Express Tribune Editorials 9th September 2026

Failure to save newborns

The pain of losing a newborn child cannot be explained, only felt. The risk of this tragedy is regrettably exacerbated by both an inadequate healthcare system and dangerous social norms that push people into untimely parenthood. Proof of this inadequacy lies in recent findings relating to Tharparkar Civil Hospital – the largest government-run health facility in Tharparkar district of Sindh. According to reports, 480 newborn babies have died in the first eight months of 2026 because of malnutrition, low birth weight and other illnesses.

The onus of these deaths falls on systemic failure that affects both the mother and the child. Anemia and acute malnutrition - caused by recurrent droughts and consistent food insecurity in the region - are major factors driving child mortality rates. Neither does a mother receive adequate care during pregnancy, nor does a child after birth. Adding to this, early marriages are an alarming norm in the region, which puts newborn children at further risk. These health issues are only compounded by the conditions in state-run hospitals across the province, where facilities fall far short of providing quality equipment, trained staff and round-the-clock patient monitoring.

It is not as if these issues are solely caused by administrative difficulties, lack of funding or even natural reasons. When questioned about the hospital's failure to successfully treat such a large number of newborn babies, the district health authorities could provide no practical answer for their inability. Their lack of transparency is proof enough that those newborn lives could have been saved if it weren't for the inadequacy of the healthcare system. When the region's largest government hospital is hesitant in being transparent about its system, it leaves no room for meaningful rectification and improvement. The healthcare system first and foremost needs to provide transparency so that accountability can follow.

Pirate hostage blame game

The Karachi police "showed their mettle" earlier this week by "fearlessly" detaining non-violent participants of a sit-in who were protesting the government's failure to bring home their relatives who have been held by Somali pirates for over four months. Police were quick to point out that, contrary to reports, they only detained the protesters, and no arrests were made. That is a distinction without a difference. Reporting on the sit-in suggests the protesters were not breaking any laws, and were only trying to draw the attention of legislators and Supreme Court judges to the issue. Federal and provincial legislators, on the other hand, are exchanging barbs with each other over all sorts of issues, but have scant regard for the health and safety of their constituents. The closest thing to a crime in this entire situation is the criminal dereliction of duty by our public representatives.

The 19 crew members of the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Honour 25, who include 10 Pakistanis, have been held hostage since April 21, when the vessel was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Somalia's Puntland region. More than four months of negotiations have yielded no significant progress. The hostages and their families are begging for the government to negotiate their release, but Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said this can't happen because of "international maritime rules". But no explicit rule or treaty bans ransom payments, which raises the question of why Dar would make such claims rather than simply admit his diplomacy skills are lacking. It is also surprising that the slightest threat of use of force is off the table. India and many other countries have previously used their warships to ensure Somali pirates meet their maker.

It is worth noting that Somali pirates are regularly accused of working with terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab and with politicians in the government of breakaway Somali states such as Puntland, where Honour 25 and other hijacked ships are being held. If we cannot negotiate their return, perhaps we should show the pirates and their allies that threatening Pakistanis has serious consequences.

The checkmate moment

Houthi brinkmanship is driving the region toward a major conflict. The Yemeni militia's coordinated attacks on several cities in southern Saudi Arabia targeted critical energy installations, unnerving the world's top oil exporter. Though Riyadh branded the strikes a dangerous escalation, it has shown statesmanship by remaining committed to diplomacy.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that the "road to diplomacy is not closed", while Lavrov warned the conflicting parties that the ongoing situation has "no military solution". This collective wisdom has fortunately led to a breakthrough, as Qatar has reportedly reached out to Iran, and Pakistan has once again emphasised to Turkey, Egypt and other Gulf states the dire necessity of returning to the negotiating table.

The situation on the ground, however, is getting chaotic as oil prices hit a new high. With the Strait of Hormuz subjected to gunboat diplomacy, Centcom reports that more than 94 commercial vessels have been forced to reroute from the waterway. This coincides with intermittent drone strikes by both the US and Iran against each other's strategic installations. Consequently, Brent crude rose by a dollar to $98 per barrel. Likewise, US crude futures shot up by $2, hovering around $93.65 per barrel.

The puzzling aspect of this geopolitical stalemate is the clash of high-stakes narratives. The IRGC remains defiant, warning of dire consequences, while President Masoud Pezeshkian has also upped the ante, vowing that his country "will continue this resistance with full strength until the aggressors are brought to complete regret".

A silver lining, however, has emerged. There are credible voices calling for peace, such as former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who urged the authorities to allow the public to decide whether to end the war if a ceasefire agreement meets Iranian demands. This is wise rationality that must evolve into an instant thaw. Talking things out by resolving to implement the Islamabad MoU is the definitive way forward.