DAWN Editorials - 19th April 2025
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 2:33 pm
Deadlocked
PAKISTAN’S sputtering democracy finally seems to have stalled. It had been evident for the past few years that the nation would soon arrive at a crippling deadlock unless one of the many protagonists in the ongoing political saga decided to take a step back.
In the absence of any serious effort towards a drawdown, the political system has now completely lost steam. The question of what comes next should cause a fair bit of unease. Divided and conquered, the political leaders who have long steered the country find themselves at a loss.
Those in power cannot face the public, and those out of power cannot make anything of the public’s support. They have mutually surrendered the state to unelected, unaccountable quarters. As a result, the judiciary has fallen, the executive has been compromised, and the legislature rendered almost redundant. Shut out, the ordinary citizens of Pakistan have no one to turn to for their problems.
‘A government of the few, by the few, for the few.’
There is no escaping that label. The Pakistani political system has been soulless for so long that even the staunchest democrats have been complacent about the country’s descent into totalitarianism. Politicians’ refusal to talk to each other and resolve issues with negotiation has created space for a different type of rulership to take over.
Even now, with KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur recently stating that PTI chief Imran Khan is ready for talks, ‘not for his sake, but for the sake of the country’, it is known that that proposition is a non-starter. Mr Khan obviously does not want those talks with his fellow politicians, and his fellow politicians therefore see no option but to assert themselves more forcefully so they may keep holding onto their power. Pakistan may need democracy, but no one really seems to want it.
The Machiavellian approach taken by the coalition government has seen it cross many lines that should never have been crossed. There is much strength in the criticism that it seems to exist solely to serve vested interests, and one day it must be held to account for the extensive damage it has caused.
At the same time, the PTI, the main party in opposition, also has a lot to answer for. The party has never felt any responsibility for leading the country down the path of bitter divisiveness and polarisation, and it has often wielded its influence with a dangerous recklessness, frequently crossing the bounds of reason. It is its constant belligerence that turned politics into a zero-sum game where opponents deserve no respect or consideration.
It is important that both sides acknowledge their faults and make amends. This country has seen more than its fair share of misery. It deserves better.
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2025
Trump vs Harvard
AMONGST the ‘enemies of the people’ in Trumpian America are elite universities seen as the bastions of liberal thought and academic excellence. Harvard appears to top the list of undesirable institutions, as the American president has launched a frontal attack on the Ivy League school. The US administration has frozen over $2bn in federal funds to the university, while threatening it with a ban on foreign admissions. Moreover, President Donald Trump has labelled Harvard a “disgrace” that teaches “Hate and Stupidity”. The rest of the world seems to think the exclusive school attracts the brightest minds from across the globe. Harvard is, of course, not alone; Columbia, Princeton and Stanford have also received threats and funding cuts from the Trump administration. The primary reason for this attack on US higher education seems to be the liberal leanings of these schools, and their promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion programmes. But perhaps an even bigger reason for the punitive measures is the fact that many of these varsities, particularly Harvard and Columbia, were centres of the pro-Palestine student movement that rocked the US as Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza raged. That is why they have been tarred with the brush of antisemitism by the Trump White House, and accused of hosting students “hostile to American values” and “supportive of terrorism”.
The Harvard administration is fighting back and has refused to give up its freedom. Other US schools should emulate its example, and resist the totalitarian attacks of the Trump government. For decades, America’s top schools have attracted the best minds globally; but with these chilling developments, American universities may lose their attractiveness, as international students head for less suffocating climes. According to Al Jazeera, around 1,500 foreign students and faculty members have had their visas revoked by the Trump government. Antisemitism is a fig leaf, and what the US government really wants to do is target academic freedom and support for Palestine on campuses. The fact is that student activism has a long history in America, as students were at the forefront of the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1960s. Now, as the US bankrolls and supports another unjust war, the administration is keen to stamp out all dissent on campus, in the process harming the reputation of American higher education for years to come.
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2025
External account stability
DRIVEN by a major spike in workers’ remittances last month, the country’s current account posted a record monthly surplus of $1.2bn, surpassing the previous high of just below $1bn in 2012. Yet the balance-of-payments turned negative for the fifth month during the ongoing year due to weakening foreign official and private capital inflows amid heavy debt payments — though overall, the July-March balance-of-payments remains positive. The cumulative nine-month surplus of just less than $2bn has reinforced hopes of the current account closing the present fiscal year with a surplus, encouraging the State Bank to upgrade its foreign exchange reserves projection from $13bn to $14bn at the end of June as the authorities are hopeful of some planned foreign inflows materialising after the disbursement of the second IMF loan tranche.
On the face of it, the current account surplus lends a feeling of external stability. In a way, it is a sign of a stable external account: pressure is off the currency; reserves are rising; debt payments are being made on time; etc. But this stability is not durable and is founded on factors like controlled trade deficit due to unspoken curbs on imports, lower global oil prices amid the tariff war launched by America, and most importantly, a massive unexpected surge in remittances. In the emerging global scenario, even the slightest shock can cause harm. Sustainable external account stability depends on a strong financial account. Simply put, it is long-term FDI and official flows and a country’s export earnings that guarantee durable improvement in its balance-of-payments position, and help it build up international reserves. If these flows are not improving, it indicates defects in the economy’s structure. While the increase in remittances leading to a stable current account is welcome, it would be unfortunate if our policymakers did not use this respite in the economic crisis to put the economy on a strong, more sustainable footing.
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2025
PAKISTAN’S sputtering democracy finally seems to have stalled. It had been evident for the past few years that the nation would soon arrive at a crippling deadlock unless one of the many protagonists in the ongoing political saga decided to take a step back.
In the absence of any serious effort towards a drawdown, the political system has now completely lost steam. The question of what comes next should cause a fair bit of unease. Divided and conquered, the political leaders who have long steered the country find themselves at a loss.
Those in power cannot face the public, and those out of power cannot make anything of the public’s support. They have mutually surrendered the state to unelected, unaccountable quarters. As a result, the judiciary has fallen, the executive has been compromised, and the legislature rendered almost redundant. Shut out, the ordinary citizens of Pakistan have no one to turn to for their problems.
‘A government of the few, by the few, for the few.’
There is no escaping that label. The Pakistani political system has been soulless for so long that even the staunchest democrats have been complacent about the country’s descent into totalitarianism. Politicians’ refusal to talk to each other and resolve issues with negotiation has created space for a different type of rulership to take over.
Even now, with KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur recently stating that PTI chief Imran Khan is ready for talks, ‘not for his sake, but for the sake of the country’, it is known that that proposition is a non-starter. Mr Khan obviously does not want those talks with his fellow politicians, and his fellow politicians therefore see no option but to assert themselves more forcefully so they may keep holding onto their power. Pakistan may need democracy, but no one really seems to want it.
The Machiavellian approach taken by the coalition government has seen it cross many lines that should never have been crossed. There is much strength in the criticism that it seems to exist solely to serve vested interests, and one day it must be held to account for the extensive damage it has caused.
At the same time, the PTI, the main party in opposition, also has a lot to answer for. The party has never felt any responsibility for leading the country down the path of bitter divisiveness and polarisation, and it has often wielded its influence with a dangerous recklessness, frequently crossing the bounds of reason. It is its constant belligerence that turned politics into a zero-sum game where opponents deserve no respect or consideration.
It is important that both sides acknowledge their faults and make amends. This country has seen more than its fair share of misery. It deserves better.
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2025
Trump vs Harvard
AMONGST the ‘enemies of the people’ in Trumpian America are elite universities seen as the bastions of liberal thought and academic excellence. Harvard appears to top the list of undesirable institutions, as the American president has launched a frontal attack on the Ivy League school. The US administration has frozen over $2bn in federal funds to the university, while threatening it with a ban on foreign admissions. Moreover, President Donald Trump has labelled Harvard a “disgrace” that teaches “Hate and Stupidity”. The rest of the world seems to think the exclusive school attracts the brightest minds from across the globe. Harvard is, of course, not alone; Columbia, Princeton and Stanford have also received threats and funding cuts from the Trump administration. The primary reason for this attack on US higher education seems to be the liberal leanings of these schools, and their promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion programmes. But perhaps an even bigger reason for the punitive measures is the fact that many of these varsities, particularly Harvard and Columbia, were centres of the pro-Palestine student movement that rocked the US as Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza raged. That is why they have been tarred with the brush of antisemitism by the Trump White House, and accused of hosting students “hostile to American values” and “supportive of terrorism”.
The Harvard administration is fighting back and has refused to give up its freedom. Other US schools should emulate its example, and resist the totalitarian attacks of the Trump government. For decades, America’s top schools have attracted the best minds globally; but with these chilling developments, American universities may lose their attractiveness, as international students head for less suffocating climes. According to Al Jazeera, around 1,500 foreign students and faculty members have had their visas revoked by the Trump government. Antisemitism is a fig leaf, and what the US government really wants to do is target academic freedom and support for Palestine on campuses. The fact is that student activism has a long history in America, as students were at the forefront of the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1960s. Now, as the US bankrolls and supports another unjust war, the administration is keen to stamp out all dissent on campus, in the process harming the reputation of American higher education for years to come.
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2025
External account stability
DRIVEN by a major spike in workers’ remittances last month, the country’s current account posted a record monthly surplus of $1.2bn, surpassing the previous high of just below $1bn in 2012. Yet the balance-of-payments turned negative for the fifth month during the ongoing year due to weakening foreign official and private capital inflows amid heavy debt payments — though overall, the July-March balance-of-payments remains positive. The cumulative nine-month surplus of just less than $2bn has reinforced hopes of the current account closing the present fiscal year with a surplus, encouraging the State Bank to upgrade its foreign exchange reserves projection from $13bn to $14bn at the end of June as the authorities are hopeful of some planned foreign inflows materialising after the disbursement of the second IMF loan tranche.
On the face of it, the current account surplus lends a feeling of external stability. In a way, it is a sign of a stable external account: pressure is off the currency; reserves are rising; debt payments are being made on time; etc. But this stability is not durable and is founded on factors like controlled trade deficit due to unspoken curbs on imports, lower global oil prices amid the tariff war launched by America, and most importantly, a massive unexpected surge in remittances. In the emerging global scenario, even the slightest shock can cause harm. Sustainable external account stability depends on a strong financial account. Simply put, it is long-term FDI and official flows and a country’s export earnings that guarantee durable improvement in its balance-of-payments position, and help it build up international reserves. If these flows are not improving, it indicates defects in the economy’s structure. While the increase in remittances leading to a stable current account is welcome, it would be unfortunate if our policymakers did not use this respite in the economic crisis to put the economy on a strong, more sustainable footing.
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2025