Dawn Editorials 19th October 2025

Measured response

THE government’s decision to shut down all Afghan refugee camps and deny any further extension for their stay marks a new phase in a complex and painful chapter of Pakistan’s history.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive for the “dignified repatriation” of Afghan nationals — with more exit points to be established along the border — underscores Islamabad’s desire to address economic and security pressures.

Yet, this moment also demands empathy, restraint and a humane approach that matches the spirit of generosity Pakistan has displayed for over four decades. Since 1979, Pakistan has hosted one of the world’s largest refugee populations — at times sheltering more than 3m Afghans — despite its own economic hardships and political turmoil.

This act of hospitality has earned the country considerable goodwill and global respect. But the current policy, which explicitly links repatriation to Kabul’s failure to curb cross-border militancy, risks blurring the line between legitimate security concerns and humanitarian obligations. Refugees cannot be treated as extensions of a government from which many have fled in fear or desperation.

The Taliban’s return to power in 2021 prompted a new wave of displacement, with many Afghans escaping persecution, repression, and poverty. For such individuals, forced or abrupt repatriation could mean exposure to grave danger and renewed trauma.

The prime minister has rightly spoken of ensuring a “dignified and humane” process, with care for women, children, minorities and the elderly. But ensuring that this comes into practice requires international oversight, logistical support, and close coordination with the UNHCR, aid partners, and humanitarian agencies to ensure that returnees have safety, shelter, and viable livelihood options on arrival.

There is also a practical dimension. Many Afghans — some born and raised entirely in Pakistan — have integrated into local communities, contributing to labour markets, small businesses, education, and cultural life. Displacement for them is not a return but an uprooting that will reshape countless lives and neighbourhoods. A more nuanced approach is needed: those with legal status or deep social ties should be offered regularisation pathways, while repatriation for others must proceed when conditions across the border are stable and safe.

Pakistan’s frustration with Kabul over security issues is understandable, but refugee policy must not become an instrument of political signalling or retaliation. Instead, Islamabad should frame its approach as part of a larger humanitarian effort, seeking global funding and cooperation for reintegration programmes.

The world owes Pakistan support for shouldering this burden for so long. That support must now translate into meaningful aid, sustained diplomatic engagement, and a shared commitment to justice, dignity, and long-term stability. As the government proceeds, it must ensure that compassion remains its guiding principle. Dignity in repatriation cannot exist without humanity in intent.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2025

Eradication in peril

PAKISTAN’S anti-polio campaign has once more been marred by bloodshed. Over the past week alone, three security personnel guarding vaccination teams were gunned down in Swat, Nowshera and Surab. Similar attacks earlier this year in Waziristan, Mastung and Noshki claimed more lives. Each incident reminds us that the fight against polio in Pakistan is as much about defeating extremism and misinformation as it is about delivering two drops of vaccine. This month’s nationwide immunisation drive aims to reach more than 45m children under five. The campaign, running from Oct 13 to 19, comes amid a resurgence of poliovirus, with new cases detected in KP and southern Balochistan and a growing number of positive sewage samples. Despite this, the state continues to rely on exhausted, underpaid health workers and overstretched police guards who operate in fear. The killings of those who carry out this national duty expose the government’s failure to provide even basic security, let alone the moral support and compensation their families deserve.

Pakistan’s own public statements suggest a target of eradicating poliovirus transmission by the end of 2025, describing the current effort as the “final push”. Yet the global eradication strategy has been extended towards 2029 as international partners acknowledge that the virus continues to circulate in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas. How does the state intend to meet its 2025 ambition when vaccinators are being murdered in broad daylight and communities are still misled by conspiracy and propaganda? For decades, Pakistan has pledged to end polio, and billions have been spent on surveillance, logistics and awareness campaigns. Still, the virus endures — not because of lack of knowledge or resources, but because of poor governance, political complacency, and an unwillingness to learn from past failures. Extremist networks that vilify vaccination operate unchecked. Intelligence coordination is weak. Investigations into such attacks rarely lead to accountability. The country’s credibility before global donors and health partners is fast eroding. If Pakistan cannot guarantee the safety of those protecting its children, it cannot credibly claim that polio is on the brink of eradication. Security is not a peripheral concern — it is the foundation of success. Until we confront militancy and misinformation with conviction, the goal of polio eradication will continue to elude us.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2025

Unfair vanity

OUR social prejudices equate beauty with fairness, although skin-lightening products are the darkest side of the beauty world. The CCP’s nationwide probe into businesses that manufacture, sell and market mercury-heavy skin-whitening creams is welcome. Its Fair Trade and Market Intelligence wing has discovered hazardous levels of mercury in whitening products, widely available online and in stores. Health and wellness matter little for beauty peddlers. Mercury, due to its ability to block melanin production, has been a permanent, albeit hidden, ingredient. Extremely toxic, it is absorbed through the skin, causing rashes, kidney damage, neurological disorders and reproductive issues. It can be transferred to children through superficial contact. Doctors also say that the steroids and chemicals in pigment-altering products enter the bloodstream and weaken the immune system.

Fairness fare is no stranger to censure, yet its popularity does not seem to wane. The cosmetics industry has long relied on persuading people that ‘perfection’ is a lotion away — a notion that instils racism and harms well-being and social accord. Their ads, although not as brazenly biased as they once were, still feature fair skin as necessary for personal and professional success, promising rare, rapid exquisiteness. Awareness campaigns, which focus on the importance of healthy lifestyles, the misleading nature of ads, genuine skin prescriptions and rules that ensure safe enhancement formulas, can counter the stigma associated with dark skin, which has strengthened the hold of harmful products. Social pressures cannot be overlooked. Families should be aware of the repercussions that are expensive to treat, and the futility of misguided ‘beauty’. Many countries have banned these goods. Pakistan should do the same, instituting hefty penalties for deceptive marketing. The emotional trauma of users who end up with hardened skin, resistant to treatment, and permanent pigmentation, means that every shade should be celebrated.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2025