Dawn Editorials 4th October 2025

State of injustice

THE state has faltered on its promise of ensuring justice for the victims of the Jaranwala incident of 2023, when mobs — incited by allegations of blasphemy — burnt down churches and homes of Christian families in the Punjab town. Apparently, the investigating officers did not show up to inspect the damaged sites or contact the victims. Five FIRS were ‘sealed’ by an ATC judge, forensic tests were not run on video footage and police were not made a witness in any case. Despite evidence to the contrary, the revenue department concluded in one case that an affected site did not have a church. Meanwhile, the committee constituted to assess the damage failed to seek input from the harmed parties. After two years, countless court appearances and a JIT, a sole accused, out of mobs of hundreds, is in custody. Minority Rights Movement members provided these details at the ‘Jaranwala tragedy of Aug 16, 2023: Condition of minorities in Punjab, government steps and our strategy’ conference at the HRCP.

The Jaranwala episode is a stain on the nation’s conscience, but not a test case. Today, victims believe that any group can launch an assault with impunity. The justice system has forgotten that it is duty-bound to employ all measures to foil crimes of persecution. Any commitment to combat bigotry is hollow without accountability for the law enforcers, as shoddy investigation and prosecution invites further violence. Every perpetrator must be brought to justice to convey that no citizen is unequal, and that the state’s actions exist beyond news cycles. The grievances highlight the callousness of the criminal justice system and the victims’ loss of trust in it. This must be redressed, along with fair compensation to the affected. The police should be compelled to cooperate with the vulnerable to establish long-term safety. Exclusion is the deepest cut. It is, therefore, crucial to hold the state to account for the way it treats the weak.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2025

AJK disorder

FOR the past several days, Azad Kashmir has witnessed deadly protests, as life in the region remains paralysed. At the forefront of the protests has been the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, which has been pressing for the acceptance of its 38-point charter of demands.

The demands range from calls for subsidies to changes in the structure of the AJK legislature. Matters got out of hand on Monday when supporters of the JKJAAC and participants of a Muslim Conference ‘peace rally’ clashed during a strike call. There were more clashes on Wednesday, resulting in at least 10 deaths to date, while the region has also been experiencing a communications blackout.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had dispatched a high-level negotiating team on Thursday, including several federal ministers, to try and find a solution to the deadlock. Officials say that “90pc” of the protesters’ demands have been accepted, but two issues remain unresolved — calls for an end to ‘elite privileges’ of AJK’s ministers and officials, and the abolition of reserved seats in the region’s parliament for refugees who had arrived from held Kashmir.

This is the third major round of protests in the region in two years, with many of the outstanding issues unresolved. Where the issue of elite privileges is concerned, the fact is that when officials secure handsome perks for themselves and there is no visible improvement in governance, it is bound to fuel discontent.

As for subsidies, while the common man should not be overburdened, the state’s financial situation must be kept in mind when demanding financial relief, while tax rates should also be fair and rational. Regarding the abolition of refugee seats, this is a legislative matter, and it should be thoroughly debated in the AJK parliament, which can arrive at a democratic solution acceptable to all.

The fact is that both the state and the protesters need to step back from the brink, and find constructive ways to address contentious issues. Protest is a fundamental right and heavy-handed state actions cannot be condoned. All sides must also keep in mind that this is a very sensitive area, and no actions should be taken that can lead to instability in AJK. Life must be brought back to normal, and long-term solutions need to be debated and found so that the region does not erupt in protest again.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2025

Exports crisis

PAKISTAN’S textile exports are no longer flailing; they are collapsing in plain sight. The inevitable fallout of years of reckless policies that have focused more on subsidising the industry’s inefficiencies than boosting its global competitiveness is already visible in its stagnating exports. The notice sent by Gul Ahmed Textile Mills to the stock exchange, elaborating on the factors leading to its decision to discontinue its apparel export segment, sums it up. Citing “persistent operational losses amid rising costs, policy changes and regional competition”, it blames a combination of internal and external factors for its decision to shut down its labour-intensive garment export segment. “Persistent challenges include intense regional competition, a stronger exchange rate, recent government policy changes, such as the increase in advance turnover tax, rising costs of nominated fabrics and elevated energy tariffs. Collectively, these factors have significantly undermined the segment’s cost structure and profitability, resulting in continued operational losses,” the company, a major exporter, said in its filing with the bourse. These reasons clearly show that internal factors have been at the root of the discontinuation of the company’s apparel export operations, with Pakistan falling out of the competition against rivals such as India, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

If that is not enough to jolt policymakers out of their slumber, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry’s warning on the crippling inefficiencies in the logistics sector should. A policy brief on logistics, prepared by the country’s apex trade body, shows how an inefficient and costly logistics sector is suffocating exports. When moving goods within Pakistan eats up 15.6pc of GDP — nearly double the cost in advanced economies — our export shipments are handicapped before they even step onto the global playing field. No wonder Pakistan has fallen off the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index altogether, while India, Vietnam and Bangladesh steadily climb.

Karachi Port and Port Qasim, the supposed gateways of trade, are working at a third of their capacity, with containers stuck twice as long than in neighbouring countries. This represents a major erosion of competitiveness. It is, therefore, no surprise that our exports are losing out to regional peers who have invested in efficient ports, rail networks, and integrated supply chains. Meanwhile, our policymakers take comfort in a different lifeline: remittances. Islamabad expects inflows from overseas Pakistanis to hit a record $43bn this year, cushioning the current account even as exports stumble. But to pin all hopes on remittances is delusional. Such inflows can plug deficits and mask structural failures for some time but they cannot build factories, fix ports or revive exports. A country that depends more on what its workers send home than what its industries ship out is signing away its economic future.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2025