Express Tribune Editorials 7th August 2026

A drought ends

After three long years, the Pakistan cricket team finally outplayed an opponent in an away test match. The run of eight tests without a win began against Australia in Perth - a 360-run evisceration that set the tone for the coming years - and ended halfway around the world at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad on Wednesday. The team's form had been so bad that despite chasing a modest target of 75, more than a few fans were concerned for the initial overs of the chase. But it was fitting that captain Babar Azam was the man to score the winning runs - that too with consecutive sixes - after having been unceremoniously dismissed from the job a few years back, only to get it back after the ineptitude of his successor.

However, it is worth noting that even Babar's first test back in charge was an embarrassing defeat that should serve as a reminder that this is still arguably the 'losingest' team in Pakistan cricket's history. Pakistan crumbled to a 90-run defeat in Tarouba that exposed the fragile core of the team, and the reason why many long-time Pakistan cricket fans voice constant concern. While there were several stellar performances in the two tests - including by former captain Shan Masood - there were still too many inconsistent, careless and reckless showings. Unfortunately, these are traits that have always been associated with Pakistan cricket. The raw talent of the players was the only thing that provided the thinnest of veils. Even among our greatest generation of players, it is impossible to forget Inzamamul Haq's running, Shahid Afridi's impatience or Shoaib Akhtar's 'fitness', let alone infighting among greats such as Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, or Imran Khan and Javed Miandad.

While it is unrealistic to expect this team to instantly turn into world-beaters, players and management must focus on bringing in discipline and consistency, at least to the extent that there is still honour in defeat. After the win, Babar noted the importance of properly executing the team's plans. Even if that is all the team does against England, it will mean the beginning of a new era for Pakistan cricket.

The unsung frontline

Pakistan's struggle against terrorism has often been narrated through the lens of military operations, and rightly so. The Pakistan Army has borne the principal responsibility of confronting insurgent groups seeking to challenge the writ of the state. Yet this is only part of the story. That more than 2,600 police and Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel have laid down their lives in K-P since 1970 is a powerful reminder that the fight against terrorism has never been waged by the military alone.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces, police officers and FC personnel have paid an extraordinary price to preserve the writ of the state. Their sacrifices deserve to occupy a far more prominent place in the national consciousness. What is particularly telling is that the deadliest period for police and FC personnel has coincided with the years following the military's large-scale counterterrorism campaigns. More than 2,400 personnel embraced martyrdom between 2000 and 2026 alone, and 2025 proved to be the bloodiest year on record, claiming 235 lives. Another 150 personnel had already embraced martyrdom by early July this year. Unlike military formations that rotate through operational deployments, police personnel continue to serve within the very communities where terrorist organisations often seek revenge against those who stand in their way. The FC has likewise emerged as an indispensable pillar of Pakistan's internal security architecture. Operating alongside provincial police and the armed forces, it has shouldered an enormous burden in some of the country's most volatile districts.

The story of Pakistan's fight against terrorism is incomplete without acknowledging those who have quietly stood between ordinary citizens and extraordinary violence. Their sacrifices deserve not only remembrance but meaningful recognition through better protection and unwavering national support. A nation that honours its fallen must also fulfil its obligation to those who continue to stand guard.

Political path ahead

The incarceration of Imran Khan, in defiance of the jail manual, is now becoming a source of irritation and embarrassment. The former PM's sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, have once again flagged the issue as they went on to elucidate on international media that their father is being held "incommunicado", and that the orders of the relevant courts are being thrown to the wind. The PTI chief is allegedly being held in solitary confinement for the last eight months, and has also been denied access to family, lawyers and personal physicians. Moreover, the scions of Khan stated that the express orders allowing them to have telephonic conversation twice a month is also not forthcoming, nor are they being granted a Pakistan visa to see their jailed ailing father. Last but not least, the family's request to have Imran treated at a private hospital is also not being entertained despite orders from the superior judiciary for abidance as per law.

This long list of grievances places the government on the wrong side of the law. Apart from deepening mistrust with the opposition, it has resulted in furthering political instability. The PTI's protest campaign on Khan's completion of his third year in prison is gradually stirring unrest. Just the other day, a rally in Karachi was tear-gassed and scores of workers arrested. Likewise, the momentum that the campaign is gathering in other cities, especially in Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa, could turn out to be worrisome for the ruling coalition, which, incidentally, is already on edge because of the economic crisis and a challenging external environment.

All these factors necessitate the desire for setting in some serenity. The way forward is to start dealing with the opposition as per the law, and provide it with its due political space. Time and again, the opposition has expressed its willingness to enter into a national dialogue on the salient features of restoring the spirit of the Constitution, undoing legislations that have usurped the independence of judiciary for chalking out a roadmap for economic turnaround. It's time for the government to realise that its brinkmanship of cornering the opposition has bred discontent. The path ahead is to reconcile by releasing political prisoners, including Khan, and to collectively work inside the parliament for some instant fence-mending on issues of national interest.