DAWN Editorials - 1st February 2025
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 3:50 am
Additional spectrum
PAKISTAN’S mobile operators need more spectrum, the radio waves that carry voice calls and wireless data, as their present government-rationed spectrum slices are choked, and unable to meet the rapidly growing demand for data. Poor mobile connectivity marked by frequent call drops, and a slower, erratic internet service are only a few of the signs of the existing digital infrastructure falling far behind demand as the authorities fail to make more spectrum available to the operators. If their capacity issues are not addressed, it will become impossible for the telecom operators to keep pace with the demand and improve their deteriorating services.
The GSMA, which represents mobile operators and entities across the mobile ecosystem, says in a new paper that delays in assigning spectrum could lead to significant economic losses, with a two-year delay potentially costing the GDP $1.8bn between 2025 and 2030, and a five-year delay resulting in losses of up to $4.3bn. It has also criticised Pakistan’s spectrum policy that prioritises collection of revenue in massive licence fees over digital transformation. Interestingly, the government has not auctioned additional spectrum since 2014 when Pakistan launched the 3/4G services. Attempts to auction additional spectrum were abandoned or did not succeed because of the unsustainable costs to be paid in dollars. The GSMA says that even past auctions in 2014 and 2021 resulted in unsold spectrum, leading to reduced spectrum supply for telcos and overall significant economic losses. Mobile operators appear indifferent to plans to launch 5G services and auction more spectrum this year, due to the pricing formula that is being seen as “a significant threat to the future development of mobile services”. That said, the government must prioritise digital infrastructure development over revenue generation if 5G services are to be successfully rolled out and the dream of its ‘Digital Pakistan’ initiative is to materialise.
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025
Peca ptsrotes
DESPITE the immense pressures they routinely face, Pakistani journalists have always cherished and jealously safeguarded their freedoms. There is hope that, despite everything, the fight has not yet left the community. On Friday, they rallied for the observance of a ‘Black Day’ against recent amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, which were bulldozed by the ruling coalition through parliament and signed into law by the president earlier this week. There are now harsher penalties in effect for anything deemed ‘fake news’ by the authorities, expanded state oversight of digital platforms, and preparations for new regulatory bodies to monitor and clamp down on social media. Decrying the Peca amendments as a ‘black’ law, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, which organised the protest, had called out ruling parties for advocating for freedom of expression when in the opposition and betraying them once in power. Condemning the amended Act for enabling detentions and penalties without fair trial procedures, the PFUJ has also announced a nationwide ‘press freedom movement’, to be led by journalists and rights activists, and said it would join formal challenges to the law along with lawyers across the country.
In a just society, the legitimacy of any law is considered not in its convenience to the rulers of the day but in its universality. A good law must protect and safeguard rights and freedoms regardless of who holds power. The Peca amendments, on the other hand, seem to have been designed to serve a few while endangering the many. Those who legislated and enacted the amendments do not seem to have given adequate thought to their potential dangers. It is also strange that they have overlooked repeated warnings, even from well-wishers: after all, one of the first casualties of the original Peca were the same parties that had helped the law’s passage. Unheard and dismissed, the press and legal fraternities have chosen to take a worthy stand; one that is reasonably cautious of the implications of the newly updated law. For their own sake, the ruling parties should pay heed to their concerns. All stakeholders realise that there can be no compromise on national security, but at the same time there are sharp disagreements over how the digital sphere must be secured. The government must listen to opposing viewpoints and address all stakeholders’ concerns.
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025
Counterterrorism ops
THE past year was not a good one where deadly terrorist attacks go, for according to the military’s data, 2024 saw the highest number of civilian and military casualties in a decade.
Much of this bloodshed is the handiwork of the banned TTP and other religiously inspired militants, though separatist groups in Balochistan also launched several major attacks. Now it seems that the state has decided to push back hard, going after militants in the worst-affected parts of KP.
Since the start of 2025, numerous operations have been conducted in several KP districts. Two separate attacks occurred in North Waziristan, in which four personnel were martyred on Thursday. As per the military’s media wing, 13 terrorists were killed in the encounters. Moreover, around 30 terrorists have been killed in earlier operations. Counterterrorism action was also carried out on Friday.
The military should continue its CT operations till all the affected areas are cleared of militancy. The state has a good idea of the geographical area which needs to be focused on, for the vast number of the 444 terrorist attacks last year occurred in KP. The security forces need to zero in on the districts where militants have established a foothold, and neutralise or evict these malign actors from Pakistani territory. The loss of personnel is particularly tragic, and as this paper has written before, civil and military personnel need to be given better equipment and training that could help save lives in the heat of battle.
The issue of abandoned American weapons in Afghanistan has also come up recently. Earlier, top officials, including the defence minister, had said that TTP fighters were using weapons US forces left behind in Afghanistan after their 2021 retreat. US President Donald Trump has said that “we want the military equipment back” with reference to these weapons.
The Foreign Office has also weighed in on the issue, with the spokesman saying that Pakistan has repeatedly called for ensuring that the weapons “do not fall into the wrong hands”. Making sure that American arms should not end up in the hands of TTP or other terrorists should be a priority for all regional states, as well as the international community. The previous US administration acted hastily by leaving such high-tech gear to be scooped up by terrorists. The current US set-up should do all possible to see that whatever remains of these armaments is retrieved.
To prevent the bloodshed witnessed in 2024, Pakistan will have to act internally, by honing its CT policy to meet the threat, while also maintaining diplomatic pressure on the Afghan Taliban to ensure their soil is not used by anti-Pakistan actors. Together with kinetic operations and supplementary actions, terrorism can be defeated.
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025
PAKISTAN’S mobile operators need more spectrum, the radio waves that carry voice calls and wireless data, as their present government-rationed spectrum slices are choked, and unable to meet the rapidly growing demand for data. Poor mobile connectivity marked by frequent call drops, and a slower, erratic internet service are only a few of the signs of the existing digital infrastructure falling far behind demand as the authorities fail to make more spectrum available to the operators. If their capacity issues are not addressed, it will become impossible for the telecom operators to keep pace with the demand and improve their deteriorating services.
The GSMA, which represents mobile operators and entities across the mobile ecosystem, says in a new paper that delays in assigning spectrum could lead to significant economic losses, with a two-year delay potentially costing the GDP $1.8bn between 2025 and 2030, and a five-year delay resulting in losses of up to $4.3bn. It has also criticised Pakistan’s spectrum policy that prioritises collection of revenue in massive licence fees over digital transformation. Interestingly, the government has not auctioned additional spectrum since 2014 when Pakistan launched the 3/4G services. Attempts to auction additional spectrum were abandoned or did not succeed because of the unsustainable costs to be paid in dollars. The GSMA says that even past auctions in 2014 and 2021 resulted in unsold spectrum, leading to reduced spectrum supply for telcos and overall significant economic losses. Mobile operators appear indifferent to plans to launch 5G services and auction more spectrum this year, due to the pricing formula that is being seen as “a significant threat to the future development of mobile services”. That said, the government must prioritise digital infrastructure development over revenue generation if 5G services are to be successfully rolled out and the dream of its ‘Digital Pakistan’ initiative is to materialise.
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025
Peca ptsrotes
DESPITE the immense pressures they routinely face, Pakistani journalists have always cherished and jealously safeguarded their freedoms. There is hope that, despite everything, the fight has not yet left the community. On Friday, they rallied for the observance of a ‘Black Day’ against recent amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, which were bulldozed by the ruling coalition through parliament and signed into law by the president earlier this week. There are now harsher penalties in effect for anything deemed ‘fake news’ by the authorities, expanded state oversight of digital platforms, and preparations for new regulatory bodies to monitor and clamp down on social media. Decrying the Peca amendments as a ‘black’ law, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, which organised the protest, had called out ruling parties for advocating for freedom of expression when in the opposition and betraying them once in power. Condemning the amended Act for enabling detentions and penalties without fair trial procedures, the PFUJ has also announced a nationwide ‘press freedom movement’, to be led by journalists and rights activists, and said it would join formal challenges to the law along with lawyers across the country.
In a just society, the legitimacy of any law is considered not in its convenience to the rulers of the day but in its universality. A good law must protect and safeguard rights and freedoms regardless of who holds power. The Peca amendments, on the other hand, seem to have been designed to serve a few while endangering the many. Those who legislated and enacted the amendments do not seem to have given adequate thought to their potential dangers. It is also strange that they have overlooked repeated warnings, even from well-wishers: after all, one of the first casualties of the original Peca were the same parties that had helped the law’s passage. Unheard and dismissed, the press and legal fraternities have chosen to take a worthy stand; one that is reasonably cautious of the implications of the newly updated law. For their own sake, the ruling parties should pay heed to their concerns. All stakeholders realise that there can be no compromise on national security, but at the same time there are sharp disagreements over how the digital sphere must be secured. The government must listen to opposing viewpoints and address all stakeholders’ concerns.
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025
Counterterrorism ops
THE past year was not a good one where deadly terrorist attacks go, for according to the military’s data, 2024 saw the highest number of civilian and military casualties in a decade.
Much of this bloodshed is the handiwork of the banned TTP and other religiously inspired militants, though separatist groups in Balochistan also launched several major attacks. Now it seems that the state has decided to push back hard, going after militants in the worst-affected parts of KP.
Since the start of 2025, numerous operations have been conducted in several KP districts. Two separate attacks occurred in North Waziristan, in which four personnel were martyred on Thursday. As per the military’s media wing, 13 terrorists were killed in the encounters. Moreover, around 30 terrorists have been killed in earlier operations. Counterterrorism action was also carried out on Friday.
The military should continue its CT operations till all the affected areas are cleared of militancy. The state has a good idea of the geographical area which needs to be focused on, for the vast number of the 444 terrorist attacks last year occurred in KP. The security forces need to zero in on the districts where militants have established a foothold, and neutralise or evict these malign actors from Pakistani territory. The loss of personnel is particularly tragic, and as this paper has written before, civil and military personnel need to be given better equipment and training that could help save lives in the heat of battle.
The issue of abandoned American weapons in Afghanistan has also come up recently. Earlier, top officials, including the defence minister, had said that TTP fighters were using weapons US forces left behind in Afghanistan after their 2021 retreat. US President Donald Trump has said that “we want the military equipment back” with reference to these weapons.
The Foreign Office has also weighed in on the issue, with the spokesman saying that Pakistan has repeatedly called for ensuring that the weapons “do not fall into the wrong hands”. Making sure that American arms should not end up in the hands of TTP or other terrorists should be a priority for all regional states, as well as the international community. The previous US administration acted hastily by leaving such high-tech gear to be scooped up by terrorists. The current US set-up should do all possible to see that whatever remains of these armaments is retrieved.
To prevent the bloodshed witnessed in 2024, Pakistan will have to act internally, by honing its CT policy to meet the threat, while also maintaining diplomatic pressure on the Afghan Taliban to ensure their soil is not used by anti-Pakistan actors. Together with kinetic operations and supplementary actions, terrorism can be defeated.
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025