DAWN Editorials 1st August 2026

Local governance

INTERIOR Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s speech at a business summit on Thursday has stirred a hornet’s nest. His diagnosis that the present system of governance is collapsing is correct. His call for political parties to sit together and resolve the country’s issues is welcome — although it will depend on the extent to which the government is willing to engage opposition parties. His warning that business as usual will neither deliver prosperity, nor create jobs, nor fix governance failures is also timely. But his proposed cure — creating smaller provinces on administrative grounds — rests on the flawed assumption that such an exercise will automatically bring the government closer to citizens and resolve governance problems. This view is questionable. From time to time, different political parties, including the PPP, PML-N and MQM, have advocated new provinces for different reasons. Indeed, there is no harm in having a national debate to see whether a consensus can emerge. But it must be an inclusive, evidence-based and unrushed process, based on genuine and broad public participation. The exercise would require scrutiny inside and outside parliament, with a focus on economic viability, administrative capacity and resource distribution.

While the debate on new provinces should continue, there is a much simpler and more effective option available. The aims of devolution, better governance and administrative efficiency can be achieved by constitutionally guaranteeing the continuity of local governments as the effective third tier of governance at the centre and in the provinces. The issue is the failure to devolve political, administrative and financial authority to the local level, where public services are actually delivered. The problem is, no political party is prepared to empower elected LGs. That must change in order to facilitate decentralisation and good governance for a robust economy. New provinces were not the only governance reform the minister, who is considered close to the security establishment, appeared to advocate. He also, rather slyly, hinted at the ‘need’ to build support for an alternative system of governance within the democratic dispensation that would replace the existing federal parliamentary system. Given the serious internal and external threats facing the country, those in authority must refrain from making the parliamentary system, on which the nation has broadly agreed, contentious, as doing so would only strengthen divisive forces.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2026

Murders in Balochistan

GOOD news is scarce in Balochistan. Seven labourers were abducted and gunned down in Turbat city recently. Four belonged to Punjab and two to KP, suggesting that their ethnic background made them targets. Terrorist outfits have not just attacked politicians, activists and jurists, but also innocent non-Baloch workers who travel to the province in search of livelihoods. The killings of citizens must be unequivocally denounced, and the frequency and intensity of such attacks should set off alarm bells across the country and within the security apparatus. What the victims reflect is a deep insecurity driven by conflict and deprivation in the province.

Political disputes, ethnic turmoil and terrorism have left a resource-rich land poor and far behind the rest of Pakistan. Years of neglect, poverty and violence have created a gulf between the people and the state. With a fragile security situation, workers from other provinces often find themselves in a risky situation where varied power dynamics turn them into targets. Labourers across the country, irrespective of where they are working, deserve the same safety, rule of law and justice, and those killed should not become mere statistics. Such atrocities do nothing for Balochistan’s cause or for the rightful demands of its people. They simply perpetuate volatility, damage development, prevent investment and create further misery. Violence against ordinary citizens is inexcusable, and the onus is on the provincial authorities to ensure that those responsible are punished in accordance with the law. Beyond heightened security, vigilance and intelligence needs, lasting stability demands that the state assuage the political, economic and governance anxieties that fuel the cycle of violence. Matters have come to such a pass that without easing Balochistan’s sense of alienation through a complementary political effort, such tragedies will be hard to prevent. Counterterrorism actions, empathy for the people and dialogue with non-violent elements promise protection for all.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2026

Maritime alliance

AS the US-Iran war drags on, new battle lines are being drawn. The pro-US Gulf Arab monarchies and Iran have enjoyed a chequered history, specifically after the latter’s Islamic Revolution of 1979. But now, in the midst of the current conflict, the Arabs and Iranians are moving dangerously close to direct confrontation.

One manifestation of this is the new maritime defence coalition that Saudi Arabia has just announced. At least 14 countries, among them Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye, have signed a joint statement supporting the coalition that seeks to “strengthen maritime security” in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

The development comes after the pro-Iran Yemeni Houthi militia announced a blockade of Saudi ports last month. Many saw the Houthi move as an Iranian pressure tactic to complement the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. While Tehran’s decision-makers may have sought to hurt the US and its allies with these closures, the truth is that they were affecting the entire international community, including some of Tehran’s own allies.

The result is that due to Iran’s hard line on Hormuz, and the Houthis’ move against the Saudis, Riyadh is developing a defence coalition apparently aimed at Iran and its allies. While Tehran’s mistrust of the US and Israel is understandable, its uncompromising posture is alienating many of its neighbours, and isolating it further. Much of the internal situation in Iran is the direct result of the US-Israeli aggression, as the more pragmatic figures have been assassinated, leaving relatively hard-line factions, such as the Pasdaran, to call the shots, especially in foreign policy. Those within the Iranian establishment who believe in maintaining better ties with their neighbours need to prevail on their compatriots, and rethink Tehran’s rigid approach.

It is evident that as the Iranians and Arabs move towards open confrontation, Israel is watching on with glee. During the Iran-Iraq war, then Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin was reported to have said that he wished “them both success”. One assumes the current Israeli regime has similar feelings towards the Arab-Iran stand-off. The situation demands wisdom and restraint from all sides.

Once this war is over, America may leave, but the Arabs and Iranians have to live in the region. Hence, matters need to be addressed before they spiral out of control. The GCC and other Arab states and Iran must, among themselves, resolve to halt attacks on each other. Moreover, the Arabs should see to it that their soil is not used by foreign aggressors against Iran. Tehran, similarly, should ensure there is free passage for vessels through the region’s maritime chokepoints. Unless all sides show statesmanship, an ugly new chapter in this conflict is likely to open.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2026