Dawn Editorials 1st September 2025

Solar for Gwadar

THE maritime affairs minister last week announced plans to utilise solar energy to power the Gwadar port. It is hoped that he was not merely adding to the long list of initiatives promised over the years to turn the city into a global logistics hub. Most such initiatives have been abandoned ever since the hype surrounding them died down, and the city has, over time, become the poster child for Pakistan’s oft-rued ‘unrealised potential’. Still, with solar energy having kick-started a countrywide revolution that has provided unprecedented ease to millions of citizens, there are very good reasons to seriously consider it as a possible solution for some of Gwadar’s long-running issues, especially those pertaining to its water and electricity utilities, or rather, the lack thereof.

A subcommittee has been established to plan and implement a comprehensive solar energy utilisation plan, according to an official press release. “The committee will design solar power distribution systems integrated with storage options to ensure a dependable energy supply for critical infrastructure,” the release states. It is hoped that the scope of this project will be kept as broad as possible. The aim should be to not only support “critical infrastructure”, as the release suggests, but also to tangibly improve the lives of the long-suffering people of Gwadar. A regular supply of potable water and a dependable electricity distribution network were promised to them long ago, yet never delivered. That broken promise now fuels much of the resentment in that region today. To be fair, the government does seem to be mindful of their disappointment. The press release mentions utilising solar energy to power water pumps and a desalination plant, which is creditable. It also appears that thought has been given to battery storage facilities to ensure power is available overnight. The proposal seems promising. It is only hoped that it will be followed through for the sake of Gwadar’s people.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2025

IS in Afghanistan

TALIBAN-ruled Afghanistan already has a militancy problem, with various terrorist groups finding refuge in the country. These include members of the banned TTP, Uighur militants, as well as fighters belonging to IS-K. But as UN reports have highlighted, IS militants based in Syria may now be making their way towards Afghanistan. This would further complicate matters for Pakistan and the rest of the region, as some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists set up base across this country’s western border. According to a recent UN Security Council report, there are “concerns that some extremist fighters could move from the Syrian Arab Republic to Afghanistan” in order to “stage operations against regional States”. The same UN document observes that there are also reports of Al Qaeda fighters relocating to Afghanistan from Syria. During a discussion in the Security Council recently, it was further noted that IS-K in Afghanistan presents “one of the most serious threats to Central Asia and beyond”.

The fact that IS may be regrouping in Afghanistan should set off alarm bells across the region. While the IS-K ‘franchise’ has been active for some years, if it receives reinforcements from the main IS formations in the Middle East and sets up shop in Afghanistan, it could spell major trouble for Pakistan and other regional states, as well as for the Afghan Taliban themselves. It should be remembered that violent extremist groups played a key role in toppling the Assad regime in Syria last year. But while Syria’s new rulers may claim to have shed their militant past, their more radical comrades are unlikely to give up the fight so easily; hence the move to Afghanistan for a new ‘jihad’. It is also true that IS-K are adversaries of the Afghan Taliban, and the addition of reinforcements from Syria will bolster their ranks, and could even convince them to try and take Kabul. Of course, the Afghan Taliban themselves are responsible for the growth of militancy in their country. They maintain a permissive stance towards ‘allied’ extremists such as the TTP and Al Qaeda, but are opposed to unfriendly groups such as IS-K. This dichotomy itself may endanger their rule, along with threatening the security of neighbouring states, should IS establish itself on Afghan soil. Therefore, the Afghan Taliban and the international community together should neutralise the emerging IS threat.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2025

Infected inmates

WHEN one thinks of Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, one thinks of overcrowding and misery. Unbeknownst to many, the facility also has the dubious honour of holding the highest number of HIV-positive inmates in Punjab, as revealed recently by the Punjab Aids Control Programme.

Figures show 148 prisoners are infected in the detention centre, built for fewer than 2,000, but crammed with over 4,300. The outbreak not only highlights the dangers of neglecting healthcare in closed institutions, it also reminds us of our failed response to HIV.

Overcrowded prisons are the perfect incubators for disease, especially given the inadequate attention to health and risky inmate behaviour. The dangers in Pakistan are amplified by a history of unsafe practices — unsterile injections, lax blood-banking and rampant syringe sharing. Ratodero in 2019, where hundreds of children contracted HIV from a single doctor’s reused syringes, was the most notorious case. Unprotected sex among high-risk groups and migrant workers bringing infections home are two more contributing factors.

The statistics speak for themselves: nearly 40pc of those who inject drugs are HIV-positive, and almost three-quarters admit to reusing syringes. The kind of behaviours that drive transmission in communities find their way into jails. Although prevalence in the general population remains officially low at 0.1pc, UNAIDS modelling suggests that over 230,000 Pakistanis were living with the virus in 2022 — a three-and-a-half-fold increase since 2010.

Pakistan’s response to the virus has been weak. Recent commentary in The Lancet accused the state of outsourcing much of the HIV effort to NGOs sustained by foreign donors, leaving the government with little incentive to take ownership. Services remain siloed in stand-alone clinics that are easy to spot; with their bold signage, patients are inclined to avoid stepping in for fear of stigma. Only a third of those infected are on antiretroviral therapy. Spending on prevention has fallen, while international funding, on which Pakistan is dependent, is shrinking. The Global Fund, citing both belt-tightening and mismanagement, has slashed its support by $27m.

As with other health challenges, Pakistan has strategies on paper. Its latest AIDS plan aspires to slash new infections by nearly two-thirds by 2026. Yet provincial health departments often fail to spend the money already allocated, while screening and treatment targets remain a fantasy. In some provinces, less than a quarter of those infected even know their status. Also, while improving prison health is imperative, the government must realise it is not just about inmate welfare. Untreated infections spill back into communities when prisoners are released. The authorities must invest in prison healthcare, enforce safe medical practices, and above all, integrate HIV prevention and treatment into the wider health system. The virus is relentless and so must the country’s response be.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2025