Express Tribune Editorials 1st January 2026

Karachi's plight and double-deckers

The Sindh government's decision to ply double-decker buses in Karachi is a cosmetic move. It goes without saying that the metropolitan, ranked 12th globally in terms of size and population, is in dire need of a public transport system, but not one that is fancy and ill-planned. The ground reality is that Karachi's civic infrastructure is in tatters as none of the stakeholders come to own it, per se.

The city has been longing for a circular railway for decades. The existing transportation is ultra-privatised, with millions left with no other choice but to hop on junked carriages, putrescent rickshaws and Chingchi four-wheelers driven on a motorcycle engine. The so-called metro buses running only on two arteries of the city are symbolic in essence, as they do not come to cater to the robust demand of the city's millions of commuters.

The city is devoid of everything that an urban centre must possess. Its roads are potholed, and unplanned development schemes have rendered them more chaotic. The Economist Intelligence Unit, in its 2025 Index, ranked Karachi as the fourth least livable city in the world. That is so because it lacks an organic municipality, a viable garbage collection system and an adequate water and electric supply network. This messy equation necessitates a master plan to overhaul its entire civic edifice, rather than gimmicks merely meant for the gallery. Running on ad-hocism, the civic administration cannot cope with the soaring challenges of a bulging population and horizontal mushrooming.

The provincial government claims that Rs9 billion has been allocated for resurrecting roads in industrial areas. Herein, the relevant authorities must walk the talk. Likewise, the new double-decker fare of Rs80 to 120 per trip is quite exorbitant compared to Rs30 for a metro bus ride in Rawalpindi-Islamabad. Last but not least, it is not yet known how many buses would hit the devastated streets. In the past, such fanfare inaugurals proved short-lived, piling a huge burden on the exchequer.

The least that Karachiites deserve in the commutation sphere is an orderly mass-transit system, resumption of a proper taxi service and an inter-city railway. A consortium of consumers-cum-financers can be a good start to reorient the city to its merits, wherein the government can play the role of a watchdog. Let the public enterprise plan and run the city, and not the imported and unaccustomed vehicles.

Navigating 2026

Pakistan's growth optimistically projected at 3.2% for current fiscal year, structural deficits highlighted by IMF

Pakistan enters 2026 at a critical juncture, with several challenges converging to test the resilience of the country's leaders and ordinary citizens alike. But while the path forward is fraught with difficulty, a clear-eyed assessment reveals that it also leads to wide avenues for stability and progress.

The welcome economic stability of recent months remains fragile, as the country still depends on loans and foreign assistance rather than a significant domestic economic turnaround. Foreign exchange reserves are currently about $14.5 billion, but this has been fueled mainly by foreign aid rather than by outstanding export performance. However, growth is projected at 3.2% for the current financial year, and there has been optimism about the industrial sector's performance. But deep-seated structural issues identified by the IMF and local economic experts still threaten to erode the already weak ground on which the economy is built, and the government's limited ability to stimulate economic activity is still hampered by the billions that are flushed down the drain every day on account of state-owned basket cases. Expansion of the tax base remains an expert example of eyewash, as ambitious claims continue to peter out as the year progresses. The coming years require consistent implementation of transparent reforms to build fiscal credibility and diversify investment.

It is also widely agreed that economic success requires political stability, but despite leading a relatively strong coalition government, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's tenure has been anything but stable. Although agitation on the streets by the PTI has been relatively limited — never rising to the level of protests that were led by imprisoned party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan — the sustained pressure has been enough to worry many investors and create hurdles for people in several cities, especially because the government appears to regularly miss the balance between allowing peaceful protest and promptly shutting down violent ones.

On the security front, the threat of terrorism persists, as religious extremists such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Daesh elements continue to be active in the country, while Baloch separatist terrorists have shown no sign of slowing down, in an asymmetrical conflict that has gone on for longer than most Pakistanis have been alive. Analysts are also concerned that despite improving ties with the US and a defence pact with Saudi Arabia, there is still a "moderate likelihood" of armed conflict with India, which increasingly finds itself surrounded by countries that its bigoted far-right government sees as adversaries — most recently Bangladesh.

While foreign security experts have often presented solutions such as cross-border working groups against terrorism and increased diplomatic exchanges, the Indian government — at least publicly — has literally positioned itself as not wanting to even let its citizens shake hands with Pakistanis. This belligerent and combative attitude to international relations is why, despite all the other conflicts in the world, New Delhi is the reason most people worried about nuclear war have sleepless nights.

As for public health, Pakistan is again on the brink of being declared polio-free, but the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has noted that there is a funding gap of almost $2 billion, making it almost certain that Pakistan and Afghanistan will have to self-finance vaccination and awareness initiatives or risk falling short again with the finish line in sight.

The choices made in 2026 will thus define Pakistan's trajectory for years to come.