Express Tribune Editorials 10th September 2026

Power and impunity

There are few things more corrosive to the rule of law than the belief that power brings immunity. In Pakistan, people with money and influence can often exercise an authority far greater than that granted to them by the law. A recent confrontation involving a Karachi University professor shows how quickly an ordinary dispute can become an exercise in intimidation when one side believes it has the power to impose its will on the other.

The professor had reportedly intervened after a delivery rider's vehicle was damaged in a minor collision. For speaking up for the common man, the professor himself was beaten – with scant regard for his rightful dignified status in society as a teacher. Several suspects have been arrested, while the main suspect named in the case remains at large. Such disputes that should be settled through ordinary legal channels can quickly turn into contests of influence. Fear has become one of the most effective tools of the powerful, and too often there is little to suggest that they have anything to fear from the state. This is how impunity works. For millions of Pakistanis, this imbalance is familiar. A poor driver confronted by an influential motorist, a tenant dealing with a powerful landlord, a labourer demanding his wages or an ordinary citizen challenging an official can all find themselves calculating the personal cost of insisting on their rights. The fear of retaliation becomes a substitute for justice. People learn to withdraw and apologise because they know that being right offers little protection when the other side has power.

That is precisely why the state must be uncompromising when influential people use intimidation. The authorities have announced arrests and promised action. That response must be allowed to run its full course. Every person involved in the violence must be held accountable if the charges are proved. Ordinary citizens need concrete assurances that the state will protect them from the powerful.

Punishing Israel, barely

The coordinated announcement by Britain, France, Canada, and nine other nations to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements is a welcome step, and one that is several decades overdue. For too long, the international community paid scant attention to the settlements, which had been steadily expanding for decades before almost tripling in size in the past few years. Because the Palestinian Territories must be handed over to any future Palestinian state, the presence of Israeli settlements could make compliance with statehood conditions unachievable, as Israeli governments are unlikely to evict entire towns at gunpoint, even if the residents are all land-grabbing thieves and terrorists under international law. In fact, that appears to be the point. Israel is currently being governed by the most corrupt, far-right government in its history, and its active support of settlement activity is part of a populist ploy to keep extremist Jews in its corner.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband noted while addressing the ban that his country can no longer simply call out injustice but must act. He also acknowledged that Israel's actions in the West Bank amount to ethnic cleansing. But the trade restrictions are mostly symbolic, as they do not affect arms deals or even reduce the supply of weapons that are being used by the Israelis. The signatories to the restrictions can make moves in the right direction by convincing the EU and other countries that have ties with Israel to take similar action against Israel, and add the threat of wider sanctions or other restrictions. They must also start calling a spade a spade. The carnage in Gaza is a genocide by any measure, but only a handful of countries accept it as such.

We could also call for the UN to take action beyond General Assembly Resolutions, but that would be a waste of time, because there is no way that US President Donald Trump would allow any meaningful anti-Israel action to make it out of the boardroom and into the real world.

A warning to Taliban

The Human Rights Watch has come up with a stern warning for the Taliban regarding its systematic human rights abuses. In a synopsis on discrimination against women and children in particular, the HRW warned against granting diplomatic recognition to the regime in Kabul and blamed it for "institutionalizing a system of discrimination, repression and ideological control" over its hapless subjects. The rights watchdog also called upon the international community to censure the regime unless it matches its words with actions by ensuring an inclusive government.

HRW asserts that the Taliban's 'gender apartheid' policies are a crime against humanity. The watchdog has set a clear benchmark for future diplomatic interaction, demanding quality education, freedom of expression and meaningful participation for women in social and public life. This serves as a serious indictment against the dispensation in Afghanistan, coinciding with a similar declaration delivered by the 10-member SCO at its recent summit in Bishkek. The regional bloc also called for ushering in inclusivity and abiding by the 2020 Doha Accord by acting proactively against the terror networks holed up inside the strife-torn country.

The HRW warning coincides with a critical report from Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur, on the impact of Taliban policies on children issued at a time when the region is in deep turmoil. There is currently little focus on civil liberties by the self-proclaimed custodians of rights and democracy, many of whom prefer to look the other way for reasons of realpolitik. Meanwhile, an enterprising and resilient nation is suffering, and the future of young girls, especially, is at stake as they remain barred from education. Likewise, women are being blocked from working outside the home, pushing Afghan society back to the Stone Age.

The to-do list is uncontestable: strengthening child protection, ensuring the justice system, preventing forced marriages and providing inclusive healthcare alongside universal education. The Taliban can neither hide behind political exigencies nor justify their actions in the name of tradition. It is time for them to shun radicalism for a better tomorrow.