DAWN Editorials - 22th January 2025

[faheemustad]

Errant ECP

THE ECP has once again earned a detailed reprimand from the Supreme Court, this time over its decision to de-seat an independent lawmaker whom the ruling PML-N had ‘claimed’ as one of their own.

Finding that the ECP does not have jurisdiction to conclusively determine whether an affidavit stating that the lawmaker in question had joined the PML-N was genuine or not, the SC had set aside the commission’s decision to de-seat the lawmaker in question for not voting in line with the PML-N’s directives on the 26th Amendment.

Furthermore, the court also made note of substantial evidence suggesting that the lawmaker had declared his allegiance to the Sunni Ittehad Council both in the form of a written and signed declaration to the ECP and publicly. Not only that, but the PML-N’s party head had also failed to provide a single instance that demonstrated that the lawmaker had been a member of their parliamentary party.


That the ECP chose to adopt the ruling party’s stance despite it being “contrary to the weight of the material on record” has prompted a separate note from Justice Ayesha Malik, who has questioned why the commission continues to exceed its bounds by repeatedly taking cover behind its status as a constitutional body.

Recalling that “the primary duty of the ECP is to ensure free, fair and transparent elections”, Justice Malik has reminded it that “on a constitutional plane, the ECP is not the master rather the forum or organ that must perform the task which lies at the heart of the constitutional democracy.” Underlining that the ECP is “duty bound to ensure that those elected by the people remain in government”, the honourable justice notes that it is a solemn observance of this duty that maintains the integrity of the elections and later gives legitimacy to the government.

“It is unfortunate that despite clear pronouncements by this Court, the ECP conducts itself in a manner that is not in line with its constitutional duty rather aligned with the notion that they have the constitutional power to disregard other constitutional institutions and the basic right of the vote,” Justice Malik regrets in her conclusion.


It is not the first time the commission has acted thus. Indeed, time and again, it has behaved as if it has no obligation to uphold the standards of freedom, fairness and transparency that have been prescribed to it along with the duties delegated by the Constitution.

The results of its institutional contemptuousness have been plain for all to see: a government that struggles daily to establish its legitimacy, pervasive and persistent political instability, and increasing disillusionment among the public regarding the Pakistani state’s capacity to fulfil its existential needs. That it still refuses to correct course is ominous indeed.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2025


Fast-tracking M6

GRAND infrastructure projects in Pakistan often progress at the pace of a bullock cart rather than a bullet train. The Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (M6), a vital 306km artery meant to complete Pakistan’s north-south transport corridor, is one example. While Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently urged acceleration of its construction, the project remains mired in the quicksand of bureaucratic inertia and financial uncertainty. The M6’s significance extends beyond mere tarmac and concrete. It represents the final piece in an ambitious puzzle: the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway network. Once complete, this network would create Pakistan’s first uninterrupted high-speed corridor, stretching from the bustling port city of Karachi to the historic frontier town of Peshawar. For Sindh, historically the country’s economic powerhouse, the stakes are particularly high. The motorway promises to slash journey times and boost safety along one of Pakistan’s busiest freight routes, which currently sees thousands of heavy vehicles navigate congested national highways daily. Sindh’s agricultural heartland, currently operating like a landlocked island despite its proximity to Karachi’s port, would gain swift access to national and international markets. The improved connectivity would likely catalyse both local and foreign investment in industry and tourism. The project could transform the region’s economic geography, much as China’s highway expansion revolutionised its rural economy in the 1990s.

Yet the road to completion is proving bumpy. The project’s cost has swollen by 25pc in two years, now approaching Rs400bn. Last year’s tender cancellation sparked fresh delays, while funding remains uncertain. The government’s pivot to a public-private partnership model, while pragmatic, adds another layer of complexity. The World Bank’s involvement and the project’s inclusion in the CPEC discussions offer hope, but neither guarantees swift execution. For Sindh’s rural population, the M6 represents more than economic opportunity. It promises better access to healthcare, education and markets — basic services that much of Pakistan’s rural population still struggles to reach. But these benefits remain theoretical until construction begins in earnest. The project’s fate will test Pakistan’s ability to execute large-scale infrastructure projects efficiently. Previous motorway projects have shown that the country can deliver when political will aligns with administrative competence. The M6 needs similar alignment, and quickly. Pakistan’s history is littered with infrastructure projects that began with fanfare but ended in disappointment. The M6 must not join that list. Otherwise, Pakistan’s missing link risks becoming its missing opportunity.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2025


Gwadar airport

THE air connectivity established by the inauguration of PIA flights between Karachi and Gwadar is a major step towards linking the southwestern port city with, and opening it up to, the rest of the country and by extension to the world at large for travel and trade. Political rhetoric apart, the new state-of-the-art Gwadar International Airport, built by China at a cost of $320m as a gift for the people of the region, is considered as vital a link for the development of the Makran region of Balochistan and the CPEC transport infrastructure initiative as the city’s seaport. Though it may appear to be a small step at the moment, the launch of two weekly commercial flights to and from Karachi could significantly enhance the accessibility of Gwadar, often referred to as the ‘crown jewel’ of the multibillion-dollar CPEC initiative, in terms of both freight and passenger traffic.

But, as they say, one swallow doesn’t make a summer. There is no doubt that the airport, like the city’s deep-water port, “symbolises a new era of prosperity for Gwadar and the rest of Balochistan” as the aviation and defence minister said to mark the commencement of commercial flight operations from there. The dream of economic progress, revival of tourism and industrialisation of Gwadar and the Makran region cannot be realised without addressing the challenges of security. Indeed, the new airport can play a critical role in “connecting Pakistan to global markets and facilitating trade, tourism, and economic development”. But its potential will remain suppressed till the time peace returns to the region, a hotspot of the Baloch insurgency. That the authorities have so far not been able to commercialise the Gwadar air or seaport underlines the reluctance on the part of both the local and Chinese investors to bet on the huge unrealised economic potential of the city, primarily on account of security challenges.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2025