DAWN Editorials - 6th february2025

[faheemustad]

No time left

PAKISTAN teeters on the edge of an environmental abyss. Ranked among the most climate-vulnerable nations, it endures extreme heat, apocalyptic floods, prolonged droughts, and choking air pollution.

The annual smog that engulfs urban centres is not merely an inconvenience — it is a broader governance failure. Meanwhile, rural communities watch helplessly as their worlds disintegrate: glaciers retreat, monsoons become erratic, and fertile lands turn to dust.


Yet, climate change concerns continue to remain a footnote as politics dominates the national discourse, surfacing only when disaster strikes. A proactive approach, built on long-term resilience, is the obvious way forward. But what are we willing to do about it?

Dawn’s ‘Breathe Pakistan’ campaign is one attempt to make it central to the national conversation. However, Pakistan needs much more — it needs a revolution in environmental governance.

This demands unprecedented coordination among stakeholders: government bodies, industry leaders, international partners, researchers, CSOs, and communities. The time for symbolic gestures and non-binding commitments has passed.

The path forward requires fundamental shifts. First, climate change must be elevated to the highest tier of national security concerns, alongside terrorism and economic stability. This means overhauling environmental protection frameworks with substantial fines for polluters, stringent emissions controls, and massive investment in public transportation.

Urban planning must pivot from concrete-jungle expansion to green development, with strict preservation of remaining urban forests. Agriculture, both a casualty and a contributor to climate change, also requires urgent reform.

Pakistan’s excessive reliance on water-intensive crops has depleted underground reserves. The solution lies in introducing drought-resistant crop varieties, implementing water-smart irrigation systems, and incentivising farmers to adopt climate-resilient techniques. This revolution must be supported by a parallel energy transition, leveraging our abundant renewable resources — solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.


The private sector, often seen as part of the problem, must be brought into the solution. Corporate accountability on carbon footprints should be non-negotiable, with tax incentives for sustainable business practices.

Pakistan’s international partners, too, have a role — debt relief mechanisms tied to green development, knowledge transfers, and climate finance must be expanded to help chart a sustainable path.

Environmental education needs radical reimagining. Pakistan requires comprehensive climate literacy programmes integrated into school and university curricula. Media outlets must move beyond disaster coverage to sustained environmental journalism, investigating root causes and highlighting solutions. Change begins at the grassroots, and public participation is indispensable.

Pakistan’s survival hinges on its ability to treat climate change as the defining challenge of our time. Either we act now, or we surrender to a future of escalating disasters.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2025


Karim Aga Khan

PRINCE Karim Aga Khan was a man who straddled various worlds and cultures. Beyond his role as spiritual leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslims, he was a man of great wealth and influence, channelling funds towards the socioeconomic uplift of his flock as well as other communities, particularly in the developing world. Pakistan — where his followers can be found from the coastal towns of Sindh to the mountains of the far north — was among the key countries he focused on, especially with regard to health and education schemes, with people from all confessional backgrounds benefiting. A major university and hospital, as well as countless health and education schemes across the country, bear the Aga Khan mark. Perhaps his concern for Pakistan, apart from the presence of his community members in the country, can be traced to his grandfather, Aga Khan III, who played a key role in the Pakistan Movement.

Though Karim Aga Khan was the leader of a religious group that traces its origins to the eighth century, he was a thoroughly modern man. He wore many hats — Olympic skier, breeder and owner of thoroughbred horses, astute entrepreneur, philanthropist, and religious leader. He rubbed shoulders with royalty and the global political elite, while his followers were spread out across the world, from the subcontinent to the mountains of Central Asia and the coast of East Africa and beyond. In almost seven decades as head of the Ismaili imamat, the late prince transformed his jamaat, while also contributing to the communities and states where his followers lived. Arguably, it was his contributions to health, education and culture that will particularly stand out. He encouraged his followers to pursue educational excellence, and the institutions he oversaw also offered pathways for people from all confessional backgrounds to gain quality education. Prince Karim’s contribution to cultural preservation was also considerable, particularly of historical monuments in Muslim states. In his condolence message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that the late Aga Khan “championed the cause of the marginalised”. In fact, Prince Karim’s focus on health and education would be a model worthy of emulation for religious and community leaders across the Muslim world. There is little doubt that the 50th Ismaili imam, Rahim Aga Khan, will have formidable standards to uphold.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2025


Cotton production

PAKISTAN’S cotton crop is on the ropes. The crop output has been falling since FY15, when the country harvested a record quantity of nearly 14m bales. In the past 10 years, its production has fluctuated from 4.9m bales to just over 10m. This year is no different, as the output is estimated to plunge by nearly a third to around 7m bales from last year’s 10.2, the latest cotton arrivals indicate. Even though Pakistan remains the world’s fifth largest cotton producer, our share in global production has plunged to around 6pc compared to India’s 22pc.

The reasons for the collapse of the cotton crop, the backbone of the textile exports, which fetch over half our export revenue, range from government policy failures to farmers shifting from cotton to more profitable crops like sugarcane due to unavailability of quality seeds, slow adoption of modern farming practices and the impact of climate change. Our scientists and researchers have done little to build new seed technologies to help cotton farmers fight crop diseases and manage the impact of the climate change as seen in heatwaves, drought, and excessive rain. It was against this backdrop that the First National Cotton Revival Conference was held in Multan recently. The government officials, scientists, researchers, and growers attending the moot called for “policy reforms, including the development of high-yield and climate-resilient seed varieties, efficient irrigation systems, and enhanced farmer support programmes” to revitalise the cotton economy. The world is implementing “sustainable and better cotton” initiatives to improve the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of cotton production. This makes it imperative for Pakistan to urgently implement suggested policy reforms to revive the cotton economy so that it remains a part of the global textile and clothing supply chain. However, if the past is any guide, there is little chance of the authorities considering these suggestions, let alone implementing the much-needed reforms.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2025