DAWN Editorials 17th September 2026

Managing the shock

THE energy shock Pakistan faces calls for immediate demand management. Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and shipping have strained an already fragile supply chain by disrupting oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Global oil prices have been pushed to their highest level since May. A net energy importer, Pakistan has felt the impact directly: petrol has risen to Rs384.34 per litre and high-speed diesel to Rs415.83. Pain at the pump is pushing people to the edge. Moreover, higher global oil prices are feeding into the import bill, transport costs and inflation, adding further pressure on financially strained families.

RLNG prices have also risen. The government says greater use of domestic energy sources has helped keep power plants running. Domestic resources accounted for 72pc of electricity generation in August. Without more domestic gas for power generation, we could have faced another hour of loadshedding and an additional Rs10.6bn in consumer tariffs. That may provide some respite but is not a reason for complacency.

Energy conservation must start now. That does not mean shutting the country down. A nationwide lockdown would cost businesses working hours, deplete workers’ income, and hit daily-wage earners hard — a burden that an economy already struggling to generate growth and jobs cannot easily absorb. What the government should pursue, instead — at least for now — is targeted conservation: measures that cut avoidable consumption without halting productive activity. Schools could shorten operating days to ease transport and electricity demand. Government offices and private employers can be encouraged to work from home where practical. Markets, especially in major cities, could close earlier to cut late-night transport and commercial power use. Malls, offices and commercial buildings should face reasonable limits on unnecessary lighting and cooling.

Government departments need to lead by example rather than leave conservation to households alone. Provinces must follow suit so that the effort is not fragmented. The prime minister’s fuel relief package for motorcycle and small car owners may cushion a small part of the population, but subsidies cannot fix a supply shock, and protecting fuel consumption through the budget only gets costlier as global prices climb. The priority now is to protect incomes and essential economic activity while cutting non-essential demand.

The larger point is that Pakistan cannot keep meeting every external energy shock by either subsidising the cost or shutting down activity. Building domestic solar energy availability, grid efficiency, storage capacity and public transport is what actually reduces this vulnerability over time. Meanwhile, the choice is not between business as usual and a lockdown. There is a lot of room between the two. And the government needs to use it: conserve early, cut waste, keep the economy running.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2026

Bab al-Mandeb closure

AS the pro-Iran Houthis battle both the Saudis and the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government, alarm bells are ringing across the world over the economic shockwave the long-term closure of the Bab al-Mandeb strait would send across the globe. The militia, which controls significant territory in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, has, over the past few days of fighting, consolidated its gains around the strait. The Houthis say that passage through the channel is open for all except Saudi vessels — against whom they have vowed to enforce a “blockade for blockade”. Yet this will do little to reassure crews, as few vessels will want to pass through an active war zone. The Strait of Hormuz — that other major regional chokepoint — is already practically closed due to the US war on Iran. If shipping traffic through Bab al-Mandeb also grinds to a halt, the global economy will be in very dangerous territory. The government has said Pakistan faces an energy crunch. But Pakistan is not alone; disruption in the strait or the Red Sea will have an impact far and wide. Protests have been reported from as far afield as Syria and Indonesia, and if the situation worsens, more public unrest is likely as fuel pumps run dry.

Therefore, the Houthis — whatever their differences with the Saudis or the Yemeni government — must reconsider closure of Bab al-Mandeb, and pledge to keep it open for all vessels. As the Pakistani representative told the UN Security Council the other day, any attempt to “threaten, obstruct, or weaponise” vital waterways will have negative effects on international trade and shipping, as well as energy security. He added that “diplomacy must assume urgency”. The need for talks cannot be emphasised enough. The region cannot afford more violence; the Yemeni people have already suffered for over a decade, while the global economy is on tenterhooks due to the situation in Yemen. As the Saudis have enforced a blockade of Houthi-held territory since 2015, Riyadh could offer to lift the blockade if the militia stopped their attacks on the kingdom’s territory. Furthermore, a Yemeni-led, Yemeni-owned peace process is essential domestically. All belligerents need to step back and give talks a chance, as an escalation in violence would be catastrophic for the region.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2026

Pims report

PAKISTAN’S health system is trapped in a loop of doom. A localised electrical failure caused the blaze that killed 14 newborns at the Pims nursery, says an inquiry committee’s report about last month’s tragedy in Islamabad. It holds the hospital management responsible for systemic and institutional collapse due to which the fire morphed into a calamity. More specifically, it suspects that either abnormal electrical heating due to excessive current, a high-resistance connection, or another fault triggered an insulation breakdown and set alight combustible material. These findings deepen concerns about the safety and quality of our healthcare delivery. The scourge of structural weaknesses has plagued this country for decades. It has reached a stage where both recovery and welfare are compromised.

Depressingly, lessons from an earlier fire at the Pims Female Nursing Hostel were not converted into a concrete corrective programme. This state of apathy is a curse. Pakistan cannot continue losing lives to avoidable fiascos because intention and political will are absent. Indeed, those responsible for last month’s tragedy should face transparent legal proceedings. A countrywide audit of public and private health units, including clinics, alongside unannounced checks with hefty fines for violations, must be initiated by the government. “Negligence, inefficiency, misconduct, unauthorised absence, failure of supervision or non-performance of assigned safety responsibilities” are underlined in the report, with a suggestion to restructure the hospital and install experienced experts at the helm. Our care ecosystem, rife with medical malpractice, corruption and organisational flaws, needs comprehensive reforms. No compensation or scapegoating can stem the tide of loss and life-threatening debilities. Patients cannot fear spaces instituted to treat them and keep them safe. Lastly, to lose a child to preventable defects means new layers of pain.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2026