Express Tribune Editorials 15th August 2026

Shrinking UoP

As time passes, it is quite common for universities to introduce new departments and courses for their students. However, University of Peshawar is adopting an entirely different approach for the sake of its sustainability as it plans to merge 20 departments with one another. The departments that are about to lose their exclusive status include a mix of both new and traditional programmes, including supply chain management, family studies, history, geology and even statistics.

A large majority of the programmes mentioned often offer no scope with regard to future job prospects or hold no financial merit in the professional world. Some departments have also arguably become redundant. For example, the department of Persian is set to be merged with the department of Urdu, and both will now be taught under one banner.

While it is true that the 'redundancy' of some departments is simply a tragic ode to our rising literacy crisis and our growing dependency on well-paying jobs, it is also true that this reality was inevitable in an increasingly capitalistic society. The loss of specialised studies is huge. No matter how low the turnover is for a certain degree, there is always an aspiring student in some corner of the country who dreams of dedicating their life to a specific subject. These mergers ensure that the student loses their chance to study and eventually contribute to a possibly dying field.

But within the parameters of a prickling reality, keeping these disciplines alive is a fiscal burden with little payoff, or even none at times. This is why the number of students showing up for these departments is slowly diminishing and neither the university nor the students are to blame. It is simply a devastating consequence of capitalism and our loss of the value of education for the sake of education.

Deadly celebration

Independence Day is meant to be a celebration of freedom, not a night of mourning. Yet this year around, the country once again witnessed the grim consequences of a reckless practice that authorities have repeatedly banned but failed to eliminate. At least two people were killed and 94 injured in incidents of celebratory firing on the eve of August 14 in Karachi alone, turning what should have been a moment of national pride into a needless public-health and law-and-order crisis.

What makes the latest episode particularly unacceptable is that none of this is unexpected. Aerial firing has become a recurring feature of Independence Day and New Year's Eve celebrations in Karachi despite repeated prohibitions and warnings. Last year, three people, including a minor girl, were killed and more than 100 wounded in similar incidents. Police subsequently arrested dozens of suspects and recovered weapons, while senior officials acknowledged the persistence of the city's gun culture. Yet a year later, the same tragedy has returned. This cannot simply be dismissed as the irresponsible behaviour of a few individuals. Firing a weapon into the air is inherently dangerous because a bullet does not cease to be lethal merely because its target is unknown. It eventually comes down somewhere, potentially striking someone. The victims therefore have no opportunity to protect themselves from a threat they cannot see.

Unless the state addresses illegal weapons and irresponsible firearm ownership, periodic crackdowns after such celebrations will remain little more than temporary deterrents. At the same time, enforcement cannot rest entirely on the state. There is a troubling social acceptance of firing guns as a means of expressing happiness. That culture must change. Independence Day offers countless ways to express patriotism without endangering anyone. Flags, lights, fireworks conducted safely, community events and simply celebrating with loved ones are hardly inadequate substitutes for gunfire.

The Mideast riddle

With the Middle East in a state of flux and volatility on the rise, there is an urgent need for astute diplomacy. The perplexing positions taken by both Tehran and Washington are quite unnerving and act as a detriment to attaining a lasting solution to the regional crisis. For its part, the Islamic Republic is busy attempting to dominate the Strait of Hormuz, where its plethora of new legislative measures to control the international waterway is brewing uncertainty. More than 20% of global trade navigating the Strait of Hormuz is at a near standstill, frequently disrupted by drone and missile launches.

Likewise, President Trump's contradictory policy statements - underscoring the need for dialogue at times while vehemently threatening to obliterate Iran at others - send the wrong signals. This approach provides ground for non-state actors, such as the Houthis and other regional militias, to flex their muscles and add a new dimension of warmongering, as evidenced by the evolving turmoil in the Red Sea. Adding to the misery are Israel's misadventures in Lebanon, including the latest episode of bombardment of Tyre. Last but not least, Gulf littoral states are on the receiving end, facing severe dilemmas in protecting supply chains as oil prices swing wildly.

This web of challenges can only be addressed through a single approach: focusing on a sustained format for dialogue. Encouragingly, regional stalwarts are regrouping for stability, and the trilateral defence understanding reached in Makkah between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan is a case in point. Moreover, Iran's positive response to this regional troika - highlighting the need to shun extra-territorial forces - serves as a sign of regional alignment at a time when unpredictability is the order of the day. Pakistan's Deputy Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, has rightfully pushed the envelope by unequivocally telling US Chargé d'Affaires Natalie Baker that implementation of the Islamabad MoU "is the only way forward." It is time for the doves to outmaneuver the hawks and work toward serenity and a permanent peace accord.