DAWN Editorials - 4th May 2025

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Weaponising hunger

OVER the course of 18 months, the world has seen unspeakable images come out of Gaza, but none are seared as painfully into memory as those of the children there: skeletal figures, with bloated bellies and hollow eyes. Two months into Israel’s total blockade of humanitarian aid, Palestinian children are starving to death. Unicef has warned that over 9,000 children have been treated for acute malnutrition this year alone, and hundreds more in need cannot access treatment due to displacement and insecurity. Hospitals have run out of therapeutic food — especially formulated nutrition critical to saving malnourished children. Community kitchens are days from closure. Bakeries are shutting down, water production is falling, and market shelves are bare.

Nothing, not the pretext of war nor the failure of diplomacy, can justify this cruelty. The rationale that this pressure campaign will secure the release of Israeli hostages is an eyewash. There have been no breakthroughs since the ceasefire earlier this year. Instead, the blockade has turned Gaza into a slow-motion death camp. Human Rights Watch has previously called on Israel to cease “weaponising starvation”, noting that this too is a war crime. That call obviously fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile, in a tragic escalation, a vessel carrying aid to Gaza was struck in international waters. Activists suspect Israeli drones. If true, this attack violates international maritime law and further underscores the lengths to which Israel will go to enforce its siege — even beyond its borders. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, as an occupying power, Israel is legally bound to ensure the welfare of civilians. Instead, it is weaponising hunger, which is completely indefensible. The international community, particularly those nations supplying Israel with arms and diplomatic cover, must act. Children are not combatants. They are not bargaining chips. Every day the blockade continues, it is not just aid that is being denied — it is the very right to life.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2025


Water allocation

THINGS may be looking up for farmers. With flows improving, the Indus River System Authority has summoned its advisory committee on Monday so that stakeholders can review the water situation and finalise availability projections for the remainder of the Kharif season. Though water availability criteria and distribution mechanisms are usually settled much earlier, this year they had to be put off because of the severe water shortage in late March. As a result, Irsa had only allocated enough water for drinking purposes to the provinces, which had forced farmers to delay sowing. Now, with more water available, the provinces can arrive at a consensus over who gets how much for the season. With the canal crisis still in the rearview mirror, it is hoped that the provinces will approach these discussions in the spirit of frankness and openness and arrive at a formula that benefits all, while also protecting their individual strategic interests. As has become clear, water could feature repeatedly as one of the key issues in domestic politics this year, and it is therefore important for all stakeholders to come prepared so that they are better able to protect the interests of those they represent.

Given the critical importance of agriculture to Pakistan’s economy, it is crucial for the authorities from each province to work together while recognising and respecting each other’s needs. The protests over the past few months have shown how quickly temperatures can rise over injustices in water distribution, whether real or perceived, and how they can trigger chain reactions that end up having serious negative consequences for the broader economy. The provinces also have a responsibility to communicate clearly not just with each other, but also with their constituents so that all the important stakeholders are on the same page regarding the water availability situation and adjust their expectations accordingly. It is also important that there be increased transparency in the allotment and use of water so that concerns regarding alleged theft and underreporting can be addressed. Most of all, it is Irsa’s responsibility to ensure fair dealing and equitable treatment as it manages water resources. It must be diligent.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2025


Failed narrative

INDIA’S BJP-led government had apparently thought that it could exploit the Pahalgam tragedy to internationally isolate Pakistan, blaming this country for the atrocity without a whit of evidence.

Yet few in the global arena, including India’s traditional foreign partners, particularly the US, are buying New Delhi’s narrative, with most states urging both sides to de-escalate and prevent a fresh conflagration in South Asia. For example, American Vice President J.D. Vance, who was in India when the attack took place, has urged New Delhi to avoid taking actions that could “lead to a broader regional conflict”. He also asked Pakistan to “cooperate”.


The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has similarly observed that “escalation helps no one”. The fact is that while many in the Indian government and its hyper-nationalist media outlets are baying for Pakistani blood, the international community, already preoccupied with the Ukraine war and the slaughter in Gaza, has little appetite for hostilities in the subcontinent.

The government has done the right thing by continuously staying in touch with foreign friends and partners to explain Pakistan’s point of view and calling for restraint. The prime minister on Friday met the envoys of key Gulf allies, while the foreign minister has also been in contact with global players. The military’s top brass, meanwhile, has signalled its readiness to respond to Indian shenanigans.

Sadly, New Delhi remains committed to its dubious goal of isolating Pakistan in the shadow of the Pahalgam episode. Along with the paring back of bilateral ties, Indian officials have called upon multilateral agencies, including the IMF, to “review” support to Pakistan. This exemplifies a petty, malicious approach being used by the Hindu revivalist Indian government to hurt Pakistan by using the terrible attack in IHK as a convenient alibi.


To date, India has not produced any credible evidence linking Pakistan to the attack, while it has also ignored calls to jointly investigate the matter. In the meantime, the hateful rhetoric being spread by India’s hardliners will poison bilateral ties for a long time to come and will be difficult to undo.

While foreign powers have called for de-escalation, the UN Security Council should take up the issue as India’s war cries present a threat to global peace. Greece, which is currently holding the UNSC’s presidency, has said a meeting may be called “sooner rather than later”, while Pakistan’s UN envoy has also said the matter can be taken up at the Security Council.

Instead of ‘fighting’ a war against Pakistan through hyperactive TV anchors and issuing inflammatory statements, India can argue its case and present evidence — if any — at the UN. Pakistan can also fully defend itself at the global forum and reply to India’s accusations. This can provide an off-ramp to all sides to defuse the crisis.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2025