DAWN Editorials - 6th April 2025
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2025 11:42 am
Not cricket
IT is getting embarrassing for the Pakistan cricket team, and for the sport as a whole in the country — the lack of professionalism and game awareness laid bare once again.
Even skipper Mohammad Rizwan didn’t shy away from admitting that after his side were whitewashed by a second-string New Zealand in their three-match One-day International series.
In a series in which Pakistan looked severely out of their depth, New Zealand proved their recent status as the bogey side for Rizwan and his charges. They had punctured Pakistan’s euphoria twice in the tri-nations series, before comprehensively beating them in the opener of the Champions Trophy; the first international event in the country in 29 years, where Rizwan’s men went out without a whimper.
The series in New Zealand offered a chance for a reset, but once again, Pakistan fell woefully short. It was a no-contest in the end, with the Black Caps winning the three games by 73, 84 and 43 runs, respectively. However, Pakistan had their moments in the series, but they failed to capitalise and ended up losing their grip on the matches; Rizwan admitting his side’s death overs problems are continuing to haunt them. Pakistan had New Zealand on the ropes in the first game of the series, only to concede 344 and then lose the plot when they seemed to be on target in the chase. They never recovered in the second game after having New Zealand at 132-5 at one stage, while the chase never got going in the rain-affected final game on Saturday.
Rizwan pointed out that team management and the Pakistan Cricket Board are well aware of the issues but the struggles seem never-ending. It raises questions regarding Pakistan’s evolution in modern-day cricket, with the side only giving glimpses of their promise to change their approach. There was some show of ‘intent’ in the T20 series that preceded the ODIs, but there also Pakistan ended up on the losing end. The loss in New Zealand also likely marks the end of the road for head coach Aaqib Javed, under whom Pakistan recorded ODI series victories against South Africa and Australia but have only gone downhill from there.
It is evident that the team needs fresher ideas and better execution. The PCB, too, hasn’t helped with the continuous chopping and changing of the team management. Consistency at the top is a prerequisite for consistency on the field, and the PCB has been doing exactly the opposite. It is high time that the PCB sets things right; even if it demands a complete overhaul of the system as Pakistan seem to be at the risk of becoming the also-rans in world cricket.
Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025
Balochistan deadlock
THE state’s efforts to stifle political activity in Balochistan are unlikely to improve the situation, and instead may further enflame matters. After the authorities placed obstacles in the way of the BNP-M’s ‘long march’, Akhtar Mengal’s party has warned that it will march on Quetta today. The Baloch leader had originally launched a long march from Wadh to the provincial capital on March 28, calling for the release of Mahrang Baloch and other detained women activists. However, unable to reach Quetta due to obstructions placed by the state, the party transformed the procession into a protest sit-in. Negotiations with the state have failed to end the impasse, though the provincial government’s spokesperson said on Saturday the BNP-M may be allowed to march to Quetta, but not to the red zone. In a related move, the provincial head of the JWP has also been detained. Meanwhile, political parties in Balochistan have called on the state to lift restrictions on political activities in the province.
Peaceful protest is the democratic right of all citizens, and the state should not be creating hindrances in the exercise of this right. In the context of Balochistan, where political expression has been severely curtailed, the need to protect this right is even greater. Rather than trying to stop the protests, the government should ponder over why Balochistan’s people have taken to the streets. Akhtar Mengal’s demands to release women activists should seriously be considered. What is needed in Balochistan is sagacity and vision, not the colonial-style methods that have been employed for the past several decades, which have failed to address the situation in the province or neutralise the insurgency. Political activity should not be equated with ‘political opportunism’, and the state needs to make a clear distinction between terrorists and peaceful political activists. Defending the right to assemble and express oneself is not the same as expressing sympathy with terrorists. If the state shuts all avenues of political expression, then the volcano of disaffection in Balochistan is likely to explode with even greater ferocity. That is why Akhtar Mengal and other moderate nationalists and rights activists should be engaged and listened to. The militarised approach may bring temporary quiet to Balochistan, but it will not address the long-standing grievances militants tap into to fuel the insurgency. The state, therefore, must handle the situation with wisdom.
Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025
Escalating brutality
ISRAEL’S war against Gaza is not a campaign against Hamas — it is a war against a people. The latest ground operations — now targeting densely populated northern neighbourhoods like Shujaiya — are not just military manoeuvres. They are a calculated exertion of overwhelming force in a territory where civilians have nowhere left to flee. The stated aim is to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. The consequence, predictably, is mass suffering. The recent airstrike on the Dar al-Arqam school in Gaza City — killing at least 27 civilians, including 14 children — is a grotesque example. Israel insists the building housed a Hamas command post. Even if that were true, the repeated targeting of such civilian infrastructure exposes the hollowness of claims that this war is being waged with precision or restraint. The numbers speak for themselves. More than 50,000 Palestinians have now died in this war, with women and children comprising the majority. A quarter of Gaza’s population is displaced yet again. Food, clean water, and medicine remain restricted by Israel’s blockade. This is not merely war; it is asphyxiation.
Diplomacy, too, lies in ruins. Hamas rejected Israel’s latest offer — a 40-day ceasefire in exchange for the partial release of hostages — demanding a permanent truce and full Israeli withdrawal. Yet it is Israel — the occupying power, the military hegemon — that bears the greater burden to end the carnage. A wider regional war now looms after Israel’s assassination of a senior Hamas commander in Lebanon, threatening to shatter its fragile truce with Hezbollah. This cannot go on. The world’s patience is running out. Israel must be held accountable under international law, including by the International Criminal Court, for war crimes. A ceasefire is only the beginning; the siege of Gaza must end, and a political solution must follow. Western capitals, long reluctant to criticise Israel, must recognise its actions as collective punishment. History will not look kindly on those who enabled it.
Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025
IT is getting embarrassing for the Pakistan cricket team, and for the sport as a whole in the country — the lack of professionalism and game awareness laid bare once again.
Even skipper Mohammad Rizwan didn’t shy away from admitting that after his side were whitewashed by a second-string New Zealand in their three-match One-day International series.
In a series in which Pakistan looked severely out of their depth, New Zealand proved their recent status as the bogey side for Rizwan and his charges. They had punctured Pakistan’s euphoria twice in the tri-nations series, before comprehensively beating them in the opener of the Champions Trophy; the first international event in the country in 29 years, where Rizwan’s men went out without a whimper.
The series in New Zealand offered a chance for a reset, but once again, Pakistan fell woefully short. It was a no-contest in the end, with the Black Caps winning the three games by 73, 84 and 43 runs, respectively. However, Pakistan had their moments in the series, but they failed to capitalise and ended up losing their grip on the matches; Rizwan admitting his side’s death overs problems are continuing to haunt them. Pakistan had New Zealand on the ropes in the first game of the series, only to concede 344 and then lose the plot when they seemed to be on target in the chase. They never recovered in the second game after having New Zealand at 132-5 at one stage, while the chase never got going in the rain-affected final game on Saturday.
Rizwan pointed out that team management and the Pakistan Cricket Board are well aware of the issues but the struggles seem never-ending. It raises questions regarding Pakistan’s evolution in modern-day cricket, with the side only giving glimpses of their promise to change their approach. There was some show of ‘intent’ in the T20 series that preceded the ODIs, but there also Pakistan ended up on the losing end. The loss in New Zealand also likely marks the end of the road for head coach Aaqib Javed, under whom Pakistan recorded ODI series victories against South Africa and Australia but have only gone downhill from there.
It is evident that the team needs fresher ideas and better execution. The PCB, too, hasn’t helped with the continuous chopping and changing of the team management. Consistency at the top is a prerequisite for consistency on the field, and the PCB has been doing exactly the opposite. It is high time that the PCB sets things right; even if it demands a complete overhaul of the system as Pakistan seem to be at the risk of becoming the also-rans in world cricket.
Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025
Balochistan deadlock
THE state’s efforts to stifle political activity in Balochistan are unlikely to improve the situation, and instead may further enflame matters. After the authorities placed obstacles in the way of the BNP-M’s ‘long march’, Akhtar Mengal’s party has warned that it will march on Quetta today. The Baloch leader had originally launched a long march from Wadh to the provincial capital on March 28, calling for the release of Mahrang Baloch and other detained women activists. However, unable to reach Quetta due to obstructions placed by the state, the party transformed the procession into a protest sit-in. Negotiations with the state have failed to end the impasse, though the provincial government’s spokesperson said on Saturday the BNP-M may be allowed to march to Quetta, but not to the red zone. In a related move, the provincial head of the JWP has also been detained. Meanwhile, political parties in Balochistan have called on the state to lift restrictions on political activities in the province.
Peaceful protest is the democratic right of all citizens, and the state should not be creating hindrances in the exercise of this right. In the context of Balochistan, where political expression has been severely curtailed, the need to protect this right is even greater. Rather than trying to stop the protests, the government should ponder over why Balochistan’s people have taken to the streets. Akhtar Mengal’s demands to release women activists should seriously be considered. What is needed in Balochistan is sagacity and vision, not the colonial-style methods that have been employed for the past several decades, which have failed to address the situation in the province or neutralise the insurgency. Political activity should not be equated with ‘political opportunism’, and the state needs to make a clear distinction between terrorists and peaceful political activists. Defending the right to assemble and express oneself is not the same as expressing sympathy with terrorists. If the state shuts all avenues of political expression, then the volcano of disaffection in Balochistan is likely to explode with even greater ferocity. That is why Akhtar Mengal and other moderate nationalists and rights activists should be engaged and listened to. The militarised approach may bring temporary quiet to Balochistan, but it will not address the long-standing grievances militants tap into to fuel the insurgency. The state, therefore, must handle the situation with wisdom.
Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025
Escalating brutality
ISRAEL’S war against Gaza is not a campaign against Hamas — it is a war against a people. The latest ground operations — now targeting densely populated northern neighbourhoods like Shujaiya — are not just military manoeuvres. They are a calculated exertion of overwhelming force in a territory where civilians have nowhere left to flee. The stated aim is to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. The consequence, predictably, is mass suffering. The recent airstrike on the Dar al-Arqam school in Gaza City — killing at least 27 civilians, including 14 children — is a grotesque example. Israel insists the building housed a Hamas command post. Even if that were true, the repeated targeting of such civilian infrastructure exposes the hollowness of claims that this war is being waged with precision or restraint. The numbers speak for themselves. More than 50,000 Palestinians have now died in this war, with women and children comprising the majority. A quarter of Gaza’s population is displaced yet again. Food, clean water, and medicine remain restricted by Israel’s blockade. This is not merely war; it is asphyxiation.
Diplomacy, too, lies in ruins. Hamas rejected Israel’s latest offer — a 40-day ceasefire in exchange for the partial release of hostages — demanding a permanent truce and full Israeli withdrawal. Yet it is Israel — the occupying power, the military hegemon — that bears the greater burden to end the carnage. A wider regional war now looms after Israel’s assassination of a senior Hamas commander in Lebanon, threatening to shatter its fragile truce with Hezbollah. This cannot go on. The world’s patience is running out. Israel must be held accountable under international law, including by the International Criminal Court, for war crimes. A ceasefire is only the beginning; the siege of Gaza must end, and a political solution must follow. Western capitals, long reluctant to criticise Israel, must recognise its actions as collective punishment. History will not look kindly on those who enabled it.
Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025