DAWN Editorials 3rd August 2026

Farewell to arms?

PALESTINIAN resistance group Hamas recently made a major concession by agreeing to give up its weapons. It should be remembered that along with its political activities, the movement has an armed wing dedicated to the liberation of Palestine.

The group’s weapons will be surrendered to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the Palestinian technocratic body formed under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. In essence, Hamas has thrown the gauntlet to Israel: it is ready to surrender its weapons, but will the Zionist state end its occupation of Gaza? This remains the million-dollar question. Mr Trump was upbeat about the development, saying that Israel was “very happy” about it. However, while there had been no official reaction from Tel Aviv at the time of writing, most Israeli politicians, including some in the cabinet, have decried the move, calling for the destruction of Hamas.

It will be interesting to see whether Israel honours its end of the deal and vacates occupied Palestinian territory in Gaza. Going by past precedent, the Israelis are not known for keeping their word. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an election in October, and there is widespread anti-Palestinian sentiment amongst the electorate.

But the Israeli leader may not want to annoy the American president by appearing to sabotage Mr Trump’s Gaza peace plan. Lest we forget, Israel has murdered over 73,000 Palestinians — more than 21,000 of them children — since the Oct 7, 2023 attacks, and while its killing spree has lessened in intensity, it has not stopped completely since the ceasefire came into effect last year. Moreover, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains appalling.

It should be kept in mind that Hamas and other Palestinian groups have continued their armed struggle against Israel because the Zionist state has closed all avenues of peacefully resolving the Palestine question. Almost the entire Israeli political class is opposed to a Palestinian state, illegal settlements continue to proliferate, and Gaza — which even before the 2023 attacks was virtually under siege — lies in ruins. Meanwhile, Israeli provocations against Al Aqsa have not stopped.

If this situation is to change, there must be a clear pathway for a Palestinian state, an end to Israeli brutalities against the Arab population, and complete withdrawal from all occupied territories. Knowing the current political climate in Israel, this is asking for the moon. However, Mr Trump, who sees himself as a ‘peacemaker’, and his BoP must press Israel to at least start the process by withdrawing from Gaza, and allowing unimpeded humanitarian assistance into the Strip.

If Tel Aviv does not leave Gaza, it will show the world that it is not serious about peace, and is committed to the occupation of Palestine and to the extermination of the Palestinian people.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2026

Unplanned future

A PROJECTION that Pakistan’s population could reach 400m by 2040 should not be treated as another dramatic number to be quoted at ceremonies and forgotten by the next budget. It is a warning about the size of the state’s future obligations. Every additional child will need vaccination, nutrition, schooling, safe water, transport and, eventually, work. Yet the present system already fails millions on each count. The issue, therefore, is not that families are having children irresponsibly while the government looks on helplessly. It is that the state has never made voluntary family planning a dependable part of primary healthcare. Advice is sporadic, contraceptive supplies run out, trained staff are unevenly distributed, and women often cannot seek reproductive care without cost, distance, stigma or male permission obstructing them. Speeches about ‘individual responsibility’ ring hollow when the practical means of exercising that responsibility is unreliable.

The government’s new national council can matter only if it converts alarm into measurable provincial action. Family planning must be available through every Basic Health Unit, maternity service and postnatal visit, with a range of safe methods, proper counselling and follow-up care. It must reach young couples and remote communities. Men must be addressed directly rather than leaving contraception to women who often have the least authority in the family. Lady Health Workers need supplies, training and protection from political neglect; districts lacking contraceptive access should receive priority resources; and contraceptive shortages, maternal deaths and unintended pregnancies should become performance indicators. The $2m in reproductive-health assistance from China and UNFPA is welcome, but donations cannot substitute for a permanent domestic budget and functioning procurement system. Above all, population policy must remain rooted in consent and dignity. Coercive targets will punish the poor, deepen mistrust and drive women away from healthcare. The convincing case for smaller, well-spaced families is not bureaucratic control but better survival, health and opportunity for mothers and children. Pakistan does not lack councils or policy documents. It lacks continuity between announcement and delivery. A population of 400m is not inevitable; it is the possible outcome of another 14 years in which contraception remains harder to find than government warnings. Our future population will be shaped less by speeches and more by whether family planning is available at the nearest clinic.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2026

No more torture

EVEN the best laws on the books are worth little unless the state shows the willingness to enforce them. This is certainly true for the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act, 2022. As the HRCP pointed out during a recent consultation in Islamabad, torture and cruel and inhuman treatment remain widespread in Pakistan, despite the existence of this law. Perhaps the main reason for this is the thana culture that, despite multiple attempts at reform, continues to influence law enforcement in the country. This culture is a holdover from the colonial age during which LEAs were not supposed to serve and protect citizens, but to dominate them and put them in their place when they stepped out of line. The result is the continuation of a system where torture is endemic and rights are trampled on. Studies show that most confessions are extracted under torture. However, these brutish methods have failed to bring down crime numbers, as the rampant lawlessness across the country shows. The FIA told the Lahore High Court earlier this year that up till April 30, it had registered at least 364 inquiries under the anti-torture law. The vast majority of cases were reported from Punjab.

As speakers at the HRCP event noted, torture persists because of weak implementation, inadequate safeguards and a lack of accountability. At the root of the matter lies the need to revamp the criminal justice system. From police to prosecution, there is a need to sensitise public servants about fundamental rights, and replace archaic, violent and illegal methods with scientific techniques of investigation. The judiciary, elected representatives and the police hierarchy across the provinces must work together to reform the criminal justice system. This is imperative not because donors want reforms, but because the dignity of man, as underscored by the Constitution, must be upheld.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2026