for Rs42 during off-peak hours, and
Rs48 during peak hours (the prices are ‘net of applicable taxes’) or at the applicable rates
being paid by households connected to the national grid. The revised tariffs will apply to
new distributed solar or net-metered consumers; existing beneficiaries will shift under this
framework after the expiry of their seven-year contracts. Besides, net-metered consumers
would no longer be allowed to instal solar capacity exceeding their sanctioned load,
except for a 10pc cushion, compared to the current 50pc margin.
The revisions became necessary due to three factors. One, most rooftop solar power
owners have installed far more surplus solar power than they need for self-consumption.
This helps them export surplus electrons to the grid during the day, and import them after
sunset. Surplus electrons exported to distribution firms in winter are often reclaimed in
summer. It amounts to using the grid as a big storage battery while avoiding payment of
capacity charges and transmission costs on electricity consumption.

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Second, affluent urban net-metered households are causing a nine-paisa per unit impact
on average electricity cost which, the energy ministry says, could increase to Rs3.6 by
2034 if the policy is not changed. By the end of December 2024, the existing 283,000
rooftop solar owners had already transferred the burden of Rs159bn to those dependent
on grid power. Third, there are valid concerns that higher penetration of distributed solar
could put the infrastructure at risk of failure since most net-metered surplus loads are
concentrated in larger cities where rapid capacity expansion might compromise supply
stability.
It is but natural that the changes in the distributed solar policy, leading to the reduction in
buyback rates, and the shift to net billing from net metering, have come under criticism.
But the opprobrium generated by the policy revisions are misplaced because these will
increase the payback periods for consumers who have installed or planned to instal
oversized solar systems. The falling solar panel and equipment prices will keep the
payback period short despite tighter net-metering conditions, at least for those who have
just enough capacity for self-consumption despite the changes in the tariff structure for
distributed solar. Some may argue that the alterations in incentives will discourage rooftop
solarisation, but that is unlikely because solar power is still cheaper than the grid and
becoming more cost-effective as technology improves.
Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2025

Toxic prejudice
WITH far-right movements on the march across the world, it is no surprise that anti-
Muslim bias is witnessing high levels in many non-Muslim societies. Thus, as the world
observes the International Day to Combat Islamophobia today, there must be a renewed
pledge from governments across the world to fight toxic anti-Muslim prejudice, as well as
discrimination against believers of all faiths. The resolution to mark the day was adopted
by the UN General Assembly in 2022, and Pakistan was instrumental in the passage of
the document. However, despite the noble intentions of the resolution, Muslims across
the world continue to face different forms of violence. For example, UK-based group Tell
MAMA says there was a 73pc rise in Islamophobic assaults in Britain last year, while
CAIR, a Muslim advocacy group in America, says there were over 8,600 anti-Muslim and
anti-Arab incidents reported in 2024. However, Islamophobia is not just confined to the
West; Muslims in India have been enduring sustained attacks on their faith and traditions
during the BJP’s rule.
While, according to a UN expert, Islamophobia hit “epidemic proportions” in the aftermath
of the 9/11 attacks, today various causes are attributed to incidents of anti-Muslim hatred.

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Among these is the Israeli genocide in Gaza, supported by many Western states, which
has propelled anti-Muslim sentiment. Exploiting the conflict are far-right groups, which
paint Muslims as a dangerous minority out to destroy ‘our’ way of life. What is particularly
distressing is that in many places in Europe — Germany, Austria, the UK — these far-
right actors have made considerable gains at the ballot box. Meanwhile in the US, many
amongst President Donald Trump’s inner circle are known to harbour anti-Muslim views.
It is, then, no coincidence that Islamophobia in Western states has risen as xenophobic
forces have gained more political power. Big Tech, particularly Elon Musk, has also played
a role in demonising Muslims. To combat the rising tide of hate, governments must take
action against violent hatemongers who threaten peaceful Muslims, while as suggested
by the UN secretary general, online platforms must do more to tackle hate speech. It may
be Muslims today, but if the world remains silent, other racial and ethnic minorities will be
next on the hit list of far-right extremists. Therefore, all people of conscience need to
speak up against religious, racial and ethnic bigotry.
Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2025

Children in jails
PAKISTAN’S children in prison have often been treated like adult criminals. The Sindh
government’s programme to educate 4,684 children of convicted prisoners in the province
is a glimmer of light in a dark space. The scheme — an initiative of the education and
prisons departments and Paigham-i-Pakistan — offers complete educational support in
private and government institutions to children born in jails. But the government has to be
mindful of the fact that its failure to serve as a blanket policy for all juveniles will lead to
controversy. Statistics issued by the Sindh Prisons and Corrections Service in 2023
showed that 385 juvenile offenders — 106 of them under 16 years of age and 100 under
the age of 18 — languished in prisons across the province. Sadly, these numbers have
seen a substantial rise, yet their treatment indicates that they are not seen as the nation’s
children.
Children should not be in prison. To understand this, the authorities ought to delve deeper
into the psychology of jail where alienation and harsh conditions shape the young into
hardened offenders. Childhoods marred by poverty, abuse and being left out of school
often lead to serious violations; research shows that juveniles exposed to conventional
criminal justice systems are prone to repeating criminal behaviour. For worthy measures
to succeed, the government has to own and prioritise the young in conflict with the law by
ensuring stringent implementation of the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018, which says
that anyone under the age of 18 is to be seen as a child. Secondly, Sindh must establish
remand homes in each city. Currently, even the long sanctioned one in Nawabshah is not

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

operational. A reformative, rehabilitative environment with decent living conditions,

counselling, skill training and education may ensure that the jailed young are not
condemned to a life of deliquency. Impressionable minds exposed to apathy cannot
contribute to society.
Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2025

Fault lines
IT was a distressing spectacle, though a sadly predictable one. As the National Assembly
took up for discussion the recent hijacking of the Jaffar Express and the brutal killing of
several of its passengers by BLA terrorists, it was evident how much damage has been
wreaked on national unity by the gradual erosion of Pakistan’s democracy. Nursing some
bitter grievances, our elected representatives, instead of using the sessions to dissect
how this devastating incident occurred and debating parliament’s best response to it,
appeared more focused on political point-scoring than national interest. Their indifference
to the gravity of the moment was staggering as they traded accusations, instead of
capitalising on the occasion to present a united front against a common adversary. It was
particularly unfortunate that a federal minister, who ought to have been demonstrating a
much greater sense of responsibility considering the circumstances, instead accused the
main opposition party of ‘sympathising with terrorists’.
It was quite ironic that the minister in question was regretting that the incident had been
politicised by the opposition even as he did the very same himself with an unnecessarily
provocative speech. One may reasonably assume that this is precisely the kind of
divisiveness that the enemies of this country would like to see. It is also the kind of
distraction that will allow those responsible for preventing such a serious lapse of security
evade any real accountability for their shortcomings. The train hijacking should be a wake-
up call to those who have hitherto refused to acknowledge repeated warnings that the
state’s favoured policies have often spelt disaster in the long run. The nation needs to be
allowed to heal, and for that to happen, its powerful elites must stop attempting to divide
it constantly based on a few narrow interests. National unity cannot be built on words
alone — it demands accountability, vision, and an end to the politics of division.
Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2025

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Embracing crypto
IT seems a little prod was all it took for Pakistan to finally ‘embrace the future’. The
Pakistan Crypto Council has been formed as promised, mere weeks after a delegation
representing American interests in cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies called on
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to hawk its wares. According to a press handout,
the PCC will oversee the regulation and integration of blockchain technology and digital
assets into the country’s financial landscape. The Finance Division has declared the PCC
a “significant step in the country’s efforts to regulate and integrate blockchain technology
and digital assets into its financial landscape” while promising that “The council is set to
play a pivotal role in formulating policies, fostering innovation, and ensuring a secure and
forward-thinking approach to crypto adoption in Pakistan”. It sounds wonderful on paper,
but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. After all, the state is still quite devoted to the
idea of centralised control and conducting its business on paper, while the financial
system remains tightly regulated. It will be interesting to see how disruptive technologies
like blockchain and cryptocurrencies can be adopted in such an environment.
The absence of trained researchers and computer scientists from the PCC is another
area of concern. Given the number of snake oil salesmen in the cryptocurrency and
blockchain domains, one would expect a state-level authority to seek out the services of
experts who have actually helped develop these technologies to advise it about how they
may be capitalised on. Instead, the PCC, in its present form, seems to have only a single
individual who may be considered somewhat knowledgeable about blockchain
technology and cryptocurrencies, and while they seem experienced as a business and
marketing strategist, their profile does not mention any experience as either a developer
or researcher. It is hoped, therefore, that more technical experts will be included in the
Council as it expands. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have, no doubt,
shown immense promise in improving various aspects of our lives. However, the state
should resist hopping onto the bandwagon just because of the buzz. If it is serious about
establishing Pakistan as a major player in these technologies, it needs to include
scientists and technologists in the PCC so they can advise policy along with bankers,
regulators, legal advisers and business strategists.
Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2025

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After the review

THE successful conclusion of the first performance review of the IMF’s extended $7bn
funding programme for the first half of the fiscal year is a positive development for the
cash-strapped economy.
The end-of-mission statement acknowledges that “programme implementation has been
strong, and the discussions have made considerable progress in several areas”, including
fiscal consolidation for durable reduction in public debt, tight monetary policy to keep
inflation in check, energy sector reforms, the structural reform agenda to accelerate
growth, social protection, and health and education spending.
That the IMF and authorities here have “made significant progress towards reaching a
staff-level agreement on the first review” underlines that the talks did not encounter any
major impediment — a rare occasion in recent years where the lender has refrained from
imposing stricter conditions after scrutiny of its programmes in spite of delays in the
execution of certain goals and failure to meet benchmark targets.
However, this is where the story of the first review ends and future challenges begins. For
now, the IMF has apparently ignored some delays and slippages. Whether it will continue
to provide similar waivers on unmet goals over the remaining life of the bailout or start
tightening the screws will be known once the Memorandum of Economic and Fiscal
Policies is released by the lender and talks over the next budget conclude.
More worrisome is the increasing impatience with slow economic growth, as real estate
tycoons scramble to persuade the prime minister to push faster growth by granting yet
another tax amnesty and other concessions to the housing sector. The same group, which
had convinced Imran Khan’s government to allow a tax amnesty and lucrative incentives
for the construction industry, is now active, and trying to coax Shehbaz Sharif to grant it
something similar. Stepping into this trap would be suicidal, both economically and
politically.
Ordinary people have paid a heavy price because of such experiments and do not have
any strength to repeat them. The government would be doing them and itself a favour by
focusing solely on restructuring the economy, preparing it for durable growth by attracting
foreign private investments to boost productivity and exports rather than embarking on
wasteful misadventures.
So far the government is delaying any decisions on such proposals. But for how long?
Facing a formidable political challenge from the PTI in its stronghold of Punjab, it will
increasingly come under pressure from ‘pro-growth’ lobbies within its own ranks and from
outside in the coming months. Any unseen inflows from the Gulf could make it jettison the

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reforms agenda and pursue consumption-based growth. That would be nothing short of
a disaster for the country and its people.
Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2025

NAP revival
IT is clear that in the midst of a fresh wave of terrorism, particularly after the Jaffar Express
hijacking, the state cannot respond to the crisis using conventional approaches. Both the
Baloch separatist insurgency and the TTP campaign of terror are posing existential
threats to the nation, and if not handled with alacrity and foresight these violent anti-state
movements can do much damage to the country’s integrity. While discussing the details
of the Jaffar Express episode last week, the DG ISPR mentioned that if the 14 points of
the revised National Action Plan were focused on, “terrorism can be eradicated”. The
federal minister of state for interior made similar remarks in the National Assembly.
While the original NAP was formulated in 2014 after the APS Peshawar atrocity, the plan
was revised in 2021, highlighting kinetic and non-kinetic domains of the counterterrorism
blueprint. Where the Baloch insurgency and the TTP campaign are concerned, the kinetic
aspects of NAP are essential, as a state of insecurity is untenable, and all armed groups
that threaten peace must be neutralised. Yet successive governments, including the
current set-up, have not done enough to implement NAP’s non-kinetic measures. These
include supporting the reconciliation process in Balochistan, as well as overseeing
reforms in KP’s merged areas, which are hardest hit by the TTP insurgency. Unless action
in the field is complemented with social, economic and political efforts in the militancy-hit
parts of Balochistan and KP, led by the civilian administration, this bloody cycle of violence
will continue.
While addressing the briefing along with the DG ISPR, the Balochistan chief minister,
referring to the Jaffar Express ambush, said it was an act of terrorism, while dismissing
the economic and political grievances behind the violent action. He is only partially right.
There is no doubt that the train hijacking was a terrorist act, as innocent people were
targeted. The state must therefore go after all those involved in this crime. But the fact is
that Balochistan’s socioeconomic misery is undeniable. Parts of the province live in
mediaeval poverty, especially compared to urban centres in other parts of the country.
This is despite the fact that the province sits on a treasure of mineral wealth. It is this
deprivation, and the lack of political freedom for genuine Baloch leaders, that the terrorists
exploit. Therefore, the non-kinetic aspects of NAP cannot be ignored in order to establish
a lasting peace. The reconciliation process, involving those ready to give up their arms
should be given a renewed push by political elements from across Pakistan. Certain red

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lines are in order — for instance, there can be no compromise on Pakistan’s territorial
solidarity and the supremacy of the Constitution. Within these parameters, an organic
political process can bring Balochistan back from the abyss.
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025

New reality
THE US retreat from global climate finance commitments could not have come at a worse
time. Pakistan faces an imminent water crisis threatening our wheat harvest. Irsa’s
warning that Punjab and Sindh — our primary breadbaskets — may face up to 35pc water
shortages as the Tarbela and Mangla dams approach dead levels illustrates the
immediate challenges we face. These reservoirs, critical to our agricultural infrastructure,
are depleting rapidly just when the wheat crop requires its final watering before harvest.
With lower-than-targeted wheat sowing already a concern due to shifting policies,
Pakistan now confronts a perfect storm of food security threats exacerbated by climate
instability. Against this backdrop, the international climate finance landscape is crumbling.
The pledge made at COP29 to boost climate finance to $300bn annually by 2035 was
already deemed inadequate. Now, with the US — responsible for about 10pc of the
$116bn provided in 2022, according to OECD figures — stepping back, our options for
adaptation funding narrow considerably. Our recent history tells a grim story: devastating
floods that submerged a third of our country in 2022, unprecedented heatwaves, glacial
melt threatening our water security, and now agricultural disruptions jeopardising our food
security. The burden is shifting primarily to the EU, but the bloc faces its own challenges:
budget constraints, US tariffs, increased military spending, and the rise of right-wing
populism hostile to climate policies. With major donors like the UK, France, and Germany
announcing aid cuts, Pakistan must reckon with a harsh new reality.
So, what options do we have? First, we must implement immediate water conservation
measures across all sectors, particularly agriculture, which consumes over 90pc of our
water resources. Drip irrigation, laser land levelling, and water-efficient crop varieties
must be prioritised and subsidised. Second, we must strengthen regional climate
alliances. Cooperation with other South Asian nations could amplify our collective voice
at global fora, leading to shared technological solutions for climate adaptation. Third,
Pakistan must accelerate domestic resource mobilisation specifically for climate-resilient
infrastructure. This includes exploring green bonds, carbon taxation on heavy emitters,
and climate adaptation financing mechanisms that do not rely exclusively on foreign
assistance. The path ahead is undeniably challenging. Yet, our survival and the food
security of our population depends on confronting this new reality.

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Killer traffic
MYSTERIOUS and unstoppable. It is these words that perhaps best describe the recent
surge in traffic-related accidents in Karachi, which has also caught the attention of the
chairman of the ruling party in the province. With citizens of the port city perishing at the
hands of reckless drivers seemingly on a daily basis, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-
Zardari has reportedly instructed the Sindh government to go “all out” to curb further
incidents. But what does “all out” mean? The Karachi police have so far appeared
helpless when it comes to containing the menace. They also have no plausible
explanation to offer for the sudden and inexplicable rise in the incidence of deadly
accidents. While the city police have set up an official body to analyse road accidents,
perhaps they should be looking inward as well.
It does not seem unreasonable to assume that the roots of the problem may lie in routine
policing and regulatory failures metastasizing over the years into a major public safety
issue. The enforcement of traffic regulations has, after all, been traditionally lax in the city,
while the standard for issuing driver’s licences has also never been strict enough. The
result is that there now seems to be a worryingly large number of people behind the wheel
who lack adequate road sense or the capacity to responsibly operate their vehicles. Those
on the road also often seem to lack respect for traffic police. The rampant ‘chai paani’
culture has allowed people to view traffic rules and regulations as ‘optional’ since there
are very rarely any serious consequences for breaking them. Therefore, while the police
are free to explore other reasons for the recent rise in traffic fatalities, they must also
acknowledge these systemic failings and address them. Public anger has been brewing
at the unchecked death toll. The police must respond with immediate and visible action.
Otherwise, this situation could turn ugly.
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025

A new direction
WITH the security situation in Balochistan and KP rapidly deteriorating, Pakistan’s civil
and military leadership must come up with a new plan to effectively deal with all aspects
of the respective insurgencies.
This will be the main focus of today’s meeting of the parliamentary panel on national
security. The in-camera huddle will feature the prime minister and army chief, all four chief
ministers as well as cabinet members and representatives of political parties.

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The threat to national integrity is significant, and this is no time for partisan politics; the
state and its institutions must listen to all shades of opinion in order to formulate a holistic
counterterrorism and peacebuilding policy.
While the TTP-led terrorist campaign mostly affecting KP has been steadily gaining
momentum since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul, the separatist insurgency
piloted by the banned BLA now appears to have large parts of Balochistan firmly in its
grip.
This shocking reality was brought home by last week’s bloody hijacking of the Jaffar
Express, and the subsequent targeting of security men in Noshki. There is a long list of
other major and minor terrorist incidents in the province. When the lawmakers, generals
and politicians meet in Islamabad behind closed doors today, it is these grave threats to
national security that will dominate the agenda.
The easiest course to pursue would be the kinetic response. But while this may
temporarily disable violent actors, it will not address the underlying factors that have
provided ideological fuel to these insurgencies: poverty, underdevelopment, lack of justice
and the resultant alienation from the state. These factors, as highlighted by the non-kinetic
dimensions of the National Action Plan, need equal attention.
Of course, securing territory and eliminating threats to peace are prerequisites for any
plan to succeed. But unless the civilian arm of the state complements the kinetic
dimension of CT operations with political efforts and meaningful development work, the
gains in the field will be unsustainable.
Moreover, it is essential that all political forces are included in national CT and
peacebuilding efforts. Accusing some parties of being ‘anti-national’ and supporting the
militants’ narrative is counterproductive. Helpful critique should be heard with open minds.
The present course of action has failed to bring peace to Balochistan and KP, hence fresh
approaches are required. Having said that, opposition parties should also refrain from
scoring political points, and, instead, bring constructive criticism to the discussion.
The blueprint to contain violence and forge a more peaceful path exists in the shape of
NAP. Now, all stakeholders must display the vision and the will to implement the
document’s points, combining force where required with political reconciliation in order to
bring peace to Balochistan, KP and the rest of Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2025

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BTK settlement
WHEREVER the money goes, controversy follows. The PMLN-led federal government,
which recently announced that it will be using ‘190m pounds’, originally repatriated by the
UK’s National Crime Agency under a settlement agreement with property tycoon Malik
Riaz, to build a university in Islamabad, is being criticised for not using that money to
support existing public sector universities that have been suffering an acute funding crisis.
The sum, which totals some 35bn in Pakistani rupees, could have helped bridge the
Rs60bn shortfall faced by the Higher Education Commission this year, informed
stakeholders say. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif intends to use that money to
set up the Daanish University of Emerging Sciences, which appears to be an extension
of the Daanish Schools project he initiated as chief minister of Punjab, and which is
closely associated with his name. The irony of funds tied to PTI leader Imran Khan’s Al
Qadir University now being used for a different ‘political’ university project cannot be
missed. It is undoubtedly hypocritical that what this government had spent months
arguing were ‘public funds’ are now being used to build its own political capital.
It is worth recalling that this money, a little more than half of the total deposited in the
Supreme Court’s accounts on behalf of Bahria Town for its BTK housing project, had been
allocated to the federal government by the apex court in November 2023. The remaining
Rs30bn was handed over to the Sindh government despite severe apprehensions about
the provincial government and its departments’ central role in facilitating Bahria Town and
abetting its unlawful activities, as established in the original judgement in the BTK case.
Meanwhile, six years after its settlement with the Supreme Court, Bahria Town remains
in default of the agreement. There is no clarity about how much it still owes the Supreme
Court and whether it can or will pay the dues. The apex court and the government, too,
have not been very clear about how the BTK judgement is to be enforced. The settlement
was to expire in August 2026, by which time the developer was supposed to have paid
Rs460bn in instalments, along with 4pc mark-up on all late payments. It had paid only a
small fraction as of late 2023, having unilaterally suspended further payments after the
£190m were credited, claiming it was being penalised ‘unfairly’.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2025

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Sugar crisis
GREED knows no bounds. But the avarice of those involved in the sugar business —
from manufacturers to retailers — in Pakistan is legendary. The powerful sugar cartel is
known for using its political clout to extort concessions from every government to make
large amounts of money, in times of both shortages and surpluses. Nothing has ever
stopped them from profiteering at the expense of unprotected consumers. This is in spite
of evidence of the existence of a large grey market and significant tax theft by mill owners
and traders. An FIA inquiry against mill owners and wholesale distributors, following the
eruption of a sudden sugar crisis during the tenure of Imran Khan, recommended several
actions to be implemented across the supply chain to regulate the sugar trade and prevent
the recurrence of such events. However, the suggested measures never took off.
Retail sugar prices have again experienced an abnormal, rapid surge from Rs130 per
kilogram to Rs180 since January. This is despite the ongoing crushing season and the
industry’s commitment to the government not to let retail rates go up beyond Rs140-145
in return for permission to export their excess stocks last year. Instead of holding the
manufacturers to their promise, or addressing the underlying structural issues driving the
periodic price volatility, the government responded by announcing plans to import raw
sugar. The present price hike is not resulting from any shortages in the market. Importing
the sweetener and subsidising it at Ramazan bazaars are only temporary and expensive
solutions. We cannot address the long-standing issue of sharp periodic price spikes and
fluctuations without undertaking comprehensive policy reforms and effective market
regulation. It is time the government completely deregulated the sugar trade, and stopped
market intervention by fixing cane crop and sugar prices as well as controlling the
commodity’s import and export. Let the market determine the retail sugar prices, and the
margins for manufacturers and traders.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2025

Genocide resumes
TWO months after a ceasefire temporarily suspended their slaughter, the people of Gaza
once again confronted genocidal Israeli violence early on Tuesday. Over 400 Palestinians
have been killed in the latest Israeli atrocities, many of them women and children, and
chances of the truce’s survival are very slim.
Tel Aviv’s troops may reportedly return to the devastated Strip, and though Hamas and
other armed Palestinian factions have not yet retaliated, if Israel continues its butchery,
any chances of a renewed ceasefire will vaporise. After all, the Israeli prime minister has

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

indicated that the latest phase of violence may be open-ended, and with the US
administration firmly backing the slaughter, a return to relative calm seems impossible.
There were always doubts about Israel’s sincerity towards long-term peace with the
Palestinians in general, and Gaza in particular. While the ceasefire held for two months,
in the last few weeks Israel had stopped all aid from entering the Strip. Hamas wanted
discussions about a long-term truce and a full Israeli withdrawal, but Tel Aviv insisted all
the remaining hostages be released first.
It is safe to say that these were ruses, and Israel was waiting for an excuse to restart the
massacre. If it had been serious about the welfare of its hostages, the Israeli government
would have taken many earlier chances to stop fighting and bring back its people alive.
But the extermination of the Palestinian people seemed to be Tel Aviv’s primary objective,
one that it has again begun to pursue with vigour as the violence unleashed on Tuesday
shows.
Looking ahead, it appears that the Palestinian people will again be left defenceless in the
face of merciless brutality. Moreover, the US has begun threatening Palestinian allies,
indicating that the conflict may once again spread to the far corners of the Middle East.
Over the past few days, Washington had bombed Yemen ostensibly to target the pro-Iran
Houthi movement, which had enforced a blockade in the Red Sea before the Gaza
ceasefire in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Over 50 people died in the Yemen
attacks, including civilians. American President Donald Trump has also threatened to hold
Iran responsible for “every shot fired by the Houthis”.
It seems that the isolationist MAGA wing has been drowned out by the warmongering
neocon and Zionist factions of Mr Trump’s support base, and he may be preparing to take
his nation into a fresh Middle East conflagration, all in the defence of Israel. While efforts
should be made to restore the Gaza ceasefire and calm regional tensions, it appears that
Tel Aviv and Washington are not in the mood for peace. Before the ceasefire, a greater
Middle East conflict was narrowly averted; this time we may not be so lucky.
Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025

Strength in unity
WILL it count as an opportunity lost? Given the sharp escalation in militant violence in
recent weeks, some had hoped that Tuesday’s high-level huddle on national security
would be followed by a message of hope and unity for those suffering and a resolve to
meet the menace of terrorism as one nation. Perhaps one should have foreseen the bitter
dynamics of Pakistan’s ongoing political crisis precluding this possibility. Major opposition

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

parties eventually decided to skip the meeting, dimming the prospect of the political
leadership presenting a unified front on this occasion. The committee’s post-meeting
statement, too, revealed that matters had not moved beyond the “need for a national
consensus to repel terrorism, [and] emphasising strategic and unified political
commitment to confront this menace with the full might of the state”. To its credit, the
committee chose to leave the door open, noting in its statement that “the committee
members […] regretted the lack of participation by some opposition members and
reiterated that the consultation process in this regard would continue”. It is hoped that the
next attempt to get the civilian leadership on the same page will be more successful.
Meanwhile, both the government and opposition deserve censure. First, the Tehreek
Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan coalition was wrong to make one person the central issue at
a time when the spectre of militancy looms over almost half the country. The points raised
by the leaders of the PTI and TTAP might have merited discussion, but they did not justify
boycotting this important meeting. Lawmakers represent not just their political party, but
also the people of the constituency from where they are elected. That is why, in matters
of national import, political allegiances should be left at parliament’s door. That said, the
government also deserves criticism for not showing more flexibility. The PTI skipped the
meeting because it said it was not allowed to consult its founder before the session — a
stance its jailed leader reportedly endorsed. While the matter was not about political
negotiations, and the PTI could have easily opted to attend a meeting on national security,
the government should have made a strong attempt to persuade the disgruntled
opposition to participate, instead of criticising it for non-cooperation. After all, it is the
government’s duty to reach out to even its rivals in the interest of national unity.
Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025

NFC weightage
THE NFC Award has long been in need of an overhaul. The government’s proposal to
bring down the weightage of population in the distribution mechanism is a welcome one.
For too long, the disproportionate emphasis on population size — an overwhelming 82pc
of the formula — has incentivised unchecked population growth while no meaningful
improvement is witnessed in public welfare, particularly health and education. A more
balanced approach, which considers factors such as poverty, revenue generation and
regional backwardness, is essential for equitable and sustainable development. Pakistan
has one of the world’s highest population growth rates at 2.8pc and cannot afford a
distribution system that encourages further expansion at the expense of progress. Our
dilapidated health infrastructure highlights the failure of our approach. Instead of

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reinforcing an outdated model, a revised NFC formula must ensure that resources are
allocated where they can yield the greatest impact.
While the need to disincentivise rapid population growth is undeniable, merely adjusting
the NFC formula will not curb birth rates. Social determinants such as poverty, illiteracy
and inadequate healthcare will need policy interventions. That said, reducing population
weightage can impose fiscal discipline on provinces and compel them to expand their
revenue base rather than solely relying on federal handouts. Critics may argue that
changing the formula represents an attempt by the centre to claw back resources from
provinces. However, one must also consider that a recalibrated NFC Award would reduce
the financial burden on the centre to play a more effective role in national health and
population policy. Moreover, as these pages have previously noted, provinces themselves
would be willing to renegotiate provincial-sharing criteria. The desire for adjustment is not
the issue. It is the government’s reluctance to convene comprehensive NFC talks since
2015. It is time for the centre and provinces to engage in meaningful dialogue to craft a
fairer, more efficient resource distribution framework.
Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025

Victim complex
INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent comments to an American podcaster
regarding the Pakistan-India relationship are detached from reality and reflect a highly
selective reading of the history of the nearly eight-decade-old dispute.
While the relationship has been marked by great complexity, with mostly lows and a few
highs since partition, Mr Modi painted Pakistan as the villain of the piece, with India the
innocent victim of Islamabad’s conniving schemes. The reality is quite different. Mistakes
have been made by both sides, but in the recent past it has been India that has been
resisting Pakistan’s overtures for peace. As the Foreign Office put it, the Indian PM’s
remarks were “misleading and one-sided”.
Mr Modi seemed ‘hurt’ that Pakistan had engaged in a ‘proxy war’ against his country,
and that Islamabad replied to his personal attempts to mend fences with “hostility”.
Interestingly, while the podcast appeared to be nothing more than an attempt at Pakistan-
bashing and reimagining history, the Indian leader offered no way towards peace.
It is clear, therefore, that it is not Pakistan but India that is not interested in harmony in
South Asia. This country has been advocating dialogue, while India refuses to even play
cricket in Pakistan, as the recent debacle over the Champions Trophy illustrated. Pakistan
indeed has its flaws, and mistakes have been made by the state in the past, such as

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

letting certain groups indulge in cross-border adventurism. But times have changed, and
these are matters of the past.
Moreover, it should be remembered that India has also encouraged cross-border
terrorism in Pakistan, particularly targeting Balochistan through its malign activities. And
Pakistan is not alone; the Indian security apparatus has spread its tentacles to the West,
deploying assassins in Canada and the US to target Sikh activists.
Therefore, Indian foreign policy, particularly under the BJP’s watch, is not exactly guided
by ahimsa, but by active meddling in the affairs of sovereign states. Mr Modi should also
have recalled the role of his own intelligence operatives in destabilising Pakistan while
blaming this country for not playing nice.
The truth is that from sabotaging Saarc and trying to isolate Pakistan diplomatically to
constantly raising the bogey of cross-border terrorism, it is India that has rebuffed
Pakistan’s efforts to make peace. Instead of criticising Pakistan publicly, India needs to
revisit its own negative approach.
If New Delhi is sincere about bringing peace to South Asia, let it agree to an unconditional
dialogue with Islamabad about all irritants. If India has plaints against Pakistan, this
country also has a long list of grievances against its eastern neighbour. The only way to
bring lasting peace is to launch uninterrupted and uninterruptible dialogue to address all
issues. Is India ready?
Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2025

LSM decline
THE slump in large-scale manufacturing amidst the adjustments the economy is forced
to make in order to stay afloat comes as no surprise. With economic growth rates having
nearly bottomed in recent years, big industry output has grown negatively since July 2022,
barring a few months of a slight uptick in LSM output. Although economic activity has
gained some traction as underlined by high-frequency indicators, including the sale of
automobiles, POL products and cement, as well as import volumes and credit to the
private sector, the real sector remains under stress. Multiple factors — the high cost of
credit, heavy taxation, a steep surge in domestic power and gas prices, dollar liquidity
crunch leading to unspoken curbs on imports, declining cotton production, etc — are
dragging down LSM growth. Further, the use of fertilisers is decreasing and people are
spending less on food and beverages. Likewise, the construction industry slowdown has
had a harsh impact on iron and steel output. That said, certain sectors like textiles and

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

cement have shown a slight uptick due to a modest rise in exports, and automobiles sales
are recovering on a low base effect.
Overall, big industry recorded a negative growth of 1.78pc during the first seven months
of the current fiscal year from a year ago. In FY24, LSM had contracted 0.03pc compared
to a 0.92pc growth in the preceding year. No doubt there is reason to be worried about
the country’s declining LSM output. However, we cannot expect big industry to grow when
the entire economy is in slow mode, despite the reduced volatility that has created a
semblance of stability and slight recovery, supported by IMF funding, over the last one
and a half years. Inflation is down but significant risks remain; the current account is in
surplus because of a record increase in remittances, but pressures on the external
account are re-emerging due to rising imports and weakening foreign private and official
capital flows. The recent recovery notwithstanding, Pakistan’s economy lacks the strength
to walk let alone run. Any push to accelerate industrial growth at the moment would land
us into deeper trouble. The only way forward is to shed our old habits of achieving growth
through imported consumption, while sticking to a slow-growth mode until the pro-growth
reforms agenda is implemented to remove structural issues that are pulling down the
industry.
Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2025

Education interrupted
THE sudden closure of major universities in Balochistan, ostensibly due to ‘security
concerns’, marks another blow to a student population already living under the shadow
of apathy and marginalisation. At the time of writing, the University of Balochistan, Sardar
Bahadur Khan Women University, and University of Turbat had suspended on-campus
activities indefinitely, leaving thousands of students in academic limbo. The proposed
solution — online classes —would be laughable if it were not so tragically disconnected
from the reality of Balochistan. In a province where reliable internet access is a luxury
rather than a basic utility, how can students participate in online education? The casual
assurance that students from areas with connectivity problems will receive ‘concessions’
fails to address the basic inequity.
These closures follow a disturbing pattern of state indifference towards students. For
years, we have witnessed Baloch students from campuses across Pakistan being
‘disappeared’, their education and lives disrupted under the guise of national security.
Now, even within their home province, their right to education faces further erosion. While
the violence, including the recent attack on the Jaffar Express, across the province are
deeply concerning, the government must address root causes rather than punish innocent

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

students. Shutting down educational institutions only deepens the alienation and
resentment that fuel unrest in the first place. For Balochistan’s youth, these closures
represent more than just missed lectures. They symbolise the state’s continued
unwillingness to invest in the province’s human capital and future. The state must
recognise that genuine security cannot be achieved by sacrificing education. Rather than
closing universities, it should address the legitimate grievances of Baloch students while
providing adequate security measures that allow campuses to function. Most importantly,
any temporary shift to online learning must be accompanied by immediate investments in
digital infrastructure across the province. Balochistan’s youth deserve the same
educational opportunities afforded to students across Pakistan — and the dignity of being
treated as citizens whose futures matter.
Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2025

Personal priorities
IT has been a pattern. Ever since it returned to power in 2022, the ruling PML-N has
allocated tens of billions from public funds each year to the Sustainable Development
Goals Achievement Programme, ostensibly to shore up its own and allied parties’ sagging
political fortunes.
SAP, as the programme is referred to, is the cover given to political development schemes
sanctioned and overseen by parliamentarians in their respective constituencies. Such
schemes have a long and controversial history and have been criticised as misuse of
public resources by lawmakers, who often seek to use them to advance personal aims.
Pet projects launched by them have often been found to be poorly conceived, ripe for
exploitation and misaligned with the country’s overall development priorities.
Despite these concerns, the budget for such projects has been jacked up considerably in
recent years. It has also been observed that SAP funds have been utilised to the greatest
extent possible even when ministry-run development projects have faced sharp cutbacks.
At a time when the country’s economy is sagging, the climate wreaking havoc, and its
people doing demonstrably worse each year on social indicators, whatever fiscal space
there is for development spending should be utilised wisely and carefully. Regrettably, the
government has been acting contrary to these principles. Instead of requiring all
development projects to be requisitioned with detailed proposals and feasibility reports,
as projects executed at the state level should be, it recently relaxed the rules to ensure
that SAP funds are released without too many questions asked of lawmakers. It has now
come to light that almost 96pc of SAP funds had been released by end February, within

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

a few weeks of the SAP allocation being doubled from what was originally budgeted for
the ongoing fiscal year. The logic of doing so deserves to be probed.
What makes it doubly problematic is that these disbursements have been made at a time
when the country is facing a massive budgetary shortfall and has sharply curtailed
spending under various important heads to remain within its means. Seen along with the
eye-watering, almost 300pc increase in parliamentarians’ salaries approved around the
same time, it raises valid concerns about the government’s priorities and whether it is
managing Pakistan’s finances in the best interests of its citizens.
Factor in that legislators’ schemes, like much else, are being financed with expensive
debt, and one gets an alarming picture of fiscal mismanagement at the highest levels of
decision-making. One wonders how this helps the country’s case before the various
institutions and friendly countries our government keeps turning to for handouts and
loans. There was a time when the ruling class would at least worry about the optics of
their decisions. Not anymore, it seems.
Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2025

Inheritance rights
THE Federal Shariat Court’s ruling that it is un-Islamic to deprive a woman of her right to
inheritance is a watershed moment in Pakistan’s struggle for gender equality. For
generations, women across the country have been systematically denied what is rightfully
theirs, through coercion, social pressure and outright criminality. Although clear religious
injunctions, as well as legal protections exist, numerous exploitative customs rob women
of their share in property. The most common of these is haq bakhshwana, where women
are forced to sign away their inheritance in favour of male relatives. In order to keep the
property within the family, many women are married to their paternal cousins or forced
into exchange marriages (watta satta). In extreme cases, women are symbolically
‘married’ to the Quran to permanently exclude them from any inheritance — an appalling
distortion of religious beliefs. Women who insist on claiming their inheritance face threats,
social stigma, or even violence. They may be labelled as greedy or disloyal and accused
of breaking family ties. Some families sever ties with daughters or sisters who demand
their share, making it an emotionally and socially costly battle.
The law, in theory, is clear. The Muslim Personal Law (1961) guarantees women their
inheritance, and Section 498-A of the Pakistan Penal Code criminalises depriving women
of their property rights. Additionally, the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act
(2020) was passed to facilitate women in reclaiming their inheritance. Yet, these legal
provisions remain largely ineffective due to weak enforcement, judicial delays, and

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

cultural resistance. Now, with the FSC’s unequivocal ruling, the state must take concrete
steps to enforce these laws. A comprehensive awareness campaign should educate
citizens about both the religious validity and legal protection of women’s inheritance
rights. Law-enforcement agencies must be sensitised to treat instances of inheritance
deprivation as criminal cases, rather than private family disputes. The judiciary should
establish specialised tribunals to expedite inheritance cases. Government departments
should monitor inheritance transfers, especially in areas where exploitative customs are
prevalent, to ensure compliance with the law. The FSC’s judgement invoking “Amr bil
Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munkar” (enjoining good and forbidding wrong) as a state duty under
the Enforcement of Sharia Act is particularly significant. It places responsibility on
government institutions to actively protect women’s rights rather than remain passive
observers.
Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2025

Anti-Muslim actions
MUSLIMS in India have endured incessant scrutiny of their nationalism. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s determination to impose Hindu-led majoritarianism on his country, which
is visible in several instances of communal conflict, exploitation and divisive rhetoric, have
placed great strain on the Indian social fabric. The clashes in Nagpur over rumours of
desecration at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protest calling for the tomb of
17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to be replaced with a memorial for Maratha
rulers, confirm that the cycle of hate is strong. Over the last decade, the state’s tactics
have become predictable with India’s political apparatus set on stoking friction through
provocative agendas that divert attention from socioeconomic pressures and Mr Modi’s
governance failures in order to influence electoral sentiments. The fact that the BJP’s
hate-filled politics and the impression that Hindus are under attack has helped keep the
party in power, clearly shows how prejudice poses a grave threat to India’s social stability.
India’s far-right rulers are once again casting Muslims as descendants of Mughals, and
implying that the community should be penalised for past sins. In Mr Modi’s rule, the
sociopolitical landscape has shifted dramatically; culture, history and religion are
intertwined to the extent that films and festivals, such as Eid, Diwali, Holi and Christmas,
have been communalised. But as hostilities heighten amid muscular Hindutva rampage,
the muted response from the opposition parties and society is troubling. Their collective
inability to protect social harmony, diversity and pluralism will bury Nehruvian social justice
for good. At a time when calls for Muslim massacres and erasure of monuments and
history are issued openly, the oil-rich Muslim fraternity and the global community must put

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their money where their mouths are, and stand by Indian Muslims. The deadly mix of
fascism and Hindutva, if permitted to continue, will not spare other communities either.
Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2025

Running on empty
“WHEN the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” These words by Benjamin Franklin
ring especially true for Pakistan today, as the country inches closer to a full-blown water
emergency.
Marked each year on March 22, World Water Day should serve to remind the country’s
rulers that the water crisis confronting us threatens not only our food security and public
health, but the very survival of our future generations. The signs are all around us: near-
drought conditions across large swathes of the country, shrinking reservoirs, erratic
rainfall patterns, and mounting pressure on an already fragile water management system.
As of mid-March, water levels in Mangla stood at 320m — its minimum operating level —
with Tarbela not even 2m above its own dead level. Chashma reservoir too is near
depletion. According to Irsa, Sindh is facing a 50pc water shortage, while Punjab is not
far behind. The impact on agriculture is already visible. Wheat crops, currently at their
final watering stage, are at risk of under-yielding. Sugarcane, vegetables, and fruit
orchards — especially mango groves in Sindh’s Nara Canal zone — are parched. Cotton
sowing is also being delayed or compromised, jeopardising one of Pakistan’s most vital
cash crops. Experts warn that crop shedding, stunted yields, and economic losses are
now inevitable unless water becomes available in the coming weeks.
Add to this the accelerating glacier melt in the north and erratic rainfall in the catchment
areas, and Pakistan’s future water outlook grows even more precarious. Yet, despite
these alarming signals, we continue to squander what little water we have. Outdated
irrigation techniques, wasteful crop choices in arid regions, unregulated groundwater
extraction, and urban leakage all contribute to the crisis.
Our per capita water availability level, at sub-900 cubic metres, is dangerously close to
the threshold of absolute water scarcity. Yet, our water policy remains largely reactive and
politically neglected. This situation is no longer just an environmental concern — it is a
full-blown national emergency and must be declared as such.
Serious investment needs to be made in modern irrigation systems such as drip sprinkler
technologies. Crop zoning must be enforced to curb the cultivation of high water-
consuming crops in low-yield regions. The 1991 Water Accord must be fully implemented
in both spirit and detail — including new reservoirs, equitable distribution mechanisms,

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

and environmental protections. At the urban level, water metering, leak detection, and
wastewater recycling should be mandatory components of municipal planning.
Groundwater extraction must be regulated through permits and pricing to prevent aquifer
depletion. On this World Water Day, Pakistan must recognise that its survival depends on
how it chooses to manage — or mismanage — what remains of this resource.
Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2025

Another ultimatum
THESE are fraught times, but the government must still find it in its heart to be a little
more accommodating. Despite concerns, the Foreign Office has issued yet another
warning for all Afghan Citizen Card holders and undocumented migrants to leave by the
end of this month. The interior ministry has vowed to start mass deportations if they do
not do so voluntarily, according to an official notice issued earlier, raising the prospect of
another round of forced displacement for an already suffering people. The state’s ‘hard’
stance on foreigners residing in Pakistan without visas was evident in the FO
spokesperson’s remarks on Thursday, in which he brusquely dismissed the concerns
raised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other agencies
regarding the mass repatriation of refugees and asylum seekers. Reminding the audience
that Pakistan is not a member of the Refugee Convention and that everything it has done
for the refugees has been done “voluntarily”, he asserted that the Pakistani state
considers Afghans to have overstayed their welcome. The state’s weariness and wariness
is understandable, but it can still show patience.
There are many transit refugees currently in Pakistan who fled after the return of the
Taliban regime and have been awaiting visas for various other countries. Instead of
dangling the threat of deportation over their necks, Pakistan must approach the diplomatic
representatives of these countries and impress upon them that their visa processes must
be expedited. Many of these individuals and families could face real harm if sent back to
Afghanistan, and there is a moral responsibility to ensure that they get passage to safer
countries in time. Likewise, Islamabad should also reconsider how it is treating registered
refugees. Many of them have now spent years or even decades in Pakistan, and it seems
cruel to punish them for the Taliban regime’s failures. The goodwill Pakistan has
accumulated over decades for its hospitality towards them should not be erased over a
diplomatic issue. That leaves those who have consistently been evading the system while
residing in this country. There is sound justification for asking such refugees to leave and
return if they wish with a valid visa, but care should still be taken not to injure their dignity.
After all these years, there is no reason to give them cause to view Pakistan with hostility.

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Muzzled voices
A NEW era of censorship is upon us. The FIA’s arrest of journalist and founder of media
agency Raftar, Farhan Mallick, apparently for the digital platform’s content, is the latest
incident that strikes at the heart of freedom of expression. The additional director of the
agency’s Cybercrime Reporting Centre said that Mr Mallick had been under inquiry for
the last three months due to “several programmes against the security establishment”.
He has been remanded to FIA custody for alleged Peca violations and defamation; the
FIR is lodged under many sections of Peca, PPC Section 109 — “punishment of abetment
if the act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for
its punishment” — and Section 500 — “punishment for defamation”. It states “…the
alleged person is involved in generating and disseminating posts and videos related to
Anti-State consist of fake news and public incitement agenda…” This detention, which
has been condemned by media associations and rights activists, has raised troubling
questions about the reasons for false and fake information and the impact of deepening
suppression.
The mounting manipulation of the media and digital platforms by a hardened regulatory
regime, propelled by the political impulses of unelected elements, erodes integrity,
authenticity and authority. Overt and covert ways to freeze honest voices through a
draconian law reveal the state’s desire to play judge for its own self and decide what
‘content’ related to it is disingenuous. In doing so, it ends up betraying a discomfort with
democratic values. Controversy and criticism from journalists and digital rights activists
for ambiguous provisos that enable state interference have stalked Peca since its birth in
2016. Citizens should know that if fundamental freedoms are not fought for, oppression
will consume all avenues. Meanwhile, the government must understand that silencing
discourse creates a crisis of credibility in traditional media and makes space for unreliable
narratives to flourish.
Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2025

Judicial disputes
ANOTHER day, another spat within the judiciary. It appears that there is still very little
realisation within the institution that the damage that has been and is being caused to its
reputation may take many years to reverse.
The most recent development pertains to the reconstitution of an Islamabad High Court
tribunal that had been hearing a Judicial Service Appeal filed by a judge against the
appointment and subsequent elevation of another judge in the subordinate judiciary.

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The tribunal, which included Justices Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar and Sardar
Ejaz, was reconstituted on March 18 by President Asif Ali Zardari on the advice of acting
IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar, reportedly after it had already
arrived at a decision on the petition before it. The tribunal has now issued its judgement
disregarding the reconstitution order, ruling that the law does not allow that the IHC and
its subordinate judiciary be filled with judges borrowed from other courts.
Ordering the IHC registrar “to return all members presently serving in the subordinate
judiciary for Islamabad Capital Territory on deputation within six months”, the tribunal has
observed that, “any decision by the chief justice or a committee appointed by the chief
justice that is not in accordance with the requirements of the law is not sustainable in the
eyes of law, including decisions with regard to an appointment on deputations, induction,
or promotion, and is liable to be set aside by this tribunal”.
Not only that, but the tribunal has held that neither the president nor the acting chief justice
had any authority to reconstitute it without legal justification. It has held the appointment
of various deputed judges as unlawful, declared the reconstitution of the tribunal as
‘unconstitutional’ and underlined that the IHC acting chief justice has no authority to
interfere with the tribunal’s functions.
Ever since the controversial 26th Amendment, it has been observed that the judiciary has
been having considerable difficulty functioning ‘normally’ due to the slew of changes to its
operational structure and the government’s expanded role in its internal affairs. It may be
recalled that a similar dispute previously arose in the Supreme Court, when an important
case was abruptly moved from one bench to another against judicial norms, ostensibly in
anticipation of an adverse ruling.
Public perceptions of the institution’s independence and neutrality have taken a hit due
to the bitter and often very public spats between senior judges, which continue to signal
considerable dissatisfaction within the institution regarding how it is being conducted. This
latest dispute, too, will soon land before the Supreme Court, where one can, with quite a
bit of surety, expect it to stir further controversy. The judiciary’s fall has been tragic, but
only the institution can save itself.
Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025

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Biased proposal
PAKISTAN’S tax system is extortionist, unpredictable and unsupportive of investment and
economic growth. It disproportionately taxes documented businesses and individuals,
and spares those who choose not to become part of the documented economy. If they
can help it, a host of businesses and individuals prefer to operate outside the ambit of the
formal economy citing steep consumption and personal tax rates and large-scale
extortion by a corrupt tax machinery. Little wonder that the FBR’s real tax per capita has
grown by only 0.3pc from 2018 to 2024, and that Pakistan’s 10pc tax-to-GDP ratio is one
of the lowest in the world and the region.
A business lobby group has recently called for a revamp of Pakistan’s taxation system to
rev up business activities and create jobs in the country. It also urged the government to
execute structural reforms for boosting tax revenues. At the same time, however, the tax
proposals that the Pakistan Business Forum has put forward for inclusion in the next fiscal
year show a bias for the largely tax-exempted real estate and trading sectors, including
retailers and commercial importers. Besides a reduction in the consumption tax rates and
elimination of the super tax, the group has suggested the imposition of a paltry fixed tax
of Rs20,000 on large and Rs10,000 on smaller traders to expand the tax base by making
it convenient for them to pay their tax liability. However, it has not explained how this
proposal fits into the larger scheme of structural reforms to increase the extremely narrow
base, least of all a reduction in the higher tax rates. Currently, the FBR estimates that the
tax gap — the amount that remains uncollected due to non-compliance of tax laws — has
soared to Rs7.1tr. Add to this the huge tax expenditure of nearly Rs4tr and the stage is
set for an increased burden on documented businesses and individuals through
innovative levies like super tax, a charge initially imposed to finance the rehabilitation of
communities displaced during the military operation against militants in KP a decade ago.
It has since been made a permanent source of revenue by expanding its scope to include
all businesses and individuals earning over Rs150m. While the tax rates must be slashed
to ease the burden on compliant persons, this does not justify demands for special
treatment being given to certain sectors.
Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025

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JFK files
THE latest cache of declassified documents from what are known as the ‘Kennedy files’
have not really impressed the small global community of assassination buffs, or, for that
matter, the considerably larger community of conspiracy theorists. What they do seem to
have done, though, is to offer a rare glimpse into the workings of the CIA and its activities
around the world. The release of over 60,000 documents related to the assassination of
John F. Kennedy this past Tuesday had kicked off a global race to uncover new
information that could help shed light on the popular American president’s mysterious and
quite public murder during a rally in November 1963. As it turns out, the truth about the
files seems to be much stranger than the fictions conjured up about it. As one article in
the New York Times recently pointed out, the decades of secrecy around the Kennedy
files may have had to do with the fact that they were hiding CIA secrets and not, as
conspiracy theorists long believed, a second gunman.
“This is a big one,” US President Donald Trump had said while teasing their release,
“Everything will be revealed.” As with much about Mr Trump, that proved nothing but, to
put it politely, a load of rubbish. Instead, his administration, likely inadvertently, has lifted
the veil off one of the most notorious entities in the world, evidence of whose misdeeds
are peppered throughout the pages. There are references to the CIA overstepping its
mandate, conducting illegal surveillance, attempting coups, interfering in elections,
poisoning Cuban sugar, attacking Chinese nuclear facilities, and just generally behaving
exactly like overseas conspiracy theorists have long accused it of behaving. There could
be more to follow, with classified files on the assassination of another longtime target of
American intelligence agencies, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, to be released soon. As the
empire unravels, one might as well enjoy the spectacle.
Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025

Climate action
PAKISTAN’S climate challenge is enormous. Despite contributing less than 1pc to GHG
emissions, the country is among the nations most vulnerable to the impact of climate
change. In fact, the Global Climate Risk Index lists Pakistan as the world’s fifth most
climate-vulnerable country.
The massive floods of 2022 that killed hundreds, displaced millions, and inflicted
economic losses in tens of billions of dollars, besides increasing food insecurity,
highlighted the kind of existential threat the cash-starved Pakistani economy must fight
off to survive. As if the periodic extreme weather events, ranging from heatwaves to

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abnormal rains to destructive floods, did not pose enough of a challenge, the shrinking
glaciers in the north mean the country would have far less water for its agriculture in the
not too distant future. Sadly, the fact that policymakers understand the implications of
climate change for the people and economy does not mean their concern will
automatically translate into concrete policy actions anytime soon.
The world is too busy with its own problems to focus on and fund our climate challenge.
Only a few hundred million dollars have so far been received out of more than $10bn
promised by various nations and global agencies to help Islamabad rebuild the
infrastructure destroyed in 2022 and rehabilitate those displaced by the deluge. A large
number of affected people remain displaced nearly three years after the floods.
Though the World Bank has pledged to finance some climate-resilient infrastructure
projects under its 10-year Country Partnership Framework initiative, the promised funds
are too meagre to make any significant impact. Now the government is looking to the IMF
to provide $1bn in climate funding and has launched green action bonds to finance
sustainable green projects for greater climate change adaptation and mitigation.
However, there is little evidence to back its assertions that it is integrating climate-resilient
policies across the sectors.
On Friday, Finance Minister Mohammed Aurangzeb rightly pointed out a huge financing
gap and lack of technical capacity in our fight against climate change. However, there are
policy actions that simply need political will and commitment and not money to address
the climate change challenges.
With international climate financing slow to come, it falls upon our policymakers to use
whatever money we have in such a way that it helps create climate-resilient infrastructure
and climate-adaptation measures. Waiting for outside help to arrive will only aggravate
our climate challenges and not mitigate them. As the finance minister has emphasised,
sustainable economic and environmental growth go hand in hand. It is time for the
government to translate its verbal commitments into concrete actions that promote
environmentally stable growth.
Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

TB burden
AS the world observes World Tuberculosis Day, we confront the sombre fact that despite
being both preventable and curable, the disease continues to claim over a million lives
each year. TB is a contagious bacterial infection which most commonly affects the lungs
but can also spread to the brain, kidneys and bones. In 2023, the WHO estimated that
10.8m people fell ill with TB and 1.25m people died. Multidrug-resistant TB — which does
not respond to the two most powerful TB drugs — has emerged as a global health security
threat, with only two in five patients receiving appropriate treatment. The disease
disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries and is fuelled by risk factors
such as undernutrition, smoking, diabetes and HIV. Although some progress has been
made globally — with over 79m lives saved through TB efforts since 2000 — the WHO
warns that progress is now at risk. A severe drop in funding has disrupted diagnostics,
human resource deployment, data systems, and medicine supply chains. In 2023, only
26pc of the $22bn required for global TB care was available. TB research also remains
underfunded, with just one-fifth of the $5bn target achieved in 2022.
Pakistan’s situation is deeply worrying. According to the World TB Report 2024, it
accounted for 6.3pc of the global TB burden in 2023, ranking it among the countries with
the highest number of cases. It also contributed nearly 8pc to the global gap between
estimated TB incidence and the number of people who were actually diagnosed and
reported — highlighting critical challenges in case detection. Furthermore, Pakistan is
among the 10 countries with the widest gaps in access to MDR-TB treatment, which
suggests major shortcomings in diagnosis, reporting and treatment rollout. Decades of
underinvestment in public health have left our TB control programme reliant on donor
support. This must change. Pakistan must increase domestic investment in TB diagnosis,
treatment and research, expand coverage of WHO-recommended rapid diagnostics,
improve reporting and surveillance mechanisms, and scale up access to shorter all-oral
MDR-TB treatment regimens such as BPaLM. The country also needs to integrate TB
care with broader primary and lung health services — especially given the overlapping
risks posed by diabetes, undernutrition and pollution. The WHO has called on all
governments to ‘Commit. Invest. Deliver’. Pakistan must heed that call — and make TB
elimination a health priority.
Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025

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Unsafe passages
WRETCHED social conditions add an extra layer of cruelty to ordinary lives. The UN’s
migration agency says that “at least 8,938 people died on migration routes worldwide in
2024”, making it the fifth year that numbers hit record highs and the deadliest one for
migrants — almost 9,000 lives lost globally in preventable tragedies. The statistics are, in
all likelihood, much higher as scores of deaths and disappearances remain
undocumented. The fatalities were highest for Asia, Africa and Europe in 2024: “2,778,
2,242, and 233 respectively”, with 2,452 people perishing in the waters of the
Mediterranean, a prime passage to Europe for the desperate. In Pakistan, a national
crackdown was announced following the Greek boat tragedy last year, but a few arrests
and dismissals was all it took for the government’s fury to fade. These actions were
cosmetic at best because the central challenge lies in fighting a deep-rooted culture of
corruption and impunity, which permits trafficking networks to operate freely; they keep
official palms greased to evade justice.
Subsisting on a bare minimum of resources in times when the average person’s standard
of living has fallen significantly, migrants, often poor and marginalised, are easily deceived
about the perils these journeys entail. In the quest for a better life, they face abuse and
are packed like sardines into unhygienic quarters as they pass through countries that flout
international humanitarian laws by shirking all responsibility; even their law-enforcement
does not protect them. To alter the gaze on migrants, the narrative has to change: they
are victims and not offenders. While recent cases of human traders manipulating air
routes to hold migrants for ransom highlight the growth in their range of
methods,joblessness, the absence of education and poverty create a sense that
happiness and stability can be found in another land. The battle is to ensure that these
emotions are solely for home.
Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025

Shortcut tactics
THE IMF is reported to have blocked a government move to ‘substantially’ slash retail
electricity prices, pre-empting the announcement of the cut the prime minister was
supposed to have made in his Pakistan Day address. Resultantly, consumers, particularly
low-middle-income households battered by runaway inflation, were not only denied the
promised relief of Rs8 per unit of electricity, they have been further burdened with a per
litre increase of Rs10 in the petroleum levy.

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A report in this paper says that a plan was shared with the IMF staff mission, during the
recently concluded performance review of the Fund’s $7bn loan, for an approximately
Rs2 per unit tariff reduction on account of ‘savings’ from the revision of power purchase
contracts with a group of selected IPPs. As an afterthought, the authorities had increased
the petroleum levy to a maximum of Rs70 to divert the additional revenues to maximise
relief in power tariffs.
That the lender is reviewing, if not making, crucial decisions shows how much this country
has come to rely on it for loans, thanks to decades of bad policy choices and elite greed.
True, this kind of ‘oversight’ by a global lender appears to be intrusive, and impinges on
sovereignty. But in the context of states where ruling elites habitually ditch reforms to
make politically motivated, selfish policy choices for their own economic and financial
benefit, it may be a necessary compromise.
On the face of it, the IMF’s decision to veto the move to reduce retail power tariffs seems
to be against the interests of middle-class consumers whose electricity bills have
outpaced their home rental rates following the 18pc increase last July as a prior action for
agreement with the lender for its support to the wobbly economy. The IMF has not only
blocked the tariff reduction move; it has also stopped policymakers from cutting federal
transaction taxes on real estate, which the government is desperate to implement to
please the powerful property tycoons.
The base prices of electricity have risen by more than 150pc since 2021. We have
expensive electricity because of several factors, including but not limited to transmission
and distribution inefficiencies, power theft, rampant corruption in and mismanagement of
distribution companies, over-dependence on imported fossil fuels for generation, the
absence of a competitive energy market, low penetration of renewable solar and wind
energy and unviable power purchase agreements. While the government’s effort to
reduce power prices is commendable given the impact on the public and small
businesses, the attempts to slash one burden and increase the other is not a sound policy
choice. Long-term, sustainable tariff reduction demands that policymakers address the
deep-seated structural issues plaguing the power sector rather than finding shortcuts to
please the electorate for political gains.
Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2025

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Unforced error
THE state is understandably keen on neutralising the threat posed by various militant and
terrorist outfits, but it must be careful that it does not end up antagonising the civilian
population in the process.
As the situation in Balochistan slowly spirals out of control, there is a need to realise that
years of bad policies have led to the recent security failures in the province. Blunt tools
like lawfare and police brutality cannot address the province’s myriad challenges.
In his March 23 speech, President Asif Ali Zardari noted that the objective behind the
creation of Pakistan was to establish a welfare state based on the principles of equality,
justice and the rule of law. It is these principles that must be evident as the state
strategises how it must defeat those who do not believe in the idea of Pakistan.
Unfortunately, recent actions show that the authorities are far from the right track. The
decision to arrest and book Dr Mahrang Baloch, chief organiser of the Baloch Yakjehti
Committee, along with 150 others on serious charges is unreasonable and will only stoke
further trouble.
The BYC has now become a provincial phenomenon because its message of nonviolent
but persistent protest has resonated well among ordinary people tired of state excesses.
The movement has been led by women in a province where women have traditionally
been confined to very limited spaces in society. This is quite extraordinary and should
have been taken seriously from the start as a sign of the Baloch people’s commitment to
fighting for their rights without resorting to violent means.
Instead, the state continued to treat the BYC with contempt, and it has now charged its
leadership with terrorism, murder, incitement to rebellion and promoting racial hatred,
among other things, over one admittedly ill-advised protest.
From the Baloch perspective, does this not reinforce the perception that no matter what
they do, they will be treated as antagonists by the state? Does this not play right into the
hands of those who want to see Balochistan isolated, and its people alienated from the
rest of the country?
The state must not push ordinary citizens away with its excesses. It must not let terrorists
provoke it into making bigger mistakes. The fight against militancy needs to be won in
hearts and minds as well.
Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2025

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Losing again
WHEN Pakistan’s high-risk Twenty20 approach did not work, there was no fallback plan
and they collapsed in a heap against New Zealand in the crucial fourth game of the series
on Sunday. Riding on the momentum of their victory in the previous game, Pakistan had
gone into the match looking to level the five-game rubber against the hosts. This time,
though, they were undone by New Zealand’s disciplined bowling, meaning the ‘intent’
promised by the Pakistan team management and skipper Salman Ali Agha produced the
desired result in just one of the four games. The team’s approach during the New Zealand
series has been largely based on going after every ball. It paid off when young opener
Hasan Nawaz hit a record-breaking century in a big chase for Pakistan in the third game.
That, though, was the only game where he made an impact. In the first two matches of
his international career, Hasan had ducks. He scored just one on Sunday. His opening
partner Mohammad Haris, who also sparkled in just the third T20, has scored zero, 11,
41 and two. There should be no denying their promise but in three of the four games, the
duo failed in their attempt to fire up Pakistan’s innings. Apart from the captain, no other
batter in the middle or lower order has shown consistency. Game awareness has been
rare; it has been either boom or bust. Sadly, the latter has been more frequent.
Some critics have dismissed Pakistan’s approach as mindless slogging. Pakistan went
into the series with a new-look squad, giving opportunities to younger players as they look
to build for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup. Now, it is back to the drawing board. With
the result of the series not in doubt, Salman and his men have the chance to perhaps
start with a fresh mindset and a better approach in the fifth and final T20 against New
Zealand on Wednesday.
Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2025

Kabul visit
CONSIDERING the generally poor state of Pak-Afghan relations, the recently concluded
three-day visit of Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan to Kabul, and the
subsequent comments made in this regard by the foreign minister, offer a chance for both
states to work on improving ties.
While commenting on Muhammad Sadiq’s visit, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime
Minister Ishaq Dar was quoted by the Foreign Office as saying that sustained dialogue
with Afghanistan was essential.
The biggest obstacle standing in the way of better relations is the fact that Afghanistan
has failed to act against anti-Pakistan terrorists based on its soil, including the banned

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TTP and Baloch separatists. Moreover, border disputes have severely strained relations,
with the Torkham crossing closed for nearly a month. It has reopened temporarily until
April 15.
During his Kabul trip, Mr Sadiq met with the Afghan Taliban’s foreign and trade ministers,
which indicates that the Afghan side may be serious about mending ties. It is a fact that
transit and trade are of great importance for landlocked Afghanistan, and prolonged
border closures and disputes have a debilitating effect on that country’s economy.
Therefore, talks need to continue in order to address all irritants affecting relations.
For the Pakistani side, security is paramount, while for the Afghans, trade is crucial.
Therefore, Islamabad should continue to emphasise that the presence of anti-Pakistan
militants on Afghan soil stands in the way of normal commercial ties. The Afghan Taliban
need to take action against these forces, or ensure that they are not in a position to harm
Pakistan. The Taliban insist there is no militancy problem at their end, but facts suggest
otherwise.
It is hoped that these parleys continue and both sides, particularly Kabul, commit to peace
and amity. A nation cannot alter its geography, which is why Pakistan must maintain good
relations with Afghanistan. In the recent past, ties have been marked by much bitterness,
and both sides have exchanged fire at the border.
The fact is that Pakistan cannot afford a hostile regime in Afghanistan, as this has severe
internal security implications for this country. For their part, the Taliban know that frosty
ties with Pakistan will affect their commercial and trade interests, as well as their efforts
to gain greater international recognition. Though it may sound transactional, Pakistan can
indicate that unrestrained trade ties are contingent upon Kabul’s efforts to ensure no
malign actors are able to target Pakistan from Afghan soil.
A lasting agreement is also required to help resolve border disputes, as closures take a
heavy humanitarian toll, and affect local businesses on both sides. Better bilateral ties
are possible if both sides sustain dialogue, and if there is recognition of each other’s key
demands, particularly Pakistan’s concerns about cross-border terrorism.
Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2025

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Drought warning
DRIVEN by rising temperatures linked to climate change, increasing drought events
across Pakistan have affected tens of millions of people and devastated agriculture in
recent years, forcing many rural communities to migrate. Over time, drought conditions
have worsened, becoming warmer and drier, and are affecting much larger areas,
especially in Balochistan and Sindh. The Met Office has again issued a drought alert for
different parts of Sindh, southern Balochistan and lower eastern Punjab due to scanty
rainfall — 40pc below normal since September. Even though the recent rain spells have
brought some relief in parts of the country, several southern regions in Sindh and
Balochistan have experienced more than 200 consecutive dry days. The below-normal
rain means that the country experienced an increase of 2°C to 3°C in its normal mean
temperatures, which has intensified drought conditions in the affected areas. The Tarbela
and Mangla dams have already hit dead level, while water flowing in various rivers is at
an extremely low level. With the immediate water availability outlook in the country looking
bleaker at the moment, the rise in temperatures is likely to increase water demand for the
new Kharif season.
The growing water stress linked to climate change is also posing a major threat to
Pakistan’s food security, particularly in areas that already suffer from high levels of poverty
and hunger. The situation calls for structural reforms in the water sector if Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif wants to help the farm sector achieve food self-sufficiency and enhance
agricultural exports. Without making the water sector the centre of its agriculture and food
security policies, the country cannot hope to become food sufficient, let alone increase its
farm exports. Though successive governments have talked about measures to boost
Pakistan’s water security, none has ever taken concrete policy measures to translate this
rhetoric into action. There is a reason for the lack of action on water sector reforms; our
policymakers often equate water security with the construction of mega dams and canals.
The era of building dams is already over. The world is now using technology to reduce
water usage for irrigation and exploring cost-effective localised solutions such as
harvesting rainwater to help communities meet their needs in times of drought. The
increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change calls for
‘thinking local, small and smart’.
Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2025

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Deadly roads
DESPITE daytime restrictions on heavy vehicles, Karachi continues to witness one
horrific traffic accident after another. On Monday, a young couple — a 25-year-old man
and his 19-year-old pregnant wife — were crushed to death when a speeding water tanker
crashed into them on Sharea Faisal. The would-be parents were killed on the spot, with
their then-delivered baby also not surviving. An investigation by the Karachi Road
Accident Analysis Team revealed that the fully-loaded, high-speeding tanker mounted the
central footpath and broke through onto the opposite lane where the couple were on their
way for a check-up. Mechanical inspection contradicted the driver’s initial claim of brake
failure; instead, fatigue and reckless driving were cited as probable causes. The driver
had reportedly been working a gruelling 24-hour shift. In just 83 days this year, heavy
vehicles have claimed 68 lives in Karachi — 24 from trailers, 17 from dumpers, and 14
from water tankers. Overall, 216 people have perished on our roads.
The government’s recent curbs, limiting heavy vehicle movement to nighttime hours and
mandating fitness certificates have proven inadequate. The basic issue remains lax
enforcement coupled with a profit-driven transport system that values delivery speed over
human life. Preventing further accidents means urgent reform. The government must
create an independent transportation safety authority with prosecution powers and
protection from political interference. Electronic monitoring systems should be
implemented for all commercial vehicles to track speed, location and driver hours. Strict
mandatory rest periods between shifts, with criminal penalties for companies that impose
dangerous schedules, are essential. Safety equipment must be upgraded, including
under-run protection, enhanced braking systems and driver assistance technology. The
city needs dedicated heavy transport corridors physically separated from other traffic,
along with regular roadside inspection points with authority to immediately impound
unsafe vehicles. Until we prioritise human lives over commercial convenience, Karachi’s
roads will continue to be killing fields.
Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2025

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Some progress
THE finalisation of a deal between Pakistan and the IMF on the first Extended Fund
Facility programme review and a new arrangement that will enable Islamabad to access
additional funds under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility is a much-needed shot in
arm for a wobbly economy.
It should also put an end to speculations engendered by departure of the IMF team
without signing the customary staff-level agreement. The statement issued by the IMF
mission chief after the staff-level agreement shows that the lender is satisfied with the
progress Pakistan has made on the benchmark programme targets.
“Over the past 18 months, Pakistan has made significant progress in restoring
macroeconomic stability and rebuilding confidence despite a challenging global
environment. While economic growth remains moderate, inflation has declined to its
lowest level since 2015, financial conditions have improved, sovereign spreads have
narrowed significantly, and external balances are stronger,” the statement elaborates.
Indeed, the previous short-term facility of $3bn and the ongoing 37-month funding
programme have helped Pakistan stave off the threat of default and stabilise the
economy. But are we on course for long-term recovery? Opinion is divided. The hard-won
macroeconomic stability is only a short distance away from a deeper crisis. We have seen
the economy make a recovery under the IMF’s oversight many times in the past only to
collapse while still in remission due to the impatience for rapid growth.
Therefore, it is more critical than ever to stay the course, as the lender has advised, to
build resilience by strengthening public finances, ensuring price stability, rebuilding
external buffers and eliminating distortions in support of inclusive and sustained private
sector-led growth. This is especially crucial as the downside risks are still elevated.
Besides, there are “potential macroeconomic policy slippages — driven by pressures to
ease policies”, such as tax discounts for real estate, retailers and other parasitic sectors.
The government’s failure to broaden the tax base, its proposals to reduce transaction
taxes on property and slash retail electricity tariffs seem to have prompted the lender’s
warning.
However, the macro slippages resulting from erratic policymaking are not the only risk.
The need to stick to the reforms agenda becomes even more crucial given the emerging
geopolitical shocks to commodity prices, tightening global financial conditions, and rising
protectionism in addition to climate-related challenges; these factors could also
undermine stability.
Any push to achieve growth before sustainably controlling runaway fiscal deficit, keeping
inflation in check, reducing power prices, creating an enabling environment for private

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investments, and building resilience against climate change challenges may prove
counterproductive.
Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025

Time to talk
IN an encouraging development, the government has signalled openness to PPP
chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s offer to mediate between the ruling coalition and the
PTI to facilitate the latter’s participation in another session of the Parliamentary
Committee on National Security. The PTI was notably absent from the previous meeting
— held amid a surge in terrorist violence, including the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in
Balochistan — citing the incarceration of its party founder as justification. That meeting,
also attended by the military leadership, was meant to forge political unity on the urgent
matter of countering militancy. Its effectiveness, however, was blunted by the absence of
the country’s largest opposition party. Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s attempt to rise above partisan
interests and invite all political forces to the table is appreciable. His call for setting aside
differences in the national interest recognises the seriousness of the situation: Pakistan
is once again facing coordinated attacks on civilians and law enforcement, especially in
KP and Balochistan. He rightly noted that consensus-building has become increasingly
difficult — but remains essential if the state is to marshal its resources effectively against
the threat of terrorism. The recent spate of attacks highlights the reality that fragmented
political responses only embolden terrorist elements seeking to exploit national divisions.
It is welcome that the government has responded positively to his initiative. Dialogue is
not a concession in this context; it is a democratic responsibility. The PTI, for its part, must
now reflect seriously on the costs of continued disengagement. National security cannot
be made hostage to intra-party considerations. In boycotting the previous session, the
PTI put personality politics ahead of the national interest — a misstep that must not be
repeated. Elected representatives are duty-bound to put their constituents’ safety above
political strategy. It is also worth remembering that effective counterterrorism policy
requires political ownership. Without consensus, implementation remains weak and
short-lived. The meeting must not be symbolic: it should produce concrete
understandings on how to secure vulnerable regions and address the drivers of militancy.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s offer is a reminder that consensus is still possible — if all sides show
political maturity. The PTI must step up. If there is to be a united front against terrorism,
then this renewed opportunity to talk must not be squandered.
Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Black Sea truce

WHILE the Trump administration may have no problem with Israel renewing its rampage
in Gaza, it is playing peacemaker in the Ukraine conflict. American officials had been
meeting their Ukrainian and Russian counterparts in Riyadh over the past few days, and
on Tuesday, a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea was announced. Efforts to revive an earlier
commitment by Kyiv and Moscow not to hit each other’s energy infrastructure were also
endorsed. Washington was basically passing messages back and forth between Moscow
and Kyiv in the hopes of securing a temporary ceasefire. But even as peace talks were
underway in the Saudi capital, Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to trade fire. No
miracles were expected from the parleys in Riyadh, and the present outcome appears to
be merely a fragile baby step towards peace.
The fact is that with the change of guard in Washington, Ukraine has lost its major
benefactor and financier. While the Biden administration portrayed Kyiv’s battle against
Moscow as a grand, almost cosmic duel between the ‘noble’ forces of democracy against
the ‘dark’ encroaching forces of authoritarianism, Donald Trump harbours no such
illusions. The way the US president and vice-president humiliated the Ukrainian president
in the White House last month is an apt illustration of Mr Trump’s feelings about Kyiv’s
current leadership. Also, digressing from his predecessor’s approach, Mr Trump has
opened lines of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The cards,
therefore, are very much stacked against Ukraine, as the US is no longer interested in
bankrolling the war, while Europe is in no position to finance or arm Kyiv. Morally, Russia
should withdraw from Ukraine while Kyiv must assure Moscow that it will not be playing
the role of Nato’s sidekick in an endeavour to encircle Russia. Unfortunately, the trust
deficit between Kyiv and Moscow is huge, and despite the US-backed diplomatic push in
Riyadh, peace is unlikely unless both parties make significant concessions.
Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025

Fear tactics
TO say that the media fraternity’s worst fears are now coming true would be to suggest
that there was a chance that they would not. This was simply never true. From the
beginning, it had been clear that the recent Peca amendments, pushed hastily through
parliament late January despite vociferous protests and dutifully signed by the president
shortly thereafter, were aimed at critical voices in the media.
What the fraternity has experienced over the past week in both Karachi and Islamabad is
simply the law fulfilling its intended purpose. The regime now has legal cover to bully and

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

harass working journalists for taking adversarial positions, and it has made it a point to
turn it into a spectacle that can be cheered on and gloated over on social and mainstream
media by its own supporters, as well as provide a demonstrative ‘lesson’ to those who still
cling too tightly to their principles.
The highhandedness with which Farhan Mallick from Karachi and Waheed Murad from
Islamabad have been treated over the past few days seems to be a message to the entire
media community: fall in line, or else. It matters little what wrong they have committed or
whether the charges against them will even stand in a court of law. One could safely
presume that these likely do not matter to the authorities either. With the judiciary either
unwilling or unable to uphold the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, the legal
process that these two journalists will be put through will be punishment enough. In the
hands of the state, their ordeal will become the price they pay for the critical views both
have previously expressed in public.
Meanwhile, a journalist in Sahiwal faces Peca charges for defaming a lawyer after
allegedly misreporting the circumstances of the latter’s removal from a position. In Lakki
Marwat, a citizen has been booked under Peca for using “inappropriate language” against
Bannu’s ulema for not announcing the moon sighting for Ramazan a day earlier. Model-
turned-actor Nadia Hussain faces Peca charges for going public with the fact that she
was approached for a bribe by a person claiming to be the director of FIA’s Karachi Zone.
YouTuber Rajab Butt will be tried for Peca violations for giving his perfume a controversial
name, while Mardan police are hunting for a local for using abusive language and
spreading “negative propaganda” against the local press club.
This is the post-Peca amendments Pakistan that the state wants its citizenry to come to
terms with. However, despite the intimidation and fear tactics, activists and the media
fraternity must not give up. Ongoing efforts to challenge and repeal this black law must
not falter. The courts hearing challenges to Peca amendments must be pressed into
taking them up urgently.
Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2025

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Hints of hope
PAKISTAN’S economic growth has slowed in the second quarter of the ongoing fiscal
year from a year ago as the modest increase in the agriculture and services sectors was
largely offset by contraction in big industry output. Overall, GDP accelerated by 1.73pc
during the October-December period, marking a slight decline from the 1.77pc recorded
in the same period last year. The modest growth in the size of the economy is, however,
slightly faster than in the first quarter of the current fiscal. This is in spite of the upward
revision in the provisional estimates for the first quarter from 0.92pc to 1.34pc, according
to the National Accounts Committee. Deceleration in the growth rate does not come as a
surprise in the midst of falling public and private investments and shrinking domestic
consumption on the back of higher borrowing costs, dollar liquidity crunch driving
unannounced import curbs, and the shrinking purchasing power of middle-class
consumers. Nevertheless, the slower GDP growth is in line with the State Bank’s
projection of a 2.5-3.5pc expansion in the size of the economy during FY25. The Asian
Development Bank has projected a 3pc increase in Pakistan’s GDP and the IMF 3.2pc.
Indeed, the economy has come a long way from the brink of default in the past 18 months
as pointed out by the IMF mission chief in his statement on the finalisation of the staff-
level agreement with Pakistan over the first review of its current Extended Fund Facility
of $7bn. Macro indicators are in far better shape today and the markets that were gripped
by volatility until a year and a half ago have stabilised. Inflation has declined to its lowest
level since 2015, financial conditions have improved, sovereign spreads have narrowed
significantly, and external balances are stronger, the IMF notes. Yet growth recovery
remains weak and is unlikely to pick up pace anytime soon due to structural issues —
entrenched by decades of wrong policy choices — that the economy confronts. Any push
for faster growth is bound to lead us back into another bigger crisis. The emerging
geopolitical challenges marked by the tightening of global financial conditions and rising
protectionism are other reasons the country should stay the course of stabilisation by
implementing policy reforms and avoiding the temptation to pursue rapid growth. Once
the economy finds a solid footing for itself, rapid growth will follow automatically.
Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2025

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Capacity issues
TALK about disjointed development. Pakistan is now producing high-speed train coaches
for its low-speed tracks. According to a recent news report, the Islamabad Carriage
Factory, which locally produces locomotives and coaches, is set to deliver its first batch
of advanced, ‘new generation’ passenger coaches in about three months. These coaches,
which can go as fast as 200km per hour and are equipped with some state-of-the-art
features, have been developed with the help of our Chinese brethren, who themselves
boast some of the most advanced railway technology in the world. But, impressive as the
achievement is, it will do little to make travel more convenient for Pakistan Railways
passengers because our rail network simply does not support trains going as fast as that.
For a rough idea of how much of a disappointment this is, take the current travel times
between two of Pakistan’s busiest railway stations, Karachi Cantonment and Lahore
Junction. A train trip from one to the other, which spans roughly 1,200km, usually takes
anywhere from 18 to 24 hours, depending on the service that day. If Pakistan Railways
also had tracks and locomotives that were compatible with the new coaches, that travel
time could theoretically be cut at least in half, making it so much more convenient for
routine travellers and also enhancing the appeal of train trips as a relatively safer,
convenient and far more affordable option for all manner of travellers. Unfortunately, the
development of railway capacity to facilitate ordinary travellers does not seem to have
been a priority for Pakistan. One cannot help but envy China in this regard. The Beijing-
Shanghai high-speed railway covers more distance than the Karachi to Lahore track but
takes as little as 4.5 hours to traverse. If only our politicians could get over their obsession
with shiny motorway projects that carry their nameplates, perhaps ordinary travellers too
could hope for such cheap, convenient and quick train journeys.
Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2025

New CEC?
CHIEF Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has completed his five-year term. It
is high time for another to take his stead.
Given the scandals and controversies that rocked Mr Raja’s institution during the most
consequential phase of his tenure, a respectable departure is surely more than he could
have hoped for.
There were repeated calls for his resignation or termination following the 2024 general
election, yet he somehow managed to stick it out till the end of his tenure. But it seems

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

that was not good enough for the ruling regime, which clearly intended to keep him in
charge of the ECP well beyond his scheduled retirement.
Passed late last year, the controversial 26th Amendment included a clause allowing
election commissioners to continue in office till their replacements are decided. Two
months since Mr Raja’s scheduled retirement, that long-drawn-out process has yet to
start. The intent appears to be to delay it as long as possible.
Meanwhile, there are rumours swirling in Islamabad that Mr Raja may be reappointed to
his office. If so, that would add more controversies to his record. The country’s opposition
parties accuse him of abusing his powers to subvert the political system and deny the
people’s mandate. Mr Raja has also earned a special mention in law history books for
outright defying the country’s Supreme Court and violating its laws; not once or twice, but
on multiple occasions, as recorded in biting judgements issued by various courts of law.
If, despite all this, he is still being considered for another term, the appointment is bound
to become controversial. The opposition leaders in both the National Assembly and the
Senate seem to have had enough of the waiting. They petitioned the Islamabad High
Court earlier this week, challenging the delay in Mr Raja’s overdue departure. One must
wait and see what the court makes of it.
The ruling parties should avoid getting involved in another controversy around the
Election Commission. As it is, managing public perceptions of the incumbent
government’s legitimacy is one of its biggest challenges. If the idea is to continue
demonstrating that ‘power is power’, they will never be able to win over dissatisfied
citizens.
Given the enormity of challenges before them and the country’s mounting security
concerns, it would be wise to avoid situations that further polarise the public, and instead,
to start implementing long-term solutions to perennial political problems. Foremost among
such solutions should be the decision to strengthen the institutions of the state and allow
them to operate independently and on consensually agreed principles.
The policies currently in vogue are dangerous and will have devastating long-term
consequences. The country’s political crisis needs an end, not extension after extension.
Well-meaning observers have consistently pointed this out to those making the decisions.
Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2025

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Balochistan violence
BLOODSHED begets bloodshed. Hatred leads to more hatred. But how long can the state
allow this unending cycle of violence in Balochistan to continue?
The recent spate of unrest, including the ethnic targeting of passengers in Gwadar,
demands unequivocal condemnation. Poor labourers and travellers — often the sole
breadwinners of their families — are being targeted for no reason other than their
ethnicity. To kill in the name of nationalist ‘resistance’ is morally indefensible.
Balochistan has long been neglected by the state — politically, economically and socially.
The sense of alienation is real, and the frustration of its disenfranchised people is fuelled
by genuine grievances. But for militant groups to turn this pain into a justification for ethnic
violence is nothing short of evil. Those who carry out such acts of terrorism are murderers,
plain and simple. There can be no tolerance for the elements who stoke racial hatred.
That said, it is high time the mainstream political parties admitted their failure to engage
Balochistan meaningfully. Far too often, Baloch nationalist parties are dismissed as ‘anti-
national’ or painted with the same brush as terrorist groups. This approach is
counterproductive, it isolates moderate Baloch voices and feeds into the extremist
narrative. National parties must listen, engage, and share power in ways that are both
just and inclusive.
At the same time, the provincial leadership must ask itself what it has done to uplift the
people it claims to represent. Governance remains abysmal, even when elected Baloch
leaders are at the helm. They, too, must own their responsibility and do more to provide
services, jobs and a future for their youth — before militancy becomes the only path that
desperate young men see ahead.
Moreover, Baloch nationalist groups must condemn such heinous acts where non-Baloch
workers are singled out and murdered in cold blood. The National Action Plan envisions
a comprehensive strategy to end terrorism in all its forms. A key component of NAP is the
‘Balochistan Reconciliation Process’ which, it is hoped, aims to bring disaffected groups
into the mainstream.
Provincial ministers have expressed their openness to dialogue. For peace in
Balochistan, all stakeholders — the state, political parties and civil society — must act
jointly to implement NAP in letter and spirit.
Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2025

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Turkiye protests
DAILY protests have continued in Turkiye since the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem
Imamoglu on March 19. While the government says it is simply following legal procedures,
protesters and activists feel the mayor has been hauled up on trumped-up charges, as
he poses a major electoral threat to the ruling AK Party. Mr Imamoglu, who belongs to the
opposition CHP, has been detained on corruption charges, which he rejects, terming them
“slander”. Thousands have been coming out daily across the country, but mainly in
Istanbul, as the mayor’s arrest has charged up opponents of the ruling party, who say the
economic situation has worsened and freedoms have been curtailed under the AKP’s
rule. The ruling party has been in power for over two decades. President Recep Erdogan,
meanwhile, has dismissed the protests as “street terror”. Nearly 1,900 people have been
rounded up, including some journalists, while the Turkiye head of RSF has said the
authorities are not letting the media report freely.
The current protests are the biggest Turkiye has seen since the 2013 Gezi Park
demonstrations. The Turkish state needs to reassure its citizens as well as the
international community that Mr Imamoglu will be able to defend himself fully in court, and
that this is not a witch-hunt. While many have accused the AKP of increasingly
authoritarian tendencies, the ruling party must ensure that the democratic process
continues unhindered in Turkiye. The country has seen numerous military interventions
in the past decades — the last coup attempt occurring in 2016 — and Mr Erdogan himself
was arrested in 1999 as Istanbul mayor for reading a poem. All sections of the Turkish
political spectrum — Islamists, secularists and others — must work within the bounds of
the democratic process, and preserve the country’s hard-earned freedoms. Most of all,
the constitutional order must be respected so that any adventurers thinking of subverting
the political process are stopped in their tracks.
Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2025

Hard habits
FEELING the heat, the ruling elite has rolled out some big guns for the fight against
national fragility.
This week, the high-powered ‘Harden the State Committee’, which counts among its
members two federal secretaries, the FBR chairman, and representatives of all the top
civil and military intelligence agencies, convened to brainstorm, among other things,
strategies to curb the export of beggars to the Gulf.

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Just a few days later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired another high-level meeting,
this one attended by representatives of the information ministries of all four provinces and
Azad Kashmir, to discuss how TV dramas and films may be used to enlighten the general
public about the ills of terrorism and extremism.
That such issues are now on the agenda of these high-powered committees shows that
the state is at least serious about achieving a more adequate level of hardness. But is all
this necessary?
Can ideas like state-produced TV dramas and films really contribute towards building
national narratives in this day and age? Admittedly, our media industry has a few
examples of state-sponsored productions attaining immense public popularity. Some of
these dramas, in their heyday, were even able to evoke much patriotic fervour among
ordinary citizens. However, the last of such nationally popular productions was released
in the 1990s, when there were no smartphones and content-streaming platforms, and
when the family television set was all there was for evening entertainment. These days,
TV and film products compete in a globalised market, where production values often
overshadow the script and where a massive variety of content is always available to
distract audiences. Dramas and films cost a fortune to produce and are more often than
not misses rather than hits. What, then, is the regime thinking? Can we really afford such
undertakings given Pakistan’s present state of finances?
Our energies would be better spent elsewhere. The fundamental ‘whys’ of our myriad
problems are well known. The solutions to them are also obvious. The only thing required
is for the state to acknowledge its mistakes and correct course.
Instead, we continue to see individuals and institutions transgressing into unrelated
domains, which creates bigger problems out of small ones. For example, a high-level
committee comprising some of the top intelligence officials should have more important
things on its agenda than curbing international begging. That is a job best left to the police.
Likewise, politicians need not concern themselves with producing TV dramas. Their job
is to ensure that social pressures do not build to the point where problems like militancy
and terrorism become a national headache. It is routine interference like this that has not
let our state harden sufficiently.
Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2025

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Dreams of gold
PROSPECTS of the Reko Diq project taking off soon seem to have brightened lately
following the completion of the updated feasibility report by the OGDCL. The study edges
up project financing costs by 58pc to $6.8bn from previous estimates on account of
inflation, enhanced project capacity, energy mix, alternative water supply options, and
updated processing plants and machinery. However, with authorities here having already
approved the increase in their contributions to the financing costs, the miner, Barrick Gold,
is said to be well on track to start production in 2028 with an initial ore processing capacity
of 45m tonnes per annum, followed by an expansion to 90m tonnes from 2034 onwards.
For now, the successful closing of a $3bn limited recourse project financing facility and
deteriorating security conditions appear to be the only ‘hitches’ in the development of the
world’s largest ‘undeveloped’ copper-gold deposits in Balochistan’s Chagai district.
The project, which has undergone multiple ownership changes over three decades
without delivering even an ounce of copper or gold, is of huge importance for both
Balochistan and the country’s struggling economy. Barrick estimates that the project will
deliver an internal rate of return of 21.32pc, generating $90bn in operating cash flow and
$70bn in free cash flow (on a 100pc basis) based on a three-year trailing average copper
price of $4.03 per pound and gold price of $2,045 per ounce over the mine’s 37-year life.
It will generate $54bn in revenue within Pakistan. Barrick believes that the mine’s life
could be extended through upgrades and expansions, which, hopefully, would generate
more revenues for shareholders. Though the project feasibility study released earlier this
year and the one published by OGDCL last week support the public disclosure of mineral
resources and reserve estimates, concerns over the transparency of revenues to be
generated remain. Many experts have said that the real, long-term benefits of the project
can only be realised by the country in general and Balochistan in particular if a fully
transparent system is in place. Another concern pertains to the miner’s plans to export
the precious minerals in raw form rather than setting up a refinery here as the Balochistan
government had planned before a World Bank arbitration forced Pakistan’s hands. Barrick
should address these concerns as it seems to be in Pakistan for a longer haul.
Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2025

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

No invitation
FOR all of Pakistan’s hockey struggles, including their failure to qualify for the Olympics
and World Cup as well as their rapidly diminishing status in the sport, there was one event
that always had a place for the national team: the annual Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in
Malaysia. Not anymore. Pakistan has not received an invitation from the organisers for
this year’s tournament. Instead, Malaysia will receive top-ranked sides including Belgium,
Germany, India and Ireland — all among the world top 10 — during the November
tournament. Naturally, the omission has led to an outcry in Pakistan. For the last several
years, the Azlan Shah Cup had offered the country a window to the world, an opportunity
to gauge where the team stood globally. Last year, when the Olympics were held in Paris
— the third straight Games for which Pakistan failed to qualify — the team finished
runners-up to Japan at the Azlan Shah Cup. In the tournament’s previous edition, in 2022,
Pakistan had finished in third place. Alongside Pakistan, defending champions Japan
have also not been invited this time.
But while Malaysia has already announced the line-up, Pakistan continues to hope. The
Pakistan Hockey Federation has refuted claims that the national team was omitted
because there were some outstanding dues it owed to its Malaysian counterpart. With
former Olympians adding their voices to the debate, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid has
asked the International Hockey Federation president to ensure Pakistan’s participation.
However, Pakistan must accept the reality. The Azlan Shah Cup is Malaysia’s tournament,
aimed at the best interests of its own team. Now it has some of the world’s top sides
coming to play. The sooner Pakistan accepts this, the better. Instead, the PHF should
focus on other opportunities to provide competition to the national team, while redirecting
its efforts to improving its international standing. While an opportunity for exposure has
been lost, the PHF should try and secure matches elsewhere.
Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2025

Eid amidst crises

WHILE the more fortunate will be sharing the joys of Eidul Fitr with their families, many in
the Muslim world will be observing the festival in the shadow of genocide, starvation and
war. Therefore, as we celebrate, let us not forget the people of occupied Palestine and
Kashmir, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and other Muslim-majority regions whose lives have
been shattered by bloodshed and aggression. The people of Gaza have little to celebrate
as Israel shattered the fragile ceasefire on March 18, and resumed its genocidal war
against this forsaken territory. Over 900 people have been massacred since the truce fell
apart, while overall more than 50,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered by Israel in

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Gaza since Oct 7, 2023. People in the occupied West Bank have it only marginally better
as Tel Aviv launches blood-soaked forays into the territory at will.
Elsewhere in the Muslim world things are equally grim. For example, while the people of
Syria may have ousted long-time strongman Bashar al-Assad last December, stability
eludes the country, while militants allied to the government have been accused of carrying
out sectarian massacres of the Alawi community. Moreover, Israel has enlarged its
occupation of Syrian territory, along with knocking out much of Damascus’s defensive
capabilities, to ensure the Arab state cannot resist Israeli aggression. Israel — arguably
the biggest obstacle to regional peace — has also bombed Beirut after things largely
quietened down following last November’s truce between the Zionist state and the
Hezbollah movement. In Yemen, the US has been conducting air strikes against the
Houthis to apparently punish the group for its anti-Israel rhetoric and blockade of the Red
Sea. Over 50 people, including civilians, have been killed in the American attacks.
Meanwhile, the people of occupied Kashmir continue to be denied their fundamental
rights, while Indian Muslims are feeling increasingly marginalised by an Islamophobic
government that flaunts its Hindutva credentials. There is also no solution on the horizon
for Sudan’s bloody civil war, which has dragged on for two years.
Sadly, there has been no unified Muslim response from the ‘ummah’ — principally in the
shape of the OIC — to most of these crises, other than hollow statements, thoughts and
prayers. Israel, with the help of the US, has been pulverising the Palestinians of Gaza,
while Tel Aviv violates Syrian and Lebanese sovereignty with impunity — but there is no
collective pushback from the Muslim world. In fact, Muslim states that have established
ties with Israel have not felt it convenient to suspend diplomatic relations until Tel Aviv
permanently stops the slaughter. Non-Muslim states such as South Africa, Brazil and
Colombia have arguably done much more in solidarity with Palestinians. Until the Muslim
world takes practical steps to end these atrocities, these besieged populations will see no
joy.
Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2025

Women’s rights
PAKISTAN’S legal system has issued some important rulings in recent days concerning
women, which deserve more discussion and debate on mainstream media. For example,
in what can be seen as a strong affirmation of gender equality, a two-judge bench of the
Supreme Court held last week that a woman’s legal rights cannot be tied to her marital
status. The court’s observations — that a woman’s legal rights, personhood and
autonomy are neither erased by marriage nor should they depend on it, and to assume

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that a married woman is financially dependent on her husband “is legally untenable,
religiously unfounded and contrary to the egalitarian spirit of the Islamic law” — may seem
like common sense, but they challenge patriarchal attitudes that are not often discussed
and which passively undermine women’s autonomy in everyday life. In particular, the
court’s observation that excluding married daughters from entitlement to job quotas
usually reserved for compassionate causes “reveals a deeper structural flaw grounded in
patriarchal assumptions about a woman’s identity and her role within the legal and
economic order” cuts right to the heart of this problem.
The ruling has followed on the heels of another verdict issued some days earlier by the
Federal Shariat Court, in which the FSC condemned customs that deprive women of their
inheritance as ‘unlawful’ and directed provincial authorities to initiate criminal proceedings
against those who perpetuate such practices ‘as a moral obligation’. But though both
courts have reaffirmed that women’s rights are non-negotiable, has society at large also
received this important message? Patriarchal attitudes are often so entrenched that they
colour individuals’ judgement about what is right and wrong without them realising it. It
would be quite helpful, therefore, if judgements such as these, and others which directly
impact women’s rights, were to be given more airtime in the media. Doing so could help
empower more women to identify situations in which they are being wronged and
encourage them to seek their rights through the law if necessary. The courts alone cannot
change society, but if the message they are sending is heard by all, it could trigger positive
change.
Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2025

Not helping
THE continued detention of Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders — including Dr Mahrang
Baloch in Quetta and Sammi Deen Baloch in Karachi — is yet another misstep by the
state in its fraught relationship with the people of Balochistan. Dr Baloch has been booked
under terrorism, murder and attempted murder, incitement to violence and rebellion,
creating disorder and promoting racial hatred, and property damage, among other
clauses. This is a sweeping set of charges against a woman known for her unarmed and
democratic campaign against enforced disappearances. Sammi Baloch, who was
protesting Dr Baloch’s arrest, was herself detained under the MPO, just hours after a
court ordered her release. She was earlier arrested for violating Section 144. The BYC
has emerged as a civil society platform that has mobilised Baloch youth, particularly
women, around demands for justice, constitutional rights and an end to enforced
disappearances. Instead of welcoming this nonviolent civic awakening in a province
wracked by insurgency and violence, the state has responded with force and

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

criminalisation. Protests, court orders and even strikes across the province have not
moved the authorities, who seem intent on silencing the BYC through repression.
If the state is truly committed to peace in Balochistan, it must draw a line between
militancy and legitimate protest. While terrorists must be pursued with the full might of the
state, Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Baloch are not terrorists. They are citizens demanding
their constitutional rights: the right to move freely, assemble peacefully, and speak without
fear. Their immediate release, along with other detained BYC members, is essential, not
only as a matter of justice but as a first step in healing decades of mistrust. Organisations
like the BYC and mainstream leadership deserve engagement. The way forward lies not
in suppression, but in listening — and ensuring that peaceful, democratic voices are
heard, not jailed.
Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2025

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

Dawn Vocabulary
1. Insinuated: Suggested something subtly or indirectly
He insinuated that there may be corruption involved.

2. Sectarian: Related to religious or political sects

Sectarian violence has escalated in recent years.

3. Pretensions: Claims or aspirations to something

He had pretensions of being a great writer.

4. Credence: Belief or acceptance as true

His story gave credence to the rumors.

5. Disdain: The feeling that someone is unworthy of respect

She looked at the poor man with disdain.

6. Ferocious: Fierce or violent

The ferocious storm damaged many homes.

7. Prosecution: Legal proceedings against someone

The prosecution presented strong evidence.

8. Multidimensional: Having many aspects or phases

The issue is multidimensional and complex.

9. Fraternity: Brotherhood; a group of people sharing common interests

They promoted peace and fraternity.

10. Impunity: Exemption from punishment

The officials acted with impunity.

11. Permeated: Spread throughout

Corruption had permeated every department.

12. Vindication: Clearing from blame or suspicion

The new evidence led to his vindication.

13. Recalcitrant Resisting authority or control

The recalcitrant student refused to obey.

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

14. Obfuscation: Making something unclear

The obfuscation of facts misled the public.

15. Subversion: Undermining the power of a system

He was accused of political subversion.

16. Emancipation: The act of freeing someone from control

The emancipation of slaves was a historic moment.

17. Anachronistic: Out of place in time

His views are anachronistic in today's society.

18. Intransigence: Refusal to change one's views

His intransigence led to the collapse of talks.

19. Carte Blanche: Complete freedom to act as one wishes

She was given carte blanche to manage the project.

20. Belligerent: Hostile and aggressive

The belligerent nation refused to negotiate.

21. Espouse: To support or adopt a cause

He espoused environmental reforms.

22. Arbitrary: Based on random choice or personal whim

The decision seemed arbitrary and unfair.

23. Vociferous: Loud and forceful

The protestors were vociferous in their demands.

24. Skewed: Distorted or biased

The data was skewed by outliers.

25. Jurisprudence: The theory or philosophy of law

He studied Islamic jurisprudence.

26. Conflagration : A large and destructive fire or conflict

The war turned into a regional conflagration.

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

27. Cajole: To persuade by flattery or coaxing

He managed to cajole her into agreeing.

28. Browbeat: To intimidate with harsh words

The witness was browbeaten into silence.

29. Abdicate: To give up a position of power

The king abdicated the throne.

30. Hegemony: Leadership or dominance

The empire maintained hegemony over its neighbors.

31. Tumultuous: Characterized by disorder

The election year was tumultuous.

32. Dismantling: Taking apart

The dismantling of old policies began.

33. Reprieve: A delay or cancellation of punishment

He was granted a last-minute reprieve.

34. Conducive: Making a certain outcome likely

The quiet environment is conducive to studying.

35. Exacerbate: To make worse

The delay exacerbated the crisis.

36. Alienation: Feeling isolated

Urbanization has led to social alienation.

37. Paradigm: A model or pattern

A new paradigm of development is needed.

38. Sovereign: Supreme ruler or authority

The sovereign state made its own laws.

39. Ameliorate: To make better

Policies were introduced to ameliorate poverty.

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Dawn Editorials March 2025

40. Elucidate: To make clear

She asked him to elucidate the topic.

41. Coercion: Forcing someone to act against their will

He confessed under coercion.

42. Ambivalence: Mixed or contradictory feelings

Her ambivalence made decision-making difficult.

43. Proscription: Banning of something

The proscription of the group was controversial.

44. Contentious: Likely to cause an argument

The policy was highly contentious.

45. Pernicious: Harmful in a subtle way

The rumor had a pernicious effect.

46. Ramifications: Consequences of actions

The policy had many social ramifications.

47. Suffrage: The right to vote

Women fought hard for suffrage.

48. Diatribe: A bitter verbal attack

The politician launched a diatribe against his rival.

49. Dogma: A set of principles laid down by authority

The party followed a rigid dogma.

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