DAWN Editorials 6th September 2026

Nourishing Pakistan

PAKISTAN’S nutrition crisis is not short of diagnosis. What it lacks is the machinery and political discipline to act on what is known. That was the most useful message to emerge from DawnMedia’s two-day Act for Nutrition conference in Islamabad, where experts argued that malnutrition cannot be confined to the health sector. Over four in 10 children under five are stunted, while the economic cost of malnutrition is estimated at $17bn annually. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s promise that the Planning Commission will take ownership of nutrition and early childhood development is therefore significant. It recognises that this is a human-capital and development crisis involving health, agriculture, education, water, sanitation, population policy and social protection.

Speakers also stressed that 30pc to 40pc of stunting occurs before birth, making maternal nutrition, antenatal care, birth spacing and the first 1,000 days of life critical. Adolescence, too, cannot remain the forgotten interval between childhood and motherhood. Equally important was the emphasis on water and sanitation. Feeding a child better will achieve little if contaminated water and repeated infection undermine growth. Calls for targeted WASH investment in high-burden districts should be taken seriously. The problem is that Pakistan has heard much of this before. Policies exist, programmes operate and donor money flows, yet nutrition remains fragmented among institutions that rarely plan, finance or deliver together. The Benazir Nashonuma Programme shows that progress is possible. Children enrolled in it were found to be 22pc less likely to be stunted at six months. The challenge is to connect such interventions with primary healthcare, family planning, clean water, sanitation and local social services, rather than treating each as a separate scheme.

The conference’s proposal to regard nutrition spending as capital investment rather than simply health expenditure is also worth pursuing. Preventing stunting is investment in future learning, productivity and national income. But declarations must now give way to measurable commitments. Pakistan still relies on the 2018 National Nutrition Survey for its headline 40.2pc stunting figure, an extraordinary data gap for a crisis repeatedly described as a national emergency. A fresh national survey, dedicated budget lines, provincial and district targets, named officials responsible for delivery and regular public reporting should be the minimum next steps. Recognising food and nutritional security as a basic right may strengthen the framework, but rights without budgets and accountability remain promises on paper. Pakistan knows how malnutrition comes about and what can reduce it. The failure is no longer one of knowledge. It is the state’s failure to organise itself around the child. The conference has sharpened the diagnosis. Government must now prove it can deliver.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2026

Climate test

THE world is edging into climate territory governments have spent years trying to avoid. A new UN Environment Programme report warns that the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming threshold is likely to be breached within the next few years. That does not mean climate action has failed or that the target no longer matters.

UNEP argues that humanity must keep any “overshoot” as low and brief as possible, as every fraction of warming raises the risk of extreme weather, ecosystem loss and irreversible tipping points.

Adding to the concern, the World Meteorological Organisation says the El Niño strengthening in the Pacific could be the strongest in four decades, intensifying heat, drought and floods worldwide. For Pakistan, the fallout could include water stress, food insecurity and greater strain on urban infrastructure and services.

The Nepal-China floods have shown how quickly climate hazards can devastate lives. As warming intensifies, Pakistan will increasingly have to contend with several climate stresses at once, often in places least equipped to cope. That demands a rethink of how the country plans for development.

Pakistan must plan for a climate changing faster than its institutions. Adaptation cannot remain confined to emergency response after floods, heatwaves or droughts. Development policy itself must change.

New housing, roads, power systems and urban drainage should be built for harsher weather. Water policy must account for uncertain river flows and rainfall. Agriculture needs crops and irrigation methods better suited to greater heat and water stress, along with support to help farmers adapt. Cities require heat-action plans, shaded public spaces and stronger protection for outdoor workers.

A World Bank assessment covering Pakistan and the wider MENAAP region found that prolonged extreme heat is depressing sales, labour productivity and wages, showing that climate damage is also an economic competitiveness problem. None of this absolves the major emitters. UNEP identifies finance, equity and global cooperation as essential to navigating a dangerous climate future, while stressing that countries with greater responsibility for global warming must act fastest.

Pakistan should press that case. But it must also spend development resources intelligently. The age of treating climate disasters as one-off emergencies has ended and it must plan for a harsher reality.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2026

Citadel of history

LAHORE’S cultural credence carries the weight of over 1,000 years of civilisational legacy. Studded with Mughal monuments, Sikh memorials and Sufi seats, the city was chosen as the Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026 to 2027 by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. An annually rotating title among member states, the designation celebrates Pakistan’s historical bastion. A living collage of iconic architecture — the Walled City, Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, Shalimar Gardens, Wazir Khan Mosque, Ranjit Singh’s Samadhi, Huzuri Bagh, and more — the metropolis has earned its place as a byword for opulence and syncretic values. The government must capitalise on this opportunity for global recognition. Our iconic remnants require an economic lifeline to unlock Lahore’s potential. But other interventions, too, are needed to transform the provincial capital into a fascinating tourist destination and help reshape negative perceptions of the country as a whole.

Unfortunately, negligence, decay and plunder of precious relics have hurt the country’s position in the world heritage arena. To make the most of the new tag, both effort and resolve must be visible on the ground. First, investment in a secure and organised tourism infrastructure, with accommodation, transport, and tour guides, is crucial for information and accessibility. Second, innovative marketing strategies must ensure that the world learns about the value of exploring Pakistan’s inheritance. Preservation of the past creates an environment that nurtures people-to-people contact and cultural diplomacy, while a heritage economy promises progress and opportunities for the people. In addition, restoration must be steered by science, specialisation and international collaborations for authenticity to stay intact. A tourism boom also forges strong bonds with other nations, which can be a shot in the arm for a fragile economy. Lastly, the time to unmask a lesser known Pakistan is now.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2026