DAWN Editorials - 28th february2025

[faheemustad]

Grotesque vision

THE Trump administration has sunk to a new low in its cavalier approach to the Gaza crisis. It seems all sense has been lost on the US president, who shared on his social media an AI-generated video depicting a dystopian ‘Trump Gaza’. The land is shown as a beachfront playground for the wealthy, where Donald Trump is sipping cocktails with Benjamin Netanyahu while Elon Musk dances under a shower of cash. It is not just outrageous, it is grotesque. The fact that the leader of the most powerful country in the world saw fit to share this vile fantasy amid vicious bloodletting speaks volumes for both his character and his administration’s policies. It trivialises the suffering of over 2m Palestinians living under bombardment and blockade. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese correctly identified this as “psychological overwhelming” — a deliberate strategy to normalise the absurd.

The Trump administration has already floated plans to “take over” Gaza and forcibly relocate its Palestinian population — a scheme that would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing under international law. Despite rejection from Jordan, Egypt and the broader Arab world, Mr Trump continues to push this abhorrent vision, now visualised in digital form. What makes this particularly disturbing is the messianic self-portrayal — with lyrics proclaiming “Donald’s coming to set you free” alongside golden Trump statues across the territory. This is not development or reconstruction; it is colonial fantasy at its most brazen, treating Palestinian land as an empty canvas for American and Israeli profiteering. The video has rightfully drawn condemnation across the political spectrum. Even Trump supporters have expressed dismay, though primarily due to concerns about US involvement in foreign conflicts rather than Palestinian suffering. The international community must unequivocally reject this vision, which reduces a humanitarian catastrophe to a garish real estate opportunity. Gaza is not a construction site for megalomaniacal visions. Its future must be determined by Palestinians, its rightful inhabitants.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2025


Affordable Ramazan

WITH the month of Ramazan commencing in a day or two, a price spiral peculiar to the fasting month has kicked off. Due to the high demand of certain food products during the month — fruit, sugar, gram flour, etc — prices begin to shoot up and largely remain high until Eid. Part of this phenomenon has to do with the laws of supply and demand: there is great demand for certain products while supply is limited. Many consumers tend to buy more than they need, while charities and individuals who distribute rations to the needy during the month also procure foodstuffs in bulk. But it is also a fact that greed on the part of unscrupulous traders, and an inefficient official price monitoring mechanism, result in customers being fleeced. While inflation may have come down overall as compared to the past couple of years, many working people are still finding it hard to make ends meet, and the added Ramazan-related price hikes further limit the common Pakistani’s purchasing power, making it difficult for people to arrange a decent iftar or sehr spread.

There can be two major state interventions to help stabilise prices in Ramazan and lend deserving citizens a helping hand. Firstly, direct targeted subsidies provided to low-income citizens can help them arrange decent meals during the month. This can be achieved by cash transfers, or by arranging special bachat or Ramazan bazaars. However, it must be ensured that the products available at these markets are of a reasonable quality. With the Utility Stores facing an uncertain future, the need for such bazaars that stock quality subsidised items is even greater. At the other end, for general consumers, price control mechanisms need to be strengthened to ensure that traders are not profiteering in the name of Ramazan ‘scarcity’. Effective price control is lacking in all provinces, and sometimes during periods like Ramazan the authorities haul up errant traders for overcharging and release the details, but all too often these are theatrical interventions for public consumption. Effective price control is required year-round, particularly in Ramazan. Of course, if the state fails to take tangible measures, consumers can take ‘direct action’, such as the boycott of prohibitively expensive fruit as in the past. But ultimately, the state cannot abdicate its responsibility of cracking down on profiteering.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2025


No remorse

THE Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights, Azam Nazeer Tarar, sang a strange tune at the UN.

As the country continues sliding in corruption perceptions, democratic standards, and political and civil liberties, as evidenced by the recent deterioration in its ranking in various global indices that track these social indicators, Mr Tarar on Wednesday told attendees at a high-level segment of the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council that Pakistan remains “strongly committed” to upholding “all human rights”.

Surprisingly, he held up the 26th Amendment as an example of the “robust legislative and policy measures” taken towards protecting human rights in the country. Ever since it was enacted, the 26th Amendment has come to be known for many things. Upholding the Pakistani people’s rights is not one of them. Indeed, the consensus among most fair-minded folk seems to be that it has done quite the opposite.

Ironically, on the same day that Mr Tarar was painting his rosy picture for the UN, Freedom House, a Washington-based think tank that tracks democracy and threats to freedom around the world, declared that Pakistan remained a ‘partly free’ country but also lopped off three points from its already dismal ranking on the index.

“[…] Key factors driving the degradation in rights and liberties included violence and the repression of political opponents during elections, ongoing armed conflicts, and the spread of authoritarian practices”, it noted in a general comment on its ranking of various countries.

Shortly after, the Economist Intelligence Unit reported a steep decline in Pakistan’s Democracy Index score, which dropped from 3.25 in 2023 to 2.84 in 2024. Resultantly, the country lost six ranks in the index and was ranked third among the “top 10 worst performers” globally. According to the EIU, Pakistan is classified as an ‘authoritarian regime’.

Meanwhile, events at home appear to correspond to such assessments. As opposition parties attempted to hold a two-day moot on the Constitution and the present political situation, their efforts kept hitting roadblocks. They were reportedly turned away from three different venues before the organisers finally settled for a less prominent location.

Even then, the hotel’s administration was compelled to tell its ‘guests’ after the conclusion of the first day’s proceedings that they must take their conference elsewhere. The opposition accused the government of having pressured the hotel to cancel their booking. As these words were being written, the parties were holding their discussions in the hotel’s lobby.

These developments, spread over a single day, suggest that the incumbent regime seems to have little interest in its rights record beyond paying its commitments lip service at international events. Disturbingly, the regime seems to grow bolder in its defiance of its obligations with each passing day.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2025