Dawn Editorials 21st October 2025

Doha truce

AFTER over a week of hostilities during which some of the fiercest exchanges took place between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, a fragile calm between the two countries has been established.

A long-term ceasefire was reached in Doha early on Sunday, where both sides pledged to continue the diplomatic process and find a permanent solution to the prevailing problem — cross-border incursions by Afghanistan-based terrorist groups. Qatar and Turkiye have played a key role in bringing about the truce, and representatives of both Islamabad and Kabul will meet in Istanbul on Saturday to take the process forward.

Though the Pakistani state and the Afghan Taliban once maintained cordial relations, matters have nosedived during the hard-line group’s second innings. At the heart of the matter is the sanctuary provided by the Afghan Taliban to the banned TTP and other militant groups that have staged bloody attacks in Pakistan. Though the Taliban deny this, there is overwhelming evidence that suggests that terrorist groups indeed have havens in Afghanistan.

Over the last few months, the attacks have increased significantly — over 600 attacks over the past year, according to one report — causing heavy casualties amongst Pakistani security men. It is because earlier attempts at dialogue failed to stop such attacks that the state took action, hitting militant targets across the border.

But while this may have sent a strong message to Kabul, if the hostilities continue, it will bode ill for peace in South Asia, as Pakistan will have to face adversaries on two hostile borders. Therefore, the state may have to combine deterrence through military means — in case of further attacks — with sustained diplomacy through common friends and regional allies to arrive at a long-term solution.

After the Doha parleys, the Taliban spokesman said there would be no “hostile actions” against Pakistan. While such promises have been made during earlier diplomatic encounters as well, for example earlier this year under Chinese auspices, it is hoped this time the Kabul regime is serious about stopping cross-border militant activity.

As Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar noted, a “verifiable monitoring mechanism” is needed to implement the broad details agreed to in Doha, which should be the goal during the next meeting in Turkiye. Though the Taliban may remain in denial, the international community agrees that they continue to host terrorist groups. Therefore, as the de facto government in Afghanistan, it is their duty to prevent these outfits from harming neighbouring states.

While some militant groups — the TTP, Al Qaeda — may respond to the Taliban ‘requests’, others, such as IS-K, are unlikely to oblige. However, it is the Taliban’s job as the governing entity in Afghanistan to ensure the security of regional states is not harmed by groups based on its soil.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2025

Cost of violence

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s acknowledgement that Pakistan’s financial stability hinges on curbing militancy is a rare moment of candidness in our economic policy discourse. For too long, policymakers have refrained from admitting how militant violence and political instability drive away foreign investment. At a media briefing in Washington, Mr Aurangzeb stated that sustained economic development and investor confidence depended on domestic peace and political cohesion. “From a financial angle, this action [against militant groups] is necessary,” he said, underscoring a reality long known but rarely spoken of — Pakistan’s economic prospects are deeply intertwined with its ability to effectively curb militancy. During his weeklong visit to the US, the minister faced recurring questions from credit rating agencies, international bankers and institutional investors, who asked if Pakistan’s security environment had finally begun to align with its economic ambitions. The question was a valid one.

Security concerns have emerged as the biggest constraint to potential Chinese investment despite a friendship touted as ‘higher than the Himalayas and sweeter than honey’. The very fact that such worries weigh heavily on foreign investors shows how inseparable Pakistan’s image as an investment destination is with its domestic security landscape. No wonder, the interior minister often finds himself trying to reassure foreign investors of their protection amid terrorist violence. While terrorist attacks are reported from across the country, militant violence has particularly surged in KP and Balochistan. The numbers speak for themselves. In the third quarter — July to September — of this year, the numbers show how high violence has soared as compared to the previous quarter due to increasing militant attacks amid intensified counterterrorism operations. This year is on track to be deadlier than 2024, and is already the most violent one in a decade. The political polarisation referred to by Mr Aurangzeb, further complicates the environment needed for sustained investment and economic growth. Our long-term economic ambition and ability to attract foreign investors depends on restoring the authority of the state and tackling the root causes of militancy — not just through the use of kinetic force against extremists but also through engaging with disillusioned segments of the populace where possible, as well as establishing the rule of law. In short, domestic peace, governance and economic progress are interconnected and interdependent, and, therefore, must move together.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2025

Dengue returns

EVEN floods and ferocious monsoon spells could not compel the authorities to take timely precautions. Dengue has returned with a vengeance. A rusty healthcare system is clogged with patients suffering from the seasonal menace, leaving little space and staff for other emergencies. While the Sindh health department has so far set this year’s tally at 819, the health services director general’s data for Karachi and Hyderabad is 579 and 119 respectively. Four Karachi hospitals show 2,972 cases between Sept 1 to Oct 16. A Hyderabad institute confirmed 9,075 in the same period. The total exceeds 12,000 cases in six weeks; and includes fatalities in Karachi and Hyderabad. In Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the dengue toll since July is 1,093. In KP, the infection soared to 3,638 cases, with at least two deaths in Mardan.

Repeated warnings — climate change has shifted vector-borne virus patterns, producing temperature-resilient species and strains — came to naught. A sustained, wide-ranging programme comprising mass awareness, fogging, fumigation drives and water drainage is absent. Punjab, despite the recent deluge and rains, has managed to stay dengue-safe through another virus season. This proves that well-timed directives, and public and administrative watchfulness can prevent misery. In 2017, KP sought support from Punjab, which had battled a dengue outbreak in 2011 with a notable strategy involving collaboration between Pakistani, Indonesian and Sri Lankan doctors. Fresh regulations to dispel the annual health epidemic were enforced. Sindh and KP should put political egos aside and do the same. The people’s well-being and that of scores of flood victims at the mercy of the elements must take precedence. An upgraded version of the Punjab template, alongside the availability of doctors and medicines to avoid acute cases of low platelet counts is crucial. Additionally, indoor residual spraying and cost-free dengue tests can help keep the Aedes aegypti mosquito at bay.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2025