DAWN Editorials - 17th January 2025
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 6:45 pm
Never again
AFTER 15 long months, Israel’s genocide in Gaza has been put on hold. Whether this will lead to a permanent end to hostilities in the occupied Palestinian territories is anyone’s guess. But for the time being, the battered people of Gaza can mourn their dead — over 46,000 of them, and more likely buried under the rubble — without the threat of Israeli bombs falling on them, and tend to their wounded.
The three-stage ceasefire deal reached on Wednesday, overseen by Qatar, Egypt and the US, envisions an exchange of prisoners between Hamas and Israel, as well as the provision of aid to Gaza’s people, and an eventual Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, among other points. Much will depend on Tel Aviv’s sincerity towards honouring the deal. Even after the truce — which takes effect on Sunday — was announced, Israel continued its killing spree in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier boasted that the fight would continue till the destruction of Hamas. That obviously did not come to pass; instead, Tel Aviv has signed a truce with the Palestinian armed group. This shows that even the world’s best-equipped militaries, armed with advanced American weaponry, cannot break the will of an occupied people, who have sacrificed thousands of lives, but have refused to give up their land.
While it is hoped that the peace deal matures into a permanent ceasefire, and the people of Gaza are provided urgent succour, the world must not forget what Israel has done in this tiny coastal Strip. The thousands of deaths; the reports of rape and abuse of prisoners; the babies freezing to death, a population starved and denied access to clean water — all these war crimes must be thoroughly investigated, and the criminals brought to book. The war crimes proceedings at the ICC, and South Africa’s genocide case at the ICJ, must be brought to their logical conclusion so that Israel is never again able to commit these monstrous crimes against the Palestinian people.
Regarding the ‘day after’ the war, many plans are being proffered, but the only long-term solution to the Palestine question is a viable and independent Palestinian state. For this to happen, Israel must vacate all occupied Palestinian territories, and agree to a contiguous Arab state capable of supporting itself. Palestinian Bantustans, surrounded by Israel and vulnerable to its barbaric onslaughts, will not solve the problem. The Gaza genocide has also revealed the utter helplessness of the Palestinian Authority in projecting Palestine’s case globally.
All Palestinian factions — principally the PLO and Hamas — will have to put up a united front, and face the occupation with solidarity. If Israel goes back to its murderous ways, shielded by its close friends in Washington, the Palestinians will have no choice but to resist.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025
World Bank loan
THAT the World Bank will give $20bn to Pakistan in the next 10 years to address some of the country’s most acute development challenges, including but not limited to stunting, learning poverty, climate change, and a collapsing energy sector, is a promising development for our struggling economy. The funding, says the bank, “aims to support inclusive and sustainable development through a strong focus on building human capital; fostering durable private sector growth; and building economic, social and environmental resilience in the country”. However, the lending, which includes $14bn in concessional debt, will start from next year and likely depend on the execution of the IMF-mandated reforms to correct structural imbalances in the economy.
The promised loan is part of the multilateral lender’s Country Partnership Framework, a document that sees the growing militant violence in Balochistan and KP as a major risk to investment under this package in the targeted areas of the economy in those provinces. The bank may not have directly mentioned unresolved political tensions as a risk to the execution and outcomes of its future interventions in the country in so many words, but does appear concerned about it. “The economy has been subject to successive boom-and-bust cycles driven by structural imbalances and unsustainable fiscal policies, which invariably resulted in ... short-lived reform episodes. The most recent [reform] cycle was exacerbated by political instability... .” the CPF document reads. The new funding package is a major opportunity for Pakistan to “durably take another course” and catch up with its peers in key development metrics by investing in health, education, water and sanitation, and other public services. Nevertheless, success in this endeavour will depend on removal of the causes of low investment and growth: shifting macroeconomic policies fuelled by a volatile polity, a complex and inconsistent business environment, and distortive trade and investment policies that benefit few and limit productivity and exports. The question is, do our politicians and policymakers have the will and patience to undertake the required reforms? Pakistanis have suffered a lot in the last few years and paid a huge price for the failures of our ruling elite. Failure to build on the hard-won, and still fragile economic stability will mean that despite going through long and harsh economic measures, the people would have suffered for nothing.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025
India’s dangerous game
THE latest inflammatory remarks by India’s military brass about Pakistan mark a troubling departure from the professional restraint expected of senior defence officials. Gen Upendra Dwivedi’s labelling of Pakistan as an “epicentre of terrorism” and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s thinly veiled threats regarding Kashmir suggest a worrying politicisation of India’s armed forces. The timing is particularly awkward. Just as Western media uncovers India’s hand in assassination plots against Sikh activists in North America, and the Washington Post details a systematic campaign of extrajudicial killings on Pakistani soil, New Delhi’s military leadership launches into theatrical accusations. It is rather like a burglar crying theft while clutching a stolen wallet.
One can only describe these outbursts as attempts to deflect attention from India’s brutal oppression in occupied Kashmir. The defence minister’s claim that “Jammu and Kashmir is incomplete” without what he calls “PoK” not only dismisses UNSC resolutions but also reveals India’s expansionist mindset. Meanwhile, the presence of Kulbhushan Jadhav — a serving Indian military officer caught red-handed orchestrating terrorism within Pakistan — is proof of India’s deceit. As the Foreign Office notes, India must address its own documented involvement in orchestrating targeted assassinations before levelling accusations at others. The world response has been telling. Western nations, hesitant to criticise India, find themselves increasingly uncomfortable with New Delhi’s aggressive posturing and covert operations. The exposure of India’s transnational assassination programme has stripped away the veneer of respectability it cultivated. Such politically motivated statements from India’s military leadership not only undermine professional conduct but also pose a serious threat to regional stability. For the sake of peace in South Asia, India’s generals would do well to stay away from engaging in provocative rhetoric. The path to regional stability lies through dialogue and respect for international law, not dangerous sabre-rattling and unwarranted accusations.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025
AFTER 15 long months, Israel’s genocide in Gaza has been put on hold. Whether this will lead to a permanent end to hostilities in the occupied Palestinian territories is anyone’s guess. But for the time being, the battered people of Gaza can mourn their dead — over 46,000 of them, and more likely buried under the rubble — without the threat of Israeli bombs falling on them, and tend to their wounded.
The three-stage ceasefire deal reached on Wednesday, overseen by Qatar, Egypt and the US, envisions an exchange of prisoners between Hamas and Israel, as well as the provision of aid to Gaza’s people, and an eventual Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, among other points. Much will depend on Tel Aviv’s sincerity towards honouring the deal. Even after the truce — which takes effect on Sunday — was announced, Israel continued its killing spree in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier boasted that the fight would continue till the destruction of Hamas. That obviously did not come to pass; instead, Tel Aviv has signed a truce with the Palestinian armed group. This shows that even the world’s best-equipped militaries, armed with advanced American weaponry, cannot break the will of an occupied people, who have sacrificed thousands of lives, but have refused to give up their land.
While it is hoped that the peace deal matures into a permanent ceasefire, and the people of Gaza are provided urgent succour, the world must not forget what Israel has done in this tiny coastal Strip. The thousands of deaths; the reports of rape and abuse of prisoners; the babies freezing to death, a population starved and denied access to clean water — all these war crimes must be thoroughly investigated, and the criminals brought to book. The war crimes proceedings at the ICC, and South Africa’s genocide case at the ICJ, must be brought to their logical conclusion so that Israel is never again able to commit these monstrous crimes against the Palestinian people.
Regarding the ‘day after’ the war, many plans are being proffered, but the only long-term solution to the Palestine question is a viable and independent Palestinian state. For this to happen, Israel must vacate all occupied Palestinian territories, and agree to a contiguous Arab state capable of supporting itself. Palestinian Bantustans, surrounded by Israel and vulnerable to its barbaric onslaughts, will not solve the problem. The Gaza genocide has also revealed the utter helplessness of the Palestinian Authority in projecting Palestine’s case globally.
All Palestinian factions — principally the PLO and Hamas — will have to put up a united front, and face the occupation with solidarity. If Israel goes back to its murderous ways, shielded by its close friends in Washington, the Palestinians will have no choice but to resist.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025
World Bank loan
THAT the World Bank will give $20bn to Pakistan in the next 10 years to address some of the country’s most acute development challenges, including but not limited to stunting, learning poverty, climate change, and a collapsing energy sector, is a promising development for our struggling economy. The funding, says the bank, “aims to support inclusive and sustainable development through a strong focus on building human capital; fostering durable private sector growth; and building economic, social and environmental resilience in the country”. However, the lending, which includes $14bn in concessional debt, will start from next year and likely depend on the execution of the IMF-mandated reforms to correct structural imbalances in the economy.
The promised loan is part of the multilateral lender’s Country Partnership Framework, a document that sees the growing militant violence in Balochistan and KP as a major risk to investment under this package in the targeted areas of the economy in those provinces. The bank may not have directly mentioned unresolved political tensions as a risk to the execution and outcomes of its future interventions in the country in so many words, but does appear concerned about it. “The economy has been subject to successive boom-and-bust cycles driven by structural imbalances and unsustainable fiscal policies, which invariably resulted in ... short-lived reform episodes. The most recent [reform] cycle was exacerbated by political instability... .” the CPF document reads. The new funding package is a major opportunity for Pakistan to “durably take another course” and catch up with its peers in key development metrics by investing in health, education, water and sanitation, and other public services. Nevertheless, success in this endeavour will depend on removal of the causes of low investment and growth: shifting macroeconomic policies fuelled by a volatile polity, a complex and inconsistent business environment, and distortive trade and investment policies that benefit few and limit productivity and exports. The question is, do our politicians and policymakers have the will and patience to undertake the required reforms? Pakistanis have suffered a lot in the last few years and paid a huge price for the failures of our ruling elite. Failure to build on the hard-won, and still fragile economic stability will mean that despite going through long and harsh economic measures, the people would have suffered for nothing.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025
India’s dangerous game
THE latest inflammatory remarks by India’s military brass about Pakistan mark a troubling departure from the professional restraint expected of senior defence officials. Gen Upendra Dwivedi’s labelling of Pakistan as an “epicentre of terrorism” and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s thinly veiled threats regarding Kashmir suggest a worrying politicisation of India’s armed forces. The timing is particularly awkward. Just as Western media uncovers India’s hand in assassination plots against Sikh activists in North America, and the Washington Post details a systematic campaign of extrajudicial killings on Pakistani soil, New Delhi’s military leadership launches into theatrical accusations. It is rather like a burglar crying theft while clutching a stolen wallet.
One can only describe these outbursts as attempts to deflect attention from India’s brutal oppression in occupied Kashmir. The defence minister’s claim that “Jammu and Kashmir is incomplete” without what he calls “PoK” not only dismisses UNSC resolutions but also reveals India’s expansionist mindset. Meanwhile, the presence of Kulbhushan Jadhav — a serving Indian military officer caught red-handed orchestrating terrorism within Pakistan — is proof of India’s deceit. As the Foreign Office notes, India must address its own documented involvement in orchestrating targeted assassinations before levelling accusations at others. The world response has been telling. Western nations, hesitant to criticise India, find themselves increasingly uncomfortable with New Delhi’s aggressive posturing and covert operations. The exposure of India’s transnational assassination programme has stripped away the veneer of respectability it cultivated. Such politically motivated statements from India’s military leadership not only undermine professional conduct but also pose a serious threat to regional stability. For the sake of peace in South Asia, India’s generals would do well to stay away from engaging in provocative rhetoric. The path to regional stability lies through dialogue and respect for international law, not dangerous sabre-rattling and unwarranted accusations.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025