DAWN Editorials - 18th January 2025

[faheemustad]

Al Qadir ruling

THIS was, perhaps, the only case in which there seemed to be ostensible malfeasance involved. Alas, the way the Al Qadir Trust case was conducted, and the delays in pronouncing the verdict have cast a shadow over it, and one wonders whether the matter is as closed as the PTI’s critics would have one believe.

It may be recalled that a substantial sum of money, originally seized by the UK’s National Crime Agency on suspicion that it was “derived from bribery and corruption in a foreign country”, was repatriated to Pakistan in 2019 under a settlement between the NCA and property tycoon Malik Riaz. Instead of being put directly to public use, this money was diverted by the PTI government to settle payments owed by Mr Riaz’s Bahria Town to the Supreme Court.

The most obvious question that arose was how could money seized from an individual on suspicion that it was dirty be used to benefit that same individual in a different case.


Following this settlement, Mr Riaz donated a sizable tract of land for the creation of Al Qadir University, to be run by a trust overseen by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. Many observers found another reason to believe there was quid pro quo involved in Mr Khan’s decision, as prime minister, to divert the NCA’s repatriated funds to the Supreme Court’s accounts and Mr Riaz’s contemporaneous decision to fund a major project thought to be close to the PM’s wife.

The accountability court, which heard the case since last February, has now sentenced Mr Khan and his wife to 14 and seven years, respectively, for corruption.

Mr Khan and his supporters have asked how the two could be convicted if they did not and could not derive any material benefit from the Al Qadir Trust.

However, this seems to deflect from the fact that the former PM knowingly got himself involved with an individual accused of shady business dealings and walked away with something, no matter how intangible, for himself and his wife.

Despite the accountability court judge’s decision to convict the former PM and his spouse, there are many questions that remain unanswered, such as what agreement the then government entered into with the UK’s NCA regarding the funds it was to receive.

It is said the details of this arrangement are only known to Mirza Shahzad Akbar, former special assistant to the PM on accountability, who has remained absconding from the case.

Without it, the finding of guilt may be on shaky grounds. With the announcement of the verdict, the PTI legal team now has recourse to the high courts and will seek to challenge the decision.

For now, the former PM’s battles continue, both within the legal system and without.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2025


Atlantic tragedy

AS reports emerge of another migrant boat sinking — this time in the Atlantic off the coast of Western Sahara — a fresh approach to the crisis must be urged to prevent more lives from being snuffed out in distant waters.

The boat set sail earlier this month from Mauritania and was reportedly headed to the Spanish Canary Islands. It remained adrift for nearly two weeks. Most of the passengers on board were Pakistani and at least 44 are believed to have perished.

This is the second such incident after a vessel capsized off the Greek coast last month, which reportedly left scores of Pakistanis dead, while a shipwreck in the Mediterranean waters in 2023 claimed 262 Pakistani lives.


Following the December tragedy, the state sprang into action, rounding up human smugglers. But far more sustained action is needed to stop this illegal racket, while the only long-term solution lies in addressing the root causes of illegal migration: financial misery and a lack of economic opportunities at home.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, migrant arrivals from Pakistan in Europe have surged since 2023, with economic and political uncertainty fuelling the trend. The IOM says that nearly half of the migrants leaving Pakistan are men aged between 25 and 34; the vast majority hail from central Punjab.

Many migrants are choosing the North African route through Libya and Egypt. From here, they risk their lives to cross the Mediterranean or the Atlantic in rickety vessels in search of a European El Dorado. But, instead of fulfilling their dreams, many of them meet a terrifying end in the sea, or are tortured at the hands of the smugglers.


Dismantling the wide network of human smuggling and trafficking gangs that operate across borders is a challenge but Pakistan must smash these rackets, while officials who facilitate this odious trade must face the law. Better coordination with foreign LEAs is also important.

Moreover, as the IOM suggests, awareness must be created in districts with high rates of illegal migration, by “targeting tech-savvy youth”. These young men must be convinced that their risky journeys are not worth it.

Unfortunately, in their desperation, they are unlikely to heed such advice, unless the state shows that it is serious about creating job opportunities for them to live a life of dignity on their own soil.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2025


Cheap promises?

TALK is cheap. Can electricity also be? The government has recently announced that Pakistan will benefit from the lowest electricity tariff in this geographical neighbourhood within the next few months.

Several measures have been and are being taken towards this end, the most prominent among which is the cancellation and renegotiation of old contracts with IPPs, appointments of fresh, ‘non-political’ boards to run power companies, and anti-theft campaigns to nab miscreants and defaulters.

The spiralling circular debt seems to have been arrested and even modestly reversed, and losses posted by distribution companies have shrunk in the first five months of the ongoing fiscal year. These are, undoubtedly, good signs. However, fixing the country’s messy power woes sustainably requires an iron will and an ability to walk the tightrope while making tough decisions.


The government has been under pressure from certain quarters to push for an extension to the deadline to cut gas supply to captive power plants by the end of January, agreed to with the IMF under the conditions of its bailout programme for Pakistan. The government had previously consented to the measure but then realised it would create new problems for connected stakeholders.

Be that as it may, Islamabad’s inability to show consistency and adhere to agreed terms creates doubts regarding its capacity for long-term reforms. Every time it changes its stance, the government signals that, firstly, it is not confident about its policies, and, secondly, its decisions are not engineered to deliver long-term solutions. This lack of consistency is also what encourages lobbyists and special interest groups to continue attempting to derail reforms that affect their interests.

The promise of the cheapest electricity tariff in the region is a welcome one, especially for Pakistan’s inflation-weary masses. However, if it is to be achieved, the government will need to stay the course, make bitter choices, and take responsibility for its decisions.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2025