Dawn Editorials 24th September 2025

Putting up a fight

SIDRA Amin had been accumulating runs throughout the Women’s One-day International series against South Africa. In the end, they contributed to her team’s triumph. The Pakistan batter scored an unbeaten 121 in the series opener, following it up with 122 in the next game. Pakistan lost both the matches, so it was fitting that it was from Sidra’s bat that the winning runs came in the third game, the 33-year-old reaching half-century with a boundary. It was a consolation win but during the series, the Pakistan women’s team have not gone down without a fight, which augurs well as they head into next month’s Women’s ODI World Cup. The matches against South Africa were the first ODIs the team played since winning the World Cup qualifying tournament in April. They play two warm-ups — against Sri Lanka and South Africa — before squaring off against Bangladesh in their opening game of the global showpiece on Oct 2. Pakistan will play their matches in Sri Lanka following the arrangement agreed by the International Cricket Council that guarantees neutral venues for both Pakistan and India in tournaments held in either country. Pakistan will square off against India in their second game and it remains to be seen whether the animosity between the men’s teams of the two countries during the ongoing Asia Cup will be replicated in the women’s game.

Pakistan are heading into the World Cup with confidence, and the batters are scoring runs. Although the bowlers were not incisive enough in the first two matches against South Africa, they were clinical in the third — spinner Nashra Sandhu picked up six wickets — with Pakistan cruising to victory. Head coach Mohammad Wasim said later that the only thing the team needs to do is to work on how to better close out matches. If that works out, Pakistan’s women cricketers will inspire many more girls across the nation to pick up a bat and ball.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2025

Sales tax challenge

THE FBR’s admission that the Rs3.6tr sales tax gap — only slightly less than the last fiscal year’s collection of Rs3.9tr — cannot be plugged due to the retail sector’s “fragmentation and informality”, reflects the government’s unwillingness to make politically tough decisions as well as its lack of capacity to enforce tax compliance where it does not exist. Despite decades of promises, successive governments have failed to integrate retail, property, agriculture and other sectors into the tax net, in spite of realising that the gap can only be covered through enforcement. An FBR report indicates that the gap in the retail sector alone stands at nearly Rs310bn. It also highlights the challenges of taxing all economic sectors equitably, which force the FBR to unfairly burden compliant and documented segments. The FBR’s argument that its best bet lies in enforcement at the manufacturing stage — where most collection is done by manufacturers through withholding taxes, which is easier to monitor — supplemented with digital invoicing to track transactions across supply chains also holds little water. The revenue body’s decision to treat cash bank deposits above Rs200,000 as digital transactions, for instance, has undermined the very attempt to discourage cash-based businesses. Without policy consistency and political will, digital interventions will do little more than add another layer of bureaucracy. That is only a convenience, and not a solution. Even in the manufacturing sector, the FBR’s assessment of the sales tax gap of Rs814bn in the textile industry, Rs384bn each in petroleum and food products, Rs326bn in chemicals and fertiliser, Rs200bn in iron and steel, etc, shows that the challenge of tax evasion and theft exists across most sectors, including documented ones.

The FBR boasts of having collected Rs874bn — more than the amount mobilised through new taxes last year — through enforcement, lifting the tax-to-GDP ratio from 8.8pc to above 10pc. In the present budget, it had introduced certain measures to punish tax cheaters and increase compliance. However, those measures appear to have been put in abeyance due to the backlash from powerful business lobbies. Under the IMF programme, Pakistan is committed to raising the tax-to-GDP ratio to 13.7pc by 2027. Meeting that target requires not only technology but also the political will to confront powerful lobbies and resist policy backtracking. Until then, the tax gap will remain more of a political problem rather than an accounting one.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2025

Tirah controversy

THE tragic loss of civilian lives in explosions in KP’s Tirah valley highlights the need for greater transparency in counterterrorism operations from the state. In particular, residents in the vulnerable area should be taken on board to minimise the chances of collateral damage.

Much confusion surrounds the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday. At least two dozen residents of Tirah, including women and children, lost their lives in the blasts, which officials claim were caused by terrorists storing and manufacturing explosive devices in houses. Sources quoted in the media say that TTP militants had forcibly occupied the dwellings and used them to store explosives. They said that several militants also perished in the blasts.

However, residents of the area and provincial lawmakers dispute these claims, asserting that the valley came under aerial bombardment. A statement attributed to the KP chief minister quotes him as saying that the “martyrdom of civilians” due to “operations against terrorists is unacceptable”.

The civilian deaths have resulted in protests in the region, with local tribesmen, as well as the HRCP, calling for an inquiry into the matter. It is the state’s responsibility to clear the confusion and shed light on the facts. Experience has shown that ‘collateral damage’ can result in increased restiveness in the areas affected by terrorism, and when there is radio silence from the state in situations where civilian lives are lost, hostile narratives and conspiracy theories begin to dominate. That is why the facts must be told.

Having said that, it is unwise for the PTI-led provincial government to politicise the incident. Such sensitive issues should not be used to get back at political opponents, and both the centre and provincial government need to work together to uncover the facts behind the Tirah deaths, and prevent further loss of innocent lives during CT operations.

The unfortunate truth is that KP, particularly its tribal districts, has been in the grip of terrorism for over two decades. That is why along with thorough probes into incidents like the one in Tirah, SOPs need to be developed that can ensure minimum or no collateral damage during CT operations.

There can be little argument with the fact that all areas need to be cleared of terrorists. Yet these kinetic actions must be undertaken with the buy-in and support of local tribes.

When there is lack of credible information from the state, especially if civilians are caught in the crossfire, anger and resentment in local communities will only grow. Therefore, along with transparency, the residents of the affected areas must be on board in the battle against militancy. With a cooperative approach terrorism can be defeated, and the people of the tribal districts can live in peace.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2025