Express Tribune Editorials 1st September 2026

Hard cricketing lessons

England's comprehensive victories in the first two Tests of the ongoing three-match Test series have already settled the contest with a match to spare. After an innings-and-103-run defeat at Headingley, Pakistan suffered a 194-run loss at Lord's on Sunday. The teams now move to Edgbaston in Birmingham for the final Test, beginning on September 9, with Pakistan left playing to avoid a series whitewash.

The results are disappointing, but the greater concern lies in how Pakistan has lost. At Headingley, the side was bowled out for 171 and 135. At Lord's, it managed only 110 in the first innings before reaching 194 in the chase. Such performance points to a team that continues to struggle when Test cricket demands patience and the ability to absorb pressure. Pakistan's batting once again collapsed, exposing chronic trouble against disciplined seam and swing. While standout knocks like Saud Shakeel's 97 show character, consistency remains elusive. Pakistan cricket must confront deeper questions about how it develops Test cricketers. The domestic game has yet to produce a steady pipeline of batters equipped for demanding overseas conditions, while technical shortcomings continue to resurface whenever the ball moves. England succeeded because they stayed disciplined, their bowlers rarely gave Pakistan's batters any respite, and sustained pressure forced mistakes that ultimately decided both Tests.

The final Test may no longer carry significance for the series result, but it should matter greatly to Pakistan. A competitive performance would at least show that the team can respond after a setback. Pakistan's Test cricket needs a more durable foundation, or defeats like those at Headingley and Lord's will continue to look less like setbacks and more like a pattern.

Gul Plaza blame game

In the wake of the recent PIMS tragedy wherein 14 infants lost their lives to institutional neglect and intentional maladministration behind the excuse of a fire, the Gul Plaza incident from earlier this year has once again gained centre stage - without meaning to.

Ostensibly, the judicial commission set up by the Sindh Government to investigate the fire had already handed over a conclusive report at least four months ago, but the public remained unaware. Clearly, a looming fear of the citizens of Sindh demanding accountability for their own tragedy motivated the government to finally, and secretly, release that report. You would think the secrecy would at least be attributable to a substantial conclusion but much like most investigative reports in this system, it was rife with vague language and the infuriating lack of a pointing finger.

According to the report, the Gul Plaza incident was a culmination of "municipal and provincial structures, across successive periods" being inadequate in their performance for "dense commercial urban development". The phrase 'across successive periods' rids the current system of any and all responsibility and flings it onto a metaphorical, abstract monster born at an undefined time.

Is it not the responsibility of whoever is in power to find out what is broken and then fix it? Is it not the responsibility of current elected officials to offer citizens the safety and security that they had long been denied? If every single government frees themselves from the supposed shackles of transparency and accountability for the public, a political seat is then entirely meaningless. All it stands for is power, and power in Pakistan has never been on the side of the citizens. The point of a democratic nation is then lost amidst an extensive and harmful blame-game.

PCA reprimands Delhi

India has had face a setback as the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has ruled against its stance on water politics. The Hague-based court yesterday declared that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains fully in force and that India had no justification to hold it in abeyance. It also ordered India to suspend construction work on Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant in occupied Kashmir pending further review.

The ruling vindicates Pakistan's stance as a victim of hydro-politics, particularly since its eastern neighbour adopted a hegemonic posture by weaponising water as an instrument of conflict. The PCA had earlier ruled that it possesses the "due and legitimate authority" to adjudicate any dispute between the two nations over the IWT. This nullifies New Delhi's claim that the forum is "devoid of lawful authority". Monday's dictum marks the third consecutive decision in Pakistan's favour, following World Bank President Ajay Banga's previous remarks characterising India's unilateral suspension of the international treaty as legally untenable.

India, which has been acting as a rogue state against Pakistan on the premise of its asymmetric supremacy, needs to take a lesson in international law. Its actions run afoul of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Moreover, as far as civilisational ethics and interstate decency are concerned, India has demonstrated that it only wishes to see its sovereign neighbours under its "tutelage" - a high-handed mentality that triggered a four-day military duel with Pakistan in May 2025. Consequently, the PCA acted decisively, issuing its definitive Award on Treaty Status alongside a binding Order on Interim Measures. These legal directives have delivered a direct blow to New Delhi's coercive hydro-aggression.

The superbly worded verdict from The Hague states that "India had no legal grounds under treaty law or customary international law - including claims of sovereignty, allegations of cross-border terrorism, or fundamental changes in circumstances - to unilaterally suspend or terminate the treaty". The court firmly asserted the fundamental principle of pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be kept), emphasising that India cannot bypass its binding commitments. Consequently, Delhi has little choice but to abide by the verdict, having been found on the wrong side of both law and ethics. The world cannot afford to ignore India's rogue conduct any longer; international pressure must be applied to halt its lawless hydro-politics once and for all.