DAWN Editorials - 20th April 2025

[zarnishhayat]

Canal politics

THERE seems to be little the PPP can do apart from repeatedly threatening that it will withdraw its support for the ruling coalition if plans to build new canals on the Indus are not dropped.

The backlash has been severe in Sindh, and the PPP appears to have realised that it must distance itself from the canal projects if it wishes to keep public sentiment in its favour. The party has suffered a hit to its political capital because it is perceived as being tightly tethered to the current regime.

Not only that, there are also lingering doubts about the PPP’s claim that it was blindsided on the matter. Even though the party has repeatedly refuted claims by PML-N leaders that President Asif Zardari himself greenlit the canals, and has also sought the Council of Common Interests’ intervention in the matter, the general sentiment in Sindh has soured because of the perceived threat to the province’s lifeline.

Had drought-like conditions in Sindh not made the Indus water levels a matter of life or death for its inhabitants, the issue may have been swept under the rug. Canal protests led by nationalists, farmers and civil society leaders were largely ignored before the Sindh government formally entered the conversation. The Green Pakistan Initiative, under which these canals are to be made, is, after all, a project of ‘national interest’.


It appears that the PPP could not, at least initially, openly oppose the canals given the stakes involved. However, once it became clear that public anger was only building up, the party realised it needed to fight the case. If it is serious, it will need more than threats to make its voice heard. Punjab has made it clear it has little interest in Sindh’s problems. Indeed, several recent steps it has taken, such as opening the Taunsa-Panjnad link canal, have been seen as a direct provocation by the lower riparian.

It is obvious that the interests of the people of Sindh were not factored in when decisions regarding the canal projects were being made at the high table. Even the party representing the province arguably neglected its duty in this regard. The consequences of the state taking decisions without regard for its people can be seen yet again in the form of widespread restlessness and anger.

The country can ill-afford a dispute of this nature at this juncture. With KP and Balochistan already reeling from unrest and violent upheaval, a Sindh-Punjab water dispute will greatly complicate the task of attaining social stability. The CCI must be convened at the earliest, and public representatives should be given a fair chance to voice their constituents’ concerns. The state should be putting out fires, not lighting new ones.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2025


Lesser citizens

CAN the state ever turn the dream of communal harmony into reality? A slew of injustices torment Pakistan’s religious communities; acceptance and empathy have run out, and extremism has found space. The latest case of savage vigilantism saw a 46-year-old Ahmadi man lynched by, according to police, TLP supporters who stormed the community’s place of worship in Karachi’s Saddar area. The far-right political outfit, 400 of whose supporters were outside the premises, has denied the allegation. The gory episode has been condemned by the HRCP as a “failure of law and order”. Meanwhile, figures in The Human Rights Observer report from the Centre for Social Justice expose a worrying rise in the misuse of blasphemy laws, forced conversions and bigotry against minorities — 344 blasphemy cases were registered in 2024; 70pc of the accused were Muslims and 14pc Ahmadis. Forced conversions are also at a shocking level — between 2021 and 2024, 421 cases were recorded, involving 282 Hindu girls and 137 Christians; 71pc of the victims were minors. Despite laws being flouted, the government and the criminal justice system hesitate to take a firm position for fear of inciting right-wing elements.

Vile discriminatory practices permeate every sphere of life, even unlikely spaces. For instance, the prejudiced prison policies that deprive minority inmates of their remission rights are rarely addressed. The report states that “the provinces were sufficiently empowered to make their rules … there is no excuse for continued discriminatory attitudes towards minority prisoners”. While Sindh is the only province that has revised archaic laws with the Sindh Prisons and Corrections Services Act, 2019, the other three provinces are still governed bythe Prisons Act, 1894, the Prisoners Act, 1900, and the Prisons Rules, 1978. Hence, the mix of systemic bias and colonial laws strips poor non-Muslim prisoners of rights such as legal aid, keeping them in the dark about remission rules and provisions for formal and religious education. Pakistan has failed its marginalised sections for too long. International treaties, such as the ICCPR, ratified in 2010, which stipulates that “all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect” must be upheld through an empowered National Commission for Minorities Rights to connect law enforcement with minority citizens before the situation worsens. Prisoners should not be deprived of their dignity.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2025


Winning spree

AFTER sealing qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup, Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana immediately set her sights on ramping up preparations for the tournament. Better competition — including against the top sides in the women’s game — she said will help Pakistan brace for the challenge ahead. The onus is on the Pakistan Cricket Board to provide those opportunities, with Fatima saying her team is looking to continue breaking barriers for women’s cricket in Pakistan. Her side made the best use of the home advantage in the World Cup qualifying tournament, rediscovering their form and winning all their five matches to book their spot at this year’s event in India. Before the qualifiers, they had last won a One-Day International in December 2023. Pakistan, though, will be playing their matches on a neutral venue in accordance with the agreement reached between the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India ahead of the Champions Trophy. India showed at the latter tournament how much of an advantage that was and it is Pakistan’s turn to make the best of it. Details of where Pakistan will play their games will be clear soon, but for now, the side should be looking to build on their performances in the qualifiers.

All-rounder Fatima led the team from the front as her side beat Ireland, Scotland, 2013 World Cup runners-up West Indies, Thailand and finally Bangladesh. Batters Sidra Amin and Aliya Riaz struck three half-centuries each across the five games with opener Muneeba Ali getting two. Spinners Nashra Sandhu and Sadia Iqbal impressed, with the pacers contributing too. The team’s task now is to improve Pakistan’s dismal record at the World Cup, where they have won just three of their 30 matches so far. The signs, though, show that Pakistan can improve on their fifth place finish at the World Cup in 2009. But there is still work to be done, as Fatima pointed out.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2025