Dawn Editorials 22nd October 2025

Smog season

AS temperatures begin to drop, smog makes an unwelcome arrival in many parts of the country, particularly Lahore and urban Punjab. This health and climate crisis has been brewing for some years, while the state — nudged on by civil society and experts — has begun to take steps to combat the smog hazard.

South Asian cities have some of the worst air on the planet, and many Pakistani urban centres are included in this unenviable list. For example, on Tuesday, both Lahore and Karachi were amongst the top five most polluted cities globally, as per IQAir monitoring data, with air quality described as “very unhealthy”. And as winter sets in, things will get worse.

In Lahore’s case, experts say a combination of local factors and pollutants blowing in from across the border with India are responsible for the dirty air. In particular, pollution caused by firecrackers set off during the Diwali celebrations in India has aggravated matters, as that country’s supreme court relaxed a ban on fireworks, allowing ‘green firecrackers’ for the occasion.

The Punjab administration has taken steps to help reduce air pollution. This includes deploying anti-smog guns as well as rounding up people responsible for emissions from factories and vehicles, and those burning crop stubble. The provincial government has also urged people to wear masks outdoors, and keep doors and windows closed. These steps were direly needed as last winter, Lahore witnessed some of the worst air quality levels on record.

It remains to be seen whether the state’s efforts result in a noticeable change in air quality. Along with such precautionary steps, it is essential to reduce emissions and encourage a switch to electric vehicles, while providing more public transport options to reduce the carbon footprint. Experts also recommend a shift to mechanical composters to address the burning of crop stubble.

While many steps are required locally and nationally, air pollution is also a transboundary issue, and a coordinated response is needed for better air across South Asia. As a senior UN official told the recently held Air We Breathe conference, organised by DawnMedia in Lahore, Pakistan cannot face the threats of air pollution and climate change alone; these are issues that require an international response.

The latest example of firecrackers set off in northern India affecting air quality in Punjab is one small example of this. While relations with our eastern neighbour may be at rock bottom, both states need to cooperate on issues such as transboundary pollution and climate change.

Clichéd as it may sound, dirty air knows no borders, and it is only through sharing data and best practices that South Asia can tackle the problem of poisonous air. In the meantime, we must do all possible locally to shield people from the acrid smog.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2025

Blame solves little

AS lives continue to be lost in Pakistan’s renewed battle against terrorism and violent extremism, the role played by the national leadership has left much to be desired. In recent weeks, representatives of the state and the federation have blamed KP’s political leadership for much that ails the country with respect to the deteriorating national security situation. On the other hand, the civilian leadership of KP, as well as the leader of the party that runs it, have chosen to take their own hard-line stance against the federal government and the state, publicly questioning and rejecting the centre’s counterterrorism doctrine and blaming its ‘flawed policies’ for the resurgence of terrorism-related incidents in the country. All that this finger-pointing has achieved is to needlessly politicise a highly sensitive issue for Pakistan: how must one deal with enemies that have embedded themselves within its social fabric and are often indistinguishable from ordinary citizens? The stakes are enormous — unless the resurgence in terrorism is firmly addressed, it could set the country back by years. Sadly, it often seems that our leaders do not wish to address the problem meaningfully.

Both sides seem to be at fault in the matter. There are limits to what force alone can achieve, and it has been pointed out often enough that the fight against terrorism cannot be resolved simply by imposing a solution on the people most affected by it. This is something the federation must reflect on and work to address. Merely issuing statements of commendation for the sacrifices being made is not enough. The Constitution says that the nation must be run according to the will of the people, and the will of the people must therefore be respected. At the same time, the political leadership of KP must also choose its battles wisely. Where citizens’ lives are at risk, there can be no room for any second-guessing about what the path forward should be. The elements wreaking havoc in the name of their warped ideologies have demonstrated time and again that their interests do not align with those of ordinary Pakistani men and women. It should not appear in any way that they deserve any sympathy. It is high time for the federation to call a ‘ceasefire’ on its internal strife and for its political rivals to do the same. One cannot keep repeating mistakes and expecting different results.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2025

New captain

THE rumour mill had begun to churn last week; eventually matters became clear as the Pakistan Cricket Board announced it would hold discussions on the captaincy of the One-day International team. On Monday night, the trigger-happy PCB under Mohsin Naqvi finally made it official: Shaheen Shah Afridi was to replace Mohammad Rizwan as ODI captain.

The decision came on the heels of the first day of the second Test against South Africa, in which both players are taking part. Shaheen’s first assignment will be next month’s three-match ODI series against South Africa in Faisalabad; his ascension coming in as abrupt a manner as his sacking as T20 captain in the early days of Mr Naqvi’s chairmanship last year.

Shaheen had been named T20 captain by Mr Naqvi’s predecessor, but was removed after just one series to reinstate Babar Azam ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup. It was the start of a game of musical chairs. Babar resigned after Pakistan’s dismal World Cup campaign, with Rizwan handed the reins of both the ODI and T20 teams. He led Pakistan to historic series wins in Australia and South Africa, but Pakistan had another dismal campaign at this year’s Champions Trophy and the T20 team had a new leader in Salman Ali Agha.

Shaheen will now lead the ODI side. But, in its announcement, the PCB did not mention for how long it desires to continue with Shaheen. There was also, surprisingly, no mention of Rizwan, who seems to be falling out of favour, and it is unclear if he will find a spot in the ODI squad.

Pace spearhead Shaheen, meanwhile, has rediscovered his old form, bowling with verve. Burdening him with the captaincy may not be the right move. The South Africa series will tell whether the PCB has made the right choice. One hopes that this time the PCB, having burned several bright talents by handing them the captaincy, has exercised caution.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2025