DAWN Editorials - 29th April 2025
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 10:22 pm
Canal consensus
IT is official. Plans to build new canals on the Indus have been shelved till such time that all provinces can find themselves in agreement that they will serve the interests of the various claimants to the river’s waters.
The Council of Common Interests finally convened yesterday evening, following months of demonstrations and protests in Sindh over canals that were proposed to be built in the Cholistan region, to formally endorse the federal government’s policy, namely: “that no new canals will be built without mutual understanding from the CCI”. Thereafter, “It has been decided that the federal government will not move further until mutual understanding is evolved among the provinces”. The PPP will take the decision back to Sindh as a major triumph for the province’s people, many of whom had seen the proposed canal projects as a direct encroachment on their rights to a vital natural resource shared with another province, and had taken a strong position against the state’s plans.
According to the announcement, “the provisional Ecnec approval […] for construction of new canals and the Irsa water availability certificate […] [have been] returned. [The] Planning Division and Irsa are directed to ensure consultation with all stakeholders, in the interest of national cohesion and to address any and all concerns until mutual understanding is reached”.
This should be sufficient to address the suspicions that were being harboured by groups of protesters in Sindh, who had enforced a 10-day blockade of major logistical routes running through the province and had previously refused to disband despite the centre’s reassurances to the Sindh government that it would not proceed with the project. Now that the approval for the canals has been formally ‘returned’, the highways must be reopened and the thousands of goods transport vehicles that have been stranded for days allowed to proceed to their destinations. The economy has incurred major losses waiting for this breakthrough.
What is next? The press release issued after the CCI meeting suggested that the CCI would engage the provincial governments to chart out a long-term consensus on agricultural policy and management of the water infrastructure across the country. Furthermore, it has been announced that a committee is being formed to ensure food and ecological security with representation from the federation and the provinces. These are commendable steps, but perhaps should have been taken much earlier.
Nonetheless, it is encouraging that the provinces are being given a direct say in proposing solutions to challenges being faced at the provincial and national levels where agricultural policy and water utilisation are concerned. There is an urgent need for such high-level engagement and consultation, especially considering the climate-related crises Pakistan faces. Perhaps some good may have come out of this episode after all.
Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025
Incursions thwarted
THE military’s media wing has released details of infiltration attempts by terrorists based in Afghanistan, saying that the intruders were confronted and neutralised. According to ISPR, at least 54 TTP terrorists were killed in North Waziristan over the last few days while trying to enter Pakistan. It added on Monday that more militants had been killed in the same area. Social media handles associated with the militants have confirmed the casualties. Moreover, at least three TTP terrorists were killed in Bajaur while trying to cross over. The events illustrate that attempts by violent armed actors to enter Pakistan continue, despite promises by the Afghan Taliban to prevent their soil from being used by anti-Pakistan groups. This pledge was reiterated during Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent visit to Kabul. It seems that the Afghan side needs to be reminded of its promise. Had these intruders not been neutralised, they could have wreaked major havoc in the country.
The news of continued infiltration across Pakistan’s western border comes at a time when things are heating up on the eastern border with India. It is critical, then, to take up the issue immediately with Kabul to alleviate the challenges of a volatile security situation on both frontiers. There has been regular exchange of gunfire across the LoC ever since the Pahalgam tragedy, and considering the anti-Pakistan bellicosity emanating from India, the military must remain alert to thwart any misadventure from the other side. For this, it is essential to maintain calm on the western frontier. Therefore, Pakistan needs to communicate to the Afghan Taliban that it is their responsibility to prevent terrorists from entering this country. Even in more ‘normal’ times, the Afghan Taliban’s apparent lack of action, ie, preventing anti-Pakistan militant activity, was problematic. Now, with South Asia again in crisis mode, the need to prevent such activities becomes ever more imperative. If Kabul wants to genuinely improve ties with Pakistan, it must act without reservation against the banned TTP and other terrorist groups on Afghan soil seeking to harm Pakistan. And while diplomatic efforts are needed to deliver this message clearly to the Afghan side, the military must also maintain its vigil on the western border to ensure that terrorist groups are not able to take advantage of the evolving situation with India to stir up trouble.
Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025
Pension reforms
The federal government has finally notified another pension reform that requires retired public servants rehired by it to either draw a salary during the period of their re-employment or retain their pension. The reform also forbids all former federal employees from receiving multiple pensions. The measure is part of the pension reforms announced in the past couple of years to curb the burgeoning federal pension bill, which has crossed Rs1tr, including military pension costs of Rs662bn, for the current fiscal year. The pension liabilities are the fourth largest federal expenditure, growing by about 24pc per annum in recent years. The reforms are a key requirement of the ongoing IMF programme and are expected to address long-standing inefficiencies in the system, and relieve the pressures on our strained finances. For an economy burdened by unsustainable debt and that has little to spend on socioeconomic development, the pension reforms are a step in the right direction.
That said, the success of these reforms in reducing the burden on the national budget will largely depend on their being applied uniformly to both civilian and military retirees. While most reforms — such as the discontinuation of multiple pensions, reduction in the basis for calculation of future increases, etc — notified so far apply to both categories, reports suggest a delay in the implementation of the contributory pension scheme for military personnel. One of the most important decisions of the pension reforms, the scheme will be key to slashing future pension liabilities. However, pension reforms on their own are not going to solve our fiscal problems. The government also needs to look at reforming and cutting the size of, arguably, one of the world’s most unwieldy bureaucracies. Without doing so, economic recovery will face obstacles. This is important not just for reducing financial costs but also for introducing efficiency into the affairs of the state and curbing the latter’s interventions in the economy.
Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025
IT is official. Plans to build new canals on the Indus have been shelved till such time that all provinces can find themselves in agreement that they will serve the interests of the various claimants to the river’s waters.
The Council of Common Interests finally convened yesterday evening, following months of demonstrations and protests in Sindh over canals that were proposed to be built in the Cholistan region, to formally endorse the federal government’s policy, namely: “that no new canals will be built without mutual understanding from the CCI”. Thereafter, “It has been decided that the federal government will not move further until mutual understanding is evolved among the provinces”. The PPP will take the decision back to Sindh as a major triumph for the province’s people, many of whom had seen the proposed canal projects as a direct encroachment on their rights to a vital natural resource shared with another province, and had taken a strong position against the state’s plans.
According to the announcement, “the provisional Ecnec approval […] for construction of new canals and the Irsa water availability certificate […] [have been] returned. [The] Planning Division and Irsa are directed to ensure consultation with all stakeholders, in the interest of national cohesion and to address any and all concerns until mutual understanding is reached”.
This should be sufficient to address the suspicions that were being harboured by groups of protesters in Sindh, who had enforced a 10-day blockade of major logistical routes running through the province and had previously refused to disband despite the centre’s reassurances to the Sindh government that it would not proceed with the project. Now that the approval for the canals has been formally ‘returned’, the highways must be reopened and the thousands of goods transport vehicles that have been stranded for days allowed to proceed to their destinations. The economy has incurred major losses waiting for this breakthrough.
What is next? The press release issued after the CCI meeting suggested that the CCI would engage the provincial governments to chart out a long-term consensus on agricultural policy and management of the water infrastructure across the country. Furthermore, it has been announced that a committee is being formed to ensure food and ecological security with representation from the federation and the provinces. These are commendable steps, but perhaps should have been taken much earlier.
Nonetheless, it is encouraging that the provinces are being given a direct say in proposing solutions to challenges being faced at the provincial and national levels where agricultural policy and water utilisation are concerned. There is an urgent need for such high-level engagement and consultation, especially considering the climate-related crises Pakistan faces. Perhaps some good may have come out of this episode after all.
Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025
Incursions thwarted
THE military’s media wing has released details of infiltration attempts by terrorists based in Afghanistan, saying that the intruders were confronted and neutralised. According to ISPR, at least 54 TTP terrorists were killed in North Waziristan over the last few days while trying to enter Pakistan. It added on Monday that more militants had been killed in the same area. Social media handles associated with the militants have confirmed the casualties. Moreover, at least three TTP terrorists were killed in Bajaur while trying to cross over. The events illustrate that attempts by violent armed actors to enter Pakistan continue, despite promises by the Afghan Taliban to prevent their soil from being used by anti-Pakistan groups. This pledge was reiterated during Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent visit to Kabul. It seems that the Afghan side needs to be reminded of its promise. Had these intruders not been neutralised, they could have wreaked major havoc in the country.
The news of continued infiltration across Pakistan’s western border comes at a time when things are heating up on the eastern border with India. It is critical, then, to take up the issue immediately with Kabul to alleviate the challenges of a volatile security situation on both frontiers. There has been regular exchange of gunfire across the LoC ever since the Pahalgam tragedy, and considering the anti-Pakistan bellicosity emanating from India, the military must remain alert to thwart any misadventure from the other side. For this, it is essential to maintain calm on the western frontier. Therefore, Pakistan needs to communicate to the Afghan Taliban that it is their responsibility to prevent terrorists from entering this country. Even in more ‘normal’ times, the Afghan Taliban’s apparent lack of action, ie, preventing anti-Pakistan militant activity, was problematic. Now, with South Asia again in crisis mode, the need to prevent such activities becomes ever more imperative. If Kabul wants to genuinely improve ties with Pakistan, it must act without reservation against the banned TTP and other terrorist groups on Afghan soil seeking to harm Pakistan. And while diplomatic efforts are needed to deliver this message clearly to the Afghan side, the military must also maintain its vigil on the western border to ensure that terrorist groups are not able to take advantage of the evolving situation with India to stir up trouble.
Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025
Pension reforms
The federal government has finally notified another pension reform that requires retired public servants rehired by it to either draw a salary during the period of their re-employment or retain their pension. The reform also forbids all former federal employees from receiving multiple pensions. The measure is part of the pension reforms announced in the past couple of years to curb the burgeoning federal pension bill, which has crossed Rs1tr, including military pension costs of Rs662bn, for the current fiscal year. The pension liabilities are the fourth largest federal expenditure, growing by about 24pc per annum in recent years. The reforms are a key requirement of the ongoing IMF programme and are expected to address long-standing inefficiencies in the system, and relieve the pressures on our strained finances. For an economy burdened by unsustainable debt and that has little to spend on socioeconomic development, the pension reforms are a step in the right direction.
That said, the success of these reforms in reducing the burden on the national budget will largely depend on their being applied uniformly to both civilian and military retirees. While most reforms — such as the discontinuation of multiple pensions, reduction in the basis for calculation of future increases, etc — notified so far apply to both categories, reports suggest a delay in the implementation of the contributory pension scheme for military personnel. One of the most important decisions of the pension reforms, the scheme will be key to slashing future pension liabilities. However, pension reforms on their own are not going to solve our fiscal problems. The government also needs to look at reforming and cutting the size of, arguably, one of the world’s most unwieldy bureaucracies. Without doing so, economic recovery will face obstacles. This is important not just for reducing financial costs but also for introducing efficiency into the affairs of the state and curbing the latter’s interventions in the economy.
Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025