DAWN Editorials 22nd August 2026

Hospital visit

ALL the government had to do was take a prisoner from jail to an appointed hospital and allow them to have their medical tests administered under the supervision of individuals they trust.

This would have checked off the directive issued by the Supreme Court some 48 hours earlier, and earned the PML-N some much-needed goodwill. Instead, it took an adversarial stance against the order, insisted on having its own way despite explicit directions from the court, delayed implementation till the very end, and then failed to implement the order in a letter while claiming that it had fulfilled its ‘technical’ requirement.

To what end? As the drama unfolded on Pakistani news media on Friday, the government itself was helping cement the perception that the jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, remains as relevant as ever. It turned a routine matter into a high-stakes political crisis.

This, of course, was not the first time this government has insisted on its own interpretation of court orders despite clear instructions to the contrary. And it appears that the other side, too, has started discounting the power and privileges of the judiciary. Despite clear prohibitions on ‘politicising’ Mr Khan’s health issues as a condition to meet him, the sister who met the PTI founder, Dr Uzma Khan, promptly held a very public media briefing on Friday afternoon, detailing her interaction with the jailed leader and the health issues he had complained to her about.

The court had warned it would withdraw the relief it had granted Mr Khan if his family or lawyers went public about his health, but it seems they gave short shrift to the condition after seeing yet another order flouted with impunity. As a result, the Supreme Court was made to look irrelevant by both parties, who turned it into a political tussle.

The government, specifically the PML-N, appears intent on keeping Mr Khan behind bars and away from the public eye. The flustered reaction which various ministers and allied talking heads had to the Supreme Court order exposed a level of insecurity that no amount of grandstanding can cover up.

At a time when the state apparatus is rumoured to be gearing up for major legislative changes, and when a key coalition partner is rallying the opposition to thwart the government’s legislative agenda and force concessions out of it, the PML-N has come out of this episode looking weak. With a little bit of magnanimity, it could have easily tided over the Supreme Court’s intervention without losing any political capital.

It can still make amends. There is no harm in allowing prisoners access to medical facilities of their choosing. With concerns rising over the welfare of political prisoners, especially women incarcerated for unprecedented periods by this government, it can still choose magnanimity over retribution.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2026

Passing on relief

ON Wednesday, Ogra announced a Rs32.63 reduction in high-speed diesel prices — from Rs395.69 to Rs363.06 per litre — alongside a Rs2.97 increase in petrol prices. It presented the move as major relief for the public. It is, in a sense. Diesel prices have a broad impact because the fuel is widely used by heavy transport, power plants and large generators. Yet, real relief will materialise only if the reduction in diesel prices translates into corresponding lower transport and freight fares and, in turn, cheaper everyday goods, particularly food. Pakistan’s fuel pricing follows a familiar pattern. When diesel prices go up, transporters, wholesalers and retailers quickly raise fares and prices, blaming higher diesel costs even before the increase has taken full effect. But when fuel prices come down, the savings are rarely passed on to consumers as quickly. Before reducing their own prices, businesses across economies similar to ours often wait to see whether a cut in fuel prices will last. The problem is more pronounced in Pakistan where government institutions have limited capacity to ensure that lower fuel costs are passed on to consumers.

Freight charges, intercity bus and city fares, the prices of food and other essential commodities such as vegetables, cement and steel were all increased when fuel prices rose earlier this year as hostilities broke out between the US and Iran. But these higher charges have not come down even though diesel rates have declined by almost a third of their peak of Rs520.35 per litre in April. Provincial governments play a crucial role here: they approve fares, while district price-control authorities are responsible for monitoring prices in the markets and shops. In practice, however, both systems have largely been reactive, responding to public complaints rather than proactively checking whether transport fares and retail prices have fallen in line with lower fuel costs. In fact, the track record of the provinces in enforcing downward revisions after fuel cuts is weak. Consumer prices and transport fares have rarely moved down, and even if they have it has been hardly more than a symbolic move, despite a significant decline in fuel rates. For consumers to benefit, the provinces must ensure that transport, freight and food prices fall within days, and not weeks. They have the legal authority to act but do not seem to possess the will to do so.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2026

History revisited

THE government’s decision to expand its Unesco World Heritage list from 25 to 37 sites is a welcome move that promises to boost our global heritage profile and generate tourism opportunities. The latest additions — Bazira-Barikot, the Bhamala Buddhist Complex, Sethi House, the Mai Qamro Mosque, Pharwala Fort, the Kalasha Valley Cultural Landscape and the Gor Khatri Archaeological Complex among them — symbolise this region’s multiple rebirths. Pakistan’s historical wealth — from fortified edifices to living traditions — is a part of its civilisational legacy. Sadly, criminal cartels have long exploited poor law enforcement and economic frailty to plunder treasures, especially in Punjab and KP. More inscriptions will go a long way towards stemming the erosion of ancient marvels.

Antiquity is a celebration of diversity. It also maps our identity. In Pakistan, regrettably, even restoration work triggers concern as it is merely cosmetic and hardly an exercise in transparency, accountability, cooperation and respect for academic opinion. Science, and engagement with historians and international preservation experts, must guide our efforts to save historical bequests. Additionally, specialised training, modern methods, tightened borders and site security are vital to prevent damage and theft. Climate-related destruction has exposed already vulnerable sites, while poverty forces the underprivileged to resort to illegal excavations. Meanwhile, rules are meaningless unless they are faithfully implemented. Persistent danger to the most precious parts of this land imperil Pakistan’s position as it pursues wider respect on the world heritage stage. Archaeologists have for decades unearthed the layers of time hidden in Kushan, Buddhist, Roman, Ghaznavid, Scythian, and Mughal remains. The fact that just one site — Peshawar’s Gor Khatri — bears the imprints of 13 civilisations shows how essential it is for Pakistan to demonstrate sustained political commitment towards preserving the past for future generations.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2026