Express Tribune Editorials 16th March 2025
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 3:33 am
Preventing rabies
Karachi is facing a worsening rabies crisis due to a lack of preventive measures and access to life-saving vaccines. So far this year, over 8,000 dog-bite cases have been reported at just three major hospitals — JPMC, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi and Indus Hospital. Six people have died from rabies, a disease that is fatal once symptoms appear but entirely preventable with timely vaccination.
The only way to stop rabies deaths is through immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which includes thorough wound cleaning, a series of anti-rabies vaccines and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) injections. However, many bite victims — especially in low-income areas — do not receive timely treatment due to the unavailability of vaccines in district-level health centres. This delay proves fatal, as rabies has no cure once it progresses.
Prevention must be the government's priority. First, the Sindh health department must ensure that every public hospital, particularly district and taluka-level health centres, has an adequate stock of anti-rabies vaccines and RIG. A centralised tracking system should be introduced to prevent shortages.
Additionally, emergency response units specifically for dog-bite cases should be set up to provide immediate treatment, particularly in high-risk areas. More importantly, the spread of rabies must be tackled at its source. Mass dog vaccination is the most effective long-term solution. International studies have shown that vaccinating 70% of the stray dog population can break the rabies transmission cycle. The Sindh government must launch a large-scale canine vaccination drive instead of ineffective and cruel culling measures, which have repeatedly failed to control rabies.
Rabies is entirely preventable, yet Karachi continues to see needless deaths. The government must act prudently before more lives are lost to a disease that should no longer be a threat.
Pakistan Crypto Council
The launch of Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) could herald a new era of innovation and economic potential. After years of flipflopping and indecisiveness over the legality and regulation of cryptocurrencies, Pakistan can now be considered among the more proactive countries in the world, embracing blockchain technology and digital assets in ways that could bring exponential gains, possibly even positioning the country as a leader in the global digital economy.
By fostering an environment of regulation and innovation, the council aims to create a framework that protects investors while simultaneously nurturing the growth of the burgeoning crypto sector. This dual approach — regulating for security, while promoting entrepreneurial spirit - ensures that Pakistan can leverage blockchain technology's benefits without compromising its financial system's integrity.
Recent initiatives in the global crypto market - from the UAE's massive investment in the crypto exchange Binance to US President Donald Trump's moves to set up a strategic crypto reserve — have already lent the digital currency increased credibility. On that note, thoughtful crypto policies could also help reduce foreign exchange pressure on the rupee, though any slapdash work could just as easily misfire.
Also, despite its much-touted security features, crypto remains open to use for criminal activities and has been at the centre of several investment scams. Take, for example, the meme coins introduced by Trump and his wife, Melania. The Trump coin went as high as $74 but is now trading at just $12, wiping over $12 billion off its market cap in a matter of days. Melania's meme coin was even more volatile, rising past a $7 billion market cap in January to just $375 million today.
So, while it is important for Pakistan to move forward with innovation in the field of digital finance, emphasis must remain on consumer protection through robust legal and compliance frameworks if we are to maximise benefits for all Pakistanis, and not just the people with the education, capital and technical know-how to directly invest.
Kabul-Delhi nexus
As authorities indulge in stock-taking of terror fissures in the backdrop of Jaffar Express hijacking, a convenient finger has been pointed at the neighbourhood. It is no secret that Afghanistan and India are in cahoots, and have a vested agenda to nurse by bleeding and destabilising Pakistan. Thus, the military spokesperson in the Friday's presser was on the mark as he rightly traced the epicentre of terrorism from across the western frontiers. This open-and-shut complicity is in need of being exposed effectively by Islamabad at diplomatic forums, leading to singling out of the terror sponsoring regimes by the world community.
The daredevil train hijacking episode manifested a broader agenda to not only sow the seeds of dissent among Pakistanis, but also to purport the BLA outfit as a viable entity. In doing so the dispensation in Kabul was at its beck and call, as is evident from the handlers making use of satellite phones and disseminating AI-concocted video clips to spread disinformation. But the fact that Pakistan's security forces were able to rescue 354 passengers by exterminating dozens of terrorists is a feather in its cap in adversity.
Despite a spike in terror during the last many years, it is notable that more than 59,775 and 11,654 IBOs have been conducted in 2024 and 2025, respectively. This vigil needs to be upped and a substantial counterterrorism policy evolved by stringently implementing NAP in all totality. There is no excuse to lag behind, and no time left to remorse and look back.
The train hijacking and the ensuing standoff, nonetheless, solicits some valid criticism and introspection. It should be admitted that it was an intelligence failure, as the magnitude of operation by the BLA was well-choreographed. It's time to net the fox in the woods, and intelligence input made foolproof. Similarly, Islamabad should ponder as to why its dossiers and proofs on the involvement of extra-territorial elements do not get an attentive ear in world capitals and at the UN. This diplomatic apathy warrants a revisit.
Karachi is facing a worsening rabies crisis due to a lack of preventive measures and access to life-saving vaccines. So far this year, over 8,000 dog-bite cases have been reported at just three major hospitals — JPMC, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi and Indus Hospital. Six people have died from rabies, a disease that is fatal once symptoms appear but entirely preventable with timely vaccination.
The only way to stop rabies deaths is through immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which includes thorough wound cleaning, a series of anti-rabies vaccines and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) injections. However, many bite victims — especially in low-income areas — do not receive timely treatment due to the unavailability of vaccines in district-level health centres. This delay proves fatal, as rabies has no cure once it progresses.
Prevention must be the government's priority. First, the Sindh health department must ensure that every public hospital, particularly district and taluka-level health centres, has an adequate stock of anti-rabies vaccines and RIG. A centralised tracking system should be introduced to prevent shortages.
Additionally, emergency response units specifically for dog-bite cases should be set up to provide immediate treatment, particularly in high-risk areas. More importantly, the spread of rabies must be tackled at its source. Mass dog vaccination is the most effective long-term solution. International studies have shown that vaccinating 70% of the stray dog population can break the rabies transmission cycle. The Sindh government must launch a large-scale canine vaccination drive instead of ineffective and cruel culling measures, which have repeatedly failed to control rabies.
Rabies is entirely preventable, yet Karachi continues to see needless deaths. The government must act prudently before more lives are lost to a disease that should no longer be a threat.
Pakistan Crypto Council
The launch of Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) could herald a new era of innovation and economic potential. After years of flipflopping and indecisiveness over the legality and regulation of cryptocurrencies, Pakistan can now be considered among the more proactive countries in the world, embracing blockchain technology and digital assets in ways that could bring exponential gains, possibly even positioning the country as a leader in the global digital economy.
By fostering an environment of regulation and innovation, the council aims to create a framework that protects investors while simultaneously nurturing the growth of the burgeoning crypto sector. This dual approach — regulating for security, while promoting entrepreneurial spirit - ensures that Pakistan can leverage blockchain technology's benefits without compromising its financial system's integrity.
Recent initiatives in the global crypto market - from the UAE's massive investment in the crypto exchange Binance to US President Donald Trump's moves to set up a strategic crypto reserve — have already lent the digital currency increased credibility. On that note, thoughtful crypto policies could also help reduce foreign exchange pressure on the rupee, though any slapdash work could just as easily misfire.
Also, despite its much-touted security features, crypto remains open to use for criminal activities and has been at the centre of several investment scams. Take, for example, the meme coins introduced by Trump and his wife, Melania. The Trump coin went as high as $74 but is now trading at just $12, wiping over $12 billion off its market cap in a matter of days. Melania's meme coin was even more volatile, rising past a $7 billion market cap in January to just $375 million today.
So, while it is important for Pakistan to move forward with innovation in the field of digital finance, emphasis must remain on consumer protection through robust legal and compliance frameworks if we are to maximise benefits for all Pakistanis, and not just the people with the education, capital and technical know-how to directly invest.
Kabul-Delhi nexus
As authorities indulge in stock-taking of terror fissures in the backdrop of Jaffar Express hijacking, a convenient finger has been pointed at the neighbourhood. It is no secret that Afghanistan and India are in cahoots, and have a vested agenda to nurse by bleeding and destabilising Pakistan. Thus, the military spokesperson in the Friday's presser was on the mark as he rightly traced the epicentre of terrorism from across the western frontiers. This open-and-shut complicity is in need of being exposed effectively by Islamabad at diplomatic forums, leading to singling out of the terror sponsoring regimes by the world community.
The daredevil train hijacking episode manifested a broader agenda to not only sow the seeds of dissent among Pakistanis, but also to purport the BLA outfit as a viable entity. In doing so the dispensation in Kabul was at its beck and call, as is evident from the handlers making use of satellite phones and disseminating AI-concocted video clips to spread disinformation. But the fact that Pakistan's security forces were able to rescue 354 passengers by exterminating dozens of terrorists is a feather in its cap in adversity.
Despite a spike in terror during the last many years, it is notable that more than 59,775 and 11,654 IBOs have been conducted in 2024 and 2025, respectively. This vigil needs to be upped and a substantial counterterrorism policy evolved by stringently implementing NAP in all totality. There is no excuse to lag behind, and no time left to remorse and look back.
The train hijacking and the ensuing standoff, nonetheless, solicits some valid criticism and introspection. It should be admitted that it was an intelligence failure, as the magnitude of operation by the BLA was well-choreographed. It's time to net the fox in the woods, and intelligence input made foolproof. Similarly, Islamabad should ponder as to why its dossiers and proofs on the involvement of extra-territorial elements do not get an attentive ear in world capitals and at the UN. This diplomatic apathy warrants a revisit.