Express Tribune Editorials 13th March 2025
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 3:19 am
The Mashkaf moment
The hijacking of a passenger train in Balochistan by terrorists on Tuesday and their audacity to keep hold of it into the next day warrant some deep introspection. The outlawed BLA took over Jaffar Express near the Mashkaf Tunnel in Bolan District.
The train incidentally was carrying some servicemen and their family members among over 400 passengers. The brazen act of terrorism – that kept the nation on tenterhooks for as long as a day and a half – is clearly meant to internationalise the conflict in Balochistan.
In their initial response to the well-choreographed terrorist action, the military in full gear had flown sorties and drones to circumvent the volatility, and to overpower the terrorists.
The fact that the passengers were held as human shields went to benefit of the terror outfit, posing a challenge as armed forces combed in closer to their targets. Launching a decisive operation around dusk on day two, security forces – from Army, Air Force, SSG and FC – eliminated all 33 terrorists and rescued all 190 hostages unharmed.
Unfortunately though, before the security forces action, 21 passengers had already lost their lives to the terrorists' lust for wanton violence. Four FC personnel, deployed on the tracks, were also martyred.
Full marks to the armed forces for thwarting, yet again, the nefarious designs of the merchants of death who are out to bleed the country. However, the tragic happening invites some brainstorming.
The need of the hour is to reach out to reconcilable elements and usher in a thaw. Popular politics has gone for a toss, and the pick-and-choose module has led to decay.
The thrust on kinetic operations in the reclusive region has bred discontent and disillusionment, which hostile agencies are using to feed the spiral of sickening violence in their attempt to weaken Pakistan for their geopolitical interests.
Having said that, it is common knowledge that locals are sceptical, and repulsive, to the system in vogue in the resource-rich but impoverished province. Big-ticket projects, such as CPEC, have made little impact, and are in the eye of the storm as terrorists have regrouped and are gaining currency.
The way out is to pursue a lasting political solution through a grand dialogue for redressal of grievances, which will isolate the irreconcilables and blunt their political and ideological narrative.
Kyiv's compliance
As expected, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has bowed to US pressure, agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia in exchange for the resumption of American military aid and intelligence sharing.
The writing was on the wall the moment Trump returned to power. His administration made it clear that Ukraine could no longer rely on a blank check from Washington. Instead, aid would come with conditions - chief among them, a willingness to negotiate with Moscow.
More importantly, it sends a message to European allies that the US will not indefinitely foot the bill for Ukraine's defence. This shift has left Kyiv with no option but to follow Washington's lead, even at the risk of appearing weak in the eyes of both its allies and adversaries.
It is clear that Trump's 'America First' agenda has reshaped the rules of engagement, seeking a de-escalation that allows the US to reduce its direct involvement without appearing to abandon Ukraine altogether.
Zelenskyy has little choice in the matter following a tense episode at the White House that ended in a diplomatic standoff last month.
While Trump has expressed hope that Moscow will agree to the ceasefire, early signs suggest that at least it's not going to happen immediately. Russia has continued its offensives, and Vladimir Putin has yet to make any binding commitments.
While the Kremlin has acknowledged the proposal, it has expressed the need for more detailed information – like on Ukraine's Nato pursuit – before committing to a cessation of hostilities. This hesitation casts doubt on the plans effectiveness and suggests that Moscow may be leveraging the situation to extract further concessions.
However, if Moscow refuses to halt attacks altogether, Ukraine will have weakened its own position on the battlefield, and the ceasefire agreement may end up as nothing more than a strategic trap - one that benefits Russia and the US at the expense of Ukraine's long-term security.
Appalling air quality
Pakistan has long decried how it is among the countries worst affected by climate change. Even though it is a minor contributor to global pollution, a new study has found that in at least one pollution category, Pakistan is a world leader.
Residents of cities such as Lahore, Peshawar, Faisalabad and Quetta will be completely unsurprised by the fact that Pakistan ranked third-worst in the world in a new report by Swiss air quality products maker IQAir.
The report, based on data from more than 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories and regions, says the African nation of Chad has the worst air quality in the world.
With 91.5 micrograms of pollutant per cubic metre, the country's air is 18 times more than what the WHO recommends. Bangladesh, with 78, and Pakistan, with 73.7, are second and third, respectively. No other country has pollution higher than 60 micrograms per cubic metre.
Congo, with 58.2, and India, with 50.6, are fourth and fifth, respectively. Only seven countries - Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Estonia, Grenada, Iceland and New Zealand - met the WHO's guideline of five micrograms of pollutant per cubic metre, and only 17% of all cities measured met the same guideline.
But while many cities and countries have seen improvements in air quality, most major cities in Pakistan went in the wrong direction.
Government policies have not helped - the primary contributors to Pakistan's pollution crisis are industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust and the notorious practice of biomass burning, all of which are being phased out by the rest of the world, even poor countries.
The situation reached such a critical level last year that the Punjab government declared a state of calamity, prompting lockdowns and school closures in an attempt to protect public health.
But little was done to address the core problem. If we are to change our trajectory, the government, citizens and industry must work hand-in-hand to clear the air, or even more parts of the country will become literally unbreathable.
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The hijacking of a passenger train in Balochistan by terrorists on Tuesday and their audacity to keep hold of it into the next day warrant some deep introspection. The outlawed BLA took over Jaffar Express near the Mashkaf Tunnel in Bolan District.
The train incidentally was carrying some servicemen and their family members among over 400 passengers. The brazen act of terrorism – that kept the nation on tenterhooks for as long as a day and a half – is clearly meant to internationalise the conflict in Balochistan.
In their initial response to the well-choreographed terrorist action, the military in full gear had flown sorties and drones to circumvent the volatility, and to overpower the terrorists.
The fact that the passengers were held as human shields went to benefit of the terror outfit, posing a challenge as armed forces combed in closer to their targets. Launching a decisive operation around dusk on day two, security forces – from Army, Air Force, SSG and FC – eliminated all 33 terrorists and rescued all 190 hostages unharmed.
Unfortunately though, before the security forces action, 21 passengers had already lost their lives to the terrorists' lust for wanton violence. Four FC personnel, deployed on the tracks, were also martyred.
Full marks to the armed forces for thwarting, yet again, the nefarious designs of the merchants of death who are out to bleed the country. However, the tragic happening invites some brainstorming.
The need of the hour is to reach out to reconcilable elements and usher in a thaw. Popular politics has gone for a toss, and the pick-and-choose module has led to decay.
The thrust on kinetic operations in the reclusive region has bred discontent and disillusionment, which hostile agencies are using to feed the spiral of sickening violence in their attempt to weaken Pakistan for their geopolitical interests.
Having said that, it is common knowledge that locals are sceptical, and repulsive, to the system in vogue in the resource-rich but impoverished province. Big-ticket projects, such as CPEC, have made little impact, and are in the eye of the storm as terrorists have regrouped and are gaining currency.
The way out is to pursue a lasting political solution through a grand dialogue for redressal of grievances, which will isolate the irreconcilables and blunt their political and ideological narrative.
Kyiv's compliance
As expected, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has bowed to US pressure, agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia in exchange for the resumption of American military aid and intelligence sharing.
The writing was on the wall the moment Trump returned to power. His administration made it clear that Ukraine could no longer rely on a blank check from Washington. Instead, aid would come with conditions - chief among them, a willingness to negotiate with Moscow.
More importantly, it sends a message to European allies that the US will not indefinitely foot the bill for Ukraine's defence. This shift has left Kyiv with no option but to follow Washington's lead, even at the risk of appearing weak in the eyes of both its allies and adversaries.
It is clear that Trump's 'America First' agenda has reshaped the rules of engagement, seeking a de-escalation that allows the US to reduce its direct involvement without appearing to abandon Ukraine altogether.
Zelenskyy has little choice in the matter following a tense episode at the White House that ended in a diplomatic standoff last month.
While Trump has expressed hope that Moscow will agree to the ceasefire, early signs suggest that at least it's not going to happen immediately. Russia has continued its offensives, and Vladimir Putin has yet to make any binding commitments.
While the Kremlin has acknowledged the proposal, it has expressed the need for more detailed information – like on Ukraine's Nato pursuit – before committing to a cessation of hostilities. This hesitation casts doubt on the plans effectiveness and suggests that Moscow may be leveraging the situation to extract further concessions.
However, if Moscow refuses to halt attacks altogether, Ukraine will have weakened its own position on the battlefield, and the ceasefire agreement may end up as nothing more than a strategic trap - one that benefits Russia and the US at the expense of Ukraine's long-term security.
Appalling air quality
Pakistan has long decried how it is among the countries worst affected by climate change. Even though it is a minor contributor to global pollution, a new study has found that in at least one pollution category, Pakistan is a world leader.
Residents of cities such as Lahore, Peshawar, Faisalabad and Quetta will be completely unsurprised by the fact that Pakistan ranked third-worst in the world in a new report by Swiss air quality products maker IQAir.
The report, based on data from more than 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories and regions, says the African nation of Chad has the worst air quality in the world.
With 91.5 micrograms of pollutant per cubic metre, the country's air is 18 times more than what the WHO recommends. Bangladesh, with 78, and Pakistan, with 73.7, are second and third, respectively. No other country has pollution higher than 60 micrograms per cubic metre.
Congo, with 58.2, and India, with 50.6, are fourth and fifth, respectively. Only seven countries - Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Estonia, Grenada, Iceland and New Zealand - met the WHO's guideline of five micrograms of pollutant per cubic metre, and only 17% of all cities measured met the same guideline.
But while many cities and countries have seen improvements in air quality, most major cities in Pakistan went in the wrong direction.
Government policies have not helped - the primary contributors to Pakistan's pollution crisis are industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust and the notorious practice of biomass burning, all of which are being phased out by the rest of the world, even poor countries.
The situation reached such a critical level last year that the Punjab government declared a state of calamity, prompting lockdowns and school closures in an attempt to protect public health.
But little was done to address the core problem. If we are to change our trajectory, the government, citizens and industry must work hand-in-hand to clear the air, or even more parts of the country will become literally unbreathable.
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