Dawn Editorials 10th October 2025

A Pakistani’s ordeal

THE warm welcome accorded to former senator Mushtaq Ahmed, who returned to Pakistan yesterday after an abortive yet noble attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, was certainly a fitting one. Mr Ahmed had led a Pakistani delegation on the 45-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail last month from Spain with the aim of breaking Israel’s tyrannical blockade of Gaza. As was expected, the flotilla was hijacked by Israeli forces as it neared its destination, and most of those on board the vessels were manhandled, captured and jailed. Mr Ahmed spent time in Israeli captivity, reportedly in inhumane conditions, before he was finally deported to Jordan, from where he was brought back home. The Pakistan government deserves to be commended for pursuing his release and ensuring his safe return. Regardless of how the Sumud Flotilla’s mission ended, it will be remembered as a heroic one, led by humanists from around the world who wished to do something more than just condemn and complain.

The mistreatment of these well-wishers of the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli forces had been expected. It made it no less outrageous. While Israeli atrocities against prisoners have been well documented internationally, it was chilling to hear them from the mouth of a prominent Pakistani leader. Speaking about his captivity, Mr Ahmed recalled in a message posted on X that: “During this time, our hands were cuffed behind our backs, our feet were shackled and chained, we were blindfolded, dogs were set upon us, guns were pointed at us, and we were tortured in the worst way.” He said the activists were denied access to air, drinking water, medication and rest. During a TV appearance on Thursday evening, Mr Ahmed seemed worse for wear from the ordeal. One was compelled to think of the Palestinian people, who have borne such degradation and torture for decades, and made to pay with their blood for resisting their subjugation.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2025

Terror surge

AS Pakistan’s battle against militancy persists, a heavy toll is being extracted as the country continues to lose a large number of security men in confrontations with terrorists. Frequent terrorist attacks also raise the question of the use of foreign soil — specifically Afghan territory — by anti-Pakistan militants.

Eleven personnel, including two officers, were martyred in KP’s Orakzai tribal district earlier this week as they battled TTP terrorists during an intelligence-based operation. Meanwhile, ISPR said on Thursday that a major was martyred during a counterterrorism operation in Dera Ismail Khan, while officials confirmed a policeman was martyred when TTP militants attacked a checkpoint in a separate incident in D.I. Khan.

Taking note of the uptick in violence, the corps commanders’ conference on Wednesday pledged to continue CT operations “across all domains” in order to crush the banned TTP and Baloch separatist insurgencies. Moreover, the country’s top generals highlighted a “nexus between terror and crime with vested political patronage”, while vowing to dismantle it.

There needs to be further clarification of this nexus. In the past, for example, there was evidence of political parties having militant wings in Karachi. Is this what is being referred to, or has a fresh threat emerged?

With regard to the high losses amongst security men, there is an urgent need to address this issue, as the country cannot afford to lose so many personnel in terrorist attacks. Most troop losses are reported during IBOs. Perhaps there is a need to change tactics, in order to stay ahead of terrorist groups.

Concerning the use of Afghan soil by militant groups, the issue recently came up during discussions between regional states at the Moscow Format Consultations. Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan reiterated at the moot the need to “dismantle all terrorist groups operation from Afghanistan”. The joint statement issued by the participating countries, which included Afghanistan, Russia, China and Iran, among others, similarly reminded Kabul that terrorism in the country “constitutes a serious threat to … Afghanistan, the region and the wider world”.

Therefore, along with shoring up defences at home, Pakistan needs to work with partners in the region to ensure that the message is clearly communicated to the Afghan Taliban regime: regional integration and hosting bloodthirsty terrorist groups cannot go hand in hand.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2025

Frayed lives

EVERY 43 seconds, somewhere in the world, a person takes their own life. On this World Mental Health Day, the need to prioritise mental health could not be clearer. Mental distress is now among the most pressing global health burdens. The WHO estimates that more than a billion people live with mental disorders. Suicide — still the most shocking indicator — claims some 700,000 lives a year. But rising anxiety, workplace burnout, adolescent depression and substance abuse are spreading faster than most governments can respond.

In East Asia, the human toll is acute. South Korea, despite its prosperity, has the highest suicide rate in the OECD — about 26 deaths per 100,000 people, more than double the organisation’s average. Relentless academic competition and punishing office hours fuel these numbers. China, too, is facing pushback against its notorious ‘996’ culture — working from nine in the morning to nine at night, six days a week. Protests on social media and viral cases of employee breakdowns have forced some firms to roll back excessive overtime. Yet structural incentives still reward overwork, and mental health services remain scarce. That combination — stigma, pressure, and inadequate care — has created what researchers call a silent epidemic. Elsewhere, the picture is hardly brighter. In the West, depression and anxiety spiked during the pandemic and show little sign of receding. America’s opioid crisis, now in its second decade, has blurred the line between substance abuse and mental illness. In parts of Africa, prolonged conflict and displacement have produced entire generations with post-traumatic stress yet almost no psychiatric support. The global economic cost of untreated mental illness is estimated in the trillions of dollars, through lost productivity, health spending and diminished human capital.

Pakistan, meanwhile, drifts in the same current but without a raft. Studies suggest that a third of the population suffers from common mental disorders, while suicide rates have risen to nearly 10 per 100,000. Until 2022, attempted suicide was an actual crime, discouraging disclosure. Stigma remains entrenched; admitting to depression risks ridicule, even ostracism. Those who do seek care find that private therapists charge exorbitant fees, while public provision is skeletal, especially outside cities. The notion of proactively caring for one’s mental health scarcely exists. What might help? Mainstreaming mental health into primary care, so family doctors can detect and refer patients rather than ignoring symptoms. Investment in affordable psychotherapy, through community counsellors, subsidised clinics or digital platforms. Workplace reform, to enforce limits on hours and make employers accountable for well-being. And awareness campaigns to chip away at stigma. Ignoring mental health is costly; societies that do so pay in lives and lost output. The lesson from Seoul to Shanghai to Islamabad is the same: mental well-being must never be an afterthought. It is the first order of business.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2025