DAWN Editorials - 18th April 2025
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 12:08 pm
Grave desecration
THE desecration of 85 Muslim graves at a cemetery in Hertfordshire in the UK is a distressing act that deserves the strongest condemnation. The fact that many of the damaged graves belong to babies and young children only underscores the cruelty of this hate crime, which has left grieving families and the wider Muslim community in shock. While Hertfordshire Police have now confirmed that the incident is being treated as a religiously motivated hate crime, the delay in officially recognising it as such understandably frustrated affected families and Muslim community leaders. As Sergeant Irfan Ishaq of the Hertfordshire Association of Muslim Police rightly acknowledged, the pain of this crime has resonated beyond those immediately impacted, touching Muslims across the UK and beyond.
The British authorities must take swift and decisive action. Acts of hate, particularly those that target a community’s most sacred spaces, are not only personal violations but also attacks on the fabric of a diverse and democratic society. Allowing such crimes to go unpunished will only embolden those who seek to sow fear and division. The UK government, alongside local authorities, must ensure that investigations into this act are pursued with urgency and transparency. Every possible lead should be followed, and the perpetrators brought to justice. Moreover, the government must prioritise meaningful engagement with Muslim communities, ensuring their safety and restoring their trust in the system. However, incidents like this do not occur in a vacuum. Rising Islamophobia, stoked by toxic rhetoric in politics and media, is creating an environment in which hate crimes have become alarmingly common in Western societies. Without robust action, such attacks risk becoming normalised. Graves are places of peace and memory. Desecrating them is a profound moral violation and points to the most sinister of intentions. Authorities must find and punish those responsible and also reassure the nation’s Muslim communities that they have a secure and respected place in British society.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025
Political solution
THOUGH the BNP-M may have ended its 20-day protest sit-in outside Quetta on Wednesday, the core issues affecting Balochistan — terrorism and the alienation of large sections of the province’s population from the centre — remain unresolved. Former chief minister and BNP-M head Akhtar Mengal decided to wrap things up after the state did not allow him or his supporters to march to Quetta. The veteran politician had initiated a protest campaign after the authorities detained BYC’s Mahrang Baloch and other activists. Mr Mengal blamed the state for “obstructing” his march, and said that while the sit-in had ended, protests would be held across different cities and towns in Balochistan to continue to press for their demands. Several opposition parties and activists expressed solidarity with the BNP protest, though the government did not yield. In fact, Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti continued to use strong language against the BYC, while commenting on the BNP’s decision to call off the sit-in.
While proponents of the ‘hard state’ may argue that Baloch political activity must be crushed along with separatist terrorism, this approach is counterproductive. Violence will continue to haunt Balochistan as the separatists use terrorism to forward their aims, and the state strikes back with full force. An alternative path — dialogue, reconciliation and inclusive development — can be tried, if the state wishes to give it a shot. After all, decades of a militarised approach to solving Balochistan’s problems failed to achieve any meaningful objective. First, the government needs to differentiate between those who take up arms against the state, and those who use peaceful constitutional means to demand their rights. The former must be neutralised, while the latter should be engaged. At the other end, some activists resort to harsh anti-government rhetoric; this will hardly help the Baloch cause. Secondly, the state needs to acknowledge that mistakes have been made. This would not be a sign of weakness, but one of wisdom. For example, the problem of enforced disappearances and other violations of fundamental rights in Balochistan is not a new one. Today, it is the BYC that is raising these issues; earlier it was Mama Qadeer and others. If the state uses unconstitutional means in the province, there will be blowback from those affected. Therefore, a more compassionate and inclusive approach is needed in Balochistan.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025
Paying the price
THE freak hailstorm that swept across northern Pakistan on Wednesday, claiming lives and causing destruction, indicates how climate chaos is fast becoming our new normal. Social media was awash with videos showing ‘golf ball-sized’ icy projectiles damaging vehicles and solar panels in Islamabad, flash floods disrupting traffic on the Peshawar-Torkham Highway, and standing crops in Punjab and KP suffering damage.
This month alone has seen weather swings that defy historical precedent. Just days earlier, the Met Office warned of an intense heatwave gripping much of the country, with temperatures in Sindh and Balochistan forecast to be 6°C to 8°C above average. Drought-like conditions in large parts of southern Punjab and Sindh had already raised fears about falling wheat yields, while strong gusts and hail have now damaged crops in KP as well. Pakistan, it is clear, is trapped in a relentless cycle of climate volatility. The contrast between these extremes — from drought to heatwave to destructive storms — paints a troubling future.
Compounding these challenges is the disheartening global shift in climate policy. The resurgence of climate scepticism has led to a rollback of critical climate finance commitments. Notably, America’s recent withdrawal from major climate finance pledges has further narrowed the window for developing nations to adapt. For a country like Pakistan — among the most climate-vulnerable yet least responsible for global emissions — this is a crushing setback. Hopes of external funding to invest in resilience, disaster preparedness, and clean technology appear more remote. Simultaneously, the decline in fossil fuel prices has prompted many countries to double down on oil and gas investments. Media reports have highlighted a $200bn surge in new LNG projects, posing a significant threat to global climate goals.
Internally, Pakistan faces another set of challenges. The ongoing water dispute between Punjab and Sindh over the Cholistan canal project underscores the urgency of equitable water resource management. With reservoir levels at Tarbela and Mangla alarmingly low, and agricultural output threatened by both drought and extreme weather, the risk of food insecurity looms large.
Despite this grim outlook, Pakistan must respond with clarity and urgency. It cannot afford to rely on undelivered pledges or assume that relief will come from abroad. A national climate action plan must be urgently updated and enacted. This includes better forecasting for such events, reformed irrigation and farming practices, and serious water conservation efforts. We are being forced into a future shaped by climate uncertainty, and must confront this crisis with the seriousness it deserves — not as a series of isolated calamities, but as a structural threat to national survival. With foreign aid in retreat, the burden of action rests squarely on the state.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025
THE desecration of 85 Muslim graves at a cemetery in Hertfordshire in the UK is a distressing act that deserves the strongest condemnation. The fact that many of the damaged graves belong to babies and young children only underscores the cruelty of this hate crime, which has left grieving families and the wider Muslim community in shock. While Hertfordshire Police have now confirmed that the incident is being treated as a religiously motivated hate crime, the delay in officially recognising it as such understandably frustrated affected families and Muslim community leaders. As Sergeant Irfan Ishaq of the Hertfordshire Association of Muslim Police rightly acknowledged, the pain of this crime has resonated beyond those immediately impacted, touching Muslims across the UK and beyond.
The British authorities must take swift and decisive action. Acts of hate, particularly those that target a community’s most sacred spaces, are not only personal violations but also attacks on the fabric of a diverse and democratic society. Allowing such crimes to go unpunished will only embolden those who seek to sow fear and division. The UK government, alongside local authorities, must ensure that investigations into this act are pursued with urgency and transparency. Every possible lead should be followed, and the perpetrators brought to justice. Moreover, the government must prioritise meaningful engagement with Muslim communities, ensuring their safety and restoring their trust in the system. However, incidents like this do not occur in a vacuum. Rising Islamophobia, stoked by toxic rhetoric in politics and media, is creating an environment in which hate crimes have become alarmingly common in Western societies. Without robust action, such attacks risk becoming normalised. Graves are places of peace and memory. Desecrating them is a profound moral violation and points to the most sinister of intentions. Authorities must find and punish those responsible and also reassure the nation’s Muslim communities that they have a secure and respected place in British society.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025
Political solution
THOUGH the BNP-M may have ended its 20-day protest sit-in outside Quetta on Wednesday, the core issues affecting Balochistan — terrorism and the alienation of large sections of the province’s population from the centre — remain unresolved. Former chief minister and BNP-M head Akhtar Mengal decided to wrap things up after the state did not allow him or his supporters to march to Quetta. The veteran politician had initiated a protest campaign after the authorities detained BYC’s Mahrang Baloch and other activists. Mr Mengal blamed the state for “obstructing” his march, and said that while the sit-in had ended, protests would be held across different cities and towns in Balochistan to continue to press for their demands. Several opposition parties and activists expressed solidarity with the BNP protest, though the government did not yield. In fact, Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti continued to use strong language against the BYC, while commenting on the BNP’s decision to call off the sit-in.
While proponents of the ‘hard state’ may argue that Baloch political activity must be crushed along with separatist terrorism, this approach is counterproductive. Violence will continue to haunt Balochistan as the separatists use terrorism to forward their aims, and the state strikes back with full force. An alternative path — dialogue, reconciliation and inclusive development — can be tried, if the state wishes to give it a shot. After all, decades of a militarised approach to solving Balochistan’s problems failed to achieve any meaningful objective. First, the government needs to differentiate between those who take up arms against the state, and those who use peaceful constitutional means to demand their rights. The former must be neutralised, while the latter should be engaged. At the other end, some activists resort to harsh anti-government rhetoric; this will hardly help the Baloch cause. Secondly, the state needs to acknowledge that mistakes have been made. This would not be a sign of weakness, but one of wisdom. For example, the problem of enforced disappearances and other violations of fundamental rights in Balochistan is not a new one. Today, it is the BYC that is raising these issues; earlier it was Mama Qadeer and others. If the state uses unconstitutional means in the province, there will be blowback from those affected. Therefore, a more compassionate and inclusive approach is needed in Balochistan.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025
Paying the price
THE freak hailstorm that swept across northern Pakistan on Wednesday, claiming lives and causing destruction, indicates how climate chaos is fast becoming our new normal. Social media was awash with videos showing ‘golf ball-sized’ icy projectiles damaging vehicles and solar panels in Islamabad, flash floods disrupting traffic on the Peshawar-Torkham Highway, and standing crops in Punjab and KP suffering damage.
This month alone has seen weather swings that defy historical precedent. Just days earlier, the Met Office warned of an intense heatwave gripping much of the country, with temperatures in Sindh and Balochistan forecast to be 6°C to 8°C above average. Drought-like conditions in large parts of southern Punjab and Sindh had already raised fears about falling wheat yields, while strong gusts and hail have now damaged crops in KP as well. Pakistan, it is clear, is trapped in a relentless cycle of climate volatility. The contrast between these extremes — from drought to heatwave to destructive storms — paints a troubling future.
Compounding these challenges is the disheartening global shift in climate policy. The resurgence of climate scepticism has led to a rollback of critical climate finance commitments. Notably, America’s recent withdrawal from major climate finance pledges has further narrowed the window for developing nations to adapt. For a country like Pakistan — among the most climate-vulnerable yet least responsible for global emissions — this is a crushing setback. Hopes of external funding to invest in resilience, disaster preparedness, and clean technology appear more remote. Simultaneously, the decline in fossil fuel prices has prompted many countries to double down on oil and gas investments. Media reports have highlighted a $200bn surge in new LNG projects, posing a significant threat to global climate goals.
Internally, Pakistan faces another set of challenges. The ongoing water dispute between Punjab and Sindh over the Cholistan canal project underscores the urgency of equitable water resource management. With reservoir levels at Tarbela and Mangla alarmingly low, and agricultural output threatened by both drought and extreme weather, the risk of food insecurity looms large.
Despite this grim outlook, Pakistan must respond with clarity and urgency. It cannot afford to rely on undelivered pledges or assume that relief will come from abroad. A national climate action plan must be urgently updated and enacted. This includes better forecasting for such events, reformed irrigation and farming practices, and serious water conservation efforts. We are being forced into a future shaped by climate uncertainty, and must confront this crisis with the seriousness it deserves — not as a series of isolated calamities, but as a structural threat to national survival. With foreign aid in retreat, the burden of action rests squarely on the state.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025