DAWN Editorials - 12th May 2025

[zarnishhayat]

Ace mountaineer

NINE summits, five to go. Sajid Ali Sadpara’s quest to fulfil his late father’s dream and elevate Pakistan’s name in the mountaineering world continues. With his ascent of the 8,167m Dhaulagiri in Nepal on Saturday, and remarkably without supplemental oxygen or porter support, Sajid — who aims to summit all of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres — has well and truly established himself as one of the best mountaineers anywhere. His father Mohammad Ali Sadpara, who died in an attempt to summit K2 in 2021, was a similarly accomplished climber although most of his feats were not recognised as he was part of expeditions as a high-altitude porter. Only after his death did he get the recognition he deserved. Thankfully, Sajid’s accomplishments are being celebrated. Climbing solo and without supplemental oxygen is one of the toughest challenges; Dhaulagiri, the world’s seventh highest peak, is known for its steep snow slopes. Not only did Sajid battle the elements and rarefied oxygen at those high altitudes, he also carried the necessary equipment himself.

The sport of mountaineering has picked up in the country in recent years. There are three other Pakistani climbers looking to scale peaks in Nepal this week, with Naila Kiani and Sirbaz Khan attempting to reach the summit of Kanchenjunga and Wajidullah Nagri trying to reach the world’s highest point — Mount Everest. While the country’s climbers are away, the current tensions with India have led to uncertainty for other mountaineers wanting to scale some of Pakistan’s towering peaks. Several Karakoram and Himalayan peaks lie close to Indian-occupied territory and the closure of airspace during the skirmishes has meant that several climbers were unable to reach Pakistan. The country sees a huge influx of climbers during the hot season, and their presence contributes to the mountaineering economy. With a ceasefire in place, the hope is that the impact of the recent spike in tensions will be minimal.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025


AI opportunity

TIME is running out. According to the latest Human Development Report, published by the UNDP this past Tuesday, Pakistan ranks among the 26 states that scored the lowest on its Human Development Index. In terms of quality of life, it is ranked at a measly 168th out of 193 countries. It is the only country in South Asia, apart from Afghanistan, that is listed in the ‘low human development’ category. The rest of the 24 are in Sub-Saharan Africa. But there is a silver lining in this dark cloud. This year’s report, which focuses on the possibilities unlocked by AI for human development, notes that, if adopted strategically, technology can significantly enhance human potential. It has now been a year since the UNDP’s Pakistan arm published the National Human Development Report 2024, which had been subtitled ‘Doing Digital for Development’. Disappointingly, the agency has noted that Pakistan’s digital landscape remains largely unchanged since then, even though it is home to one of the world’s largest workforces of freelancers and promising AI talent. Pakistan’s problem is that it has struggled to address digital inequalities, which mirror existing socioeconomic divisions.

A large chunk of Pakistan’s population of some 250m is at risk of economic impoverishment if the state does not prioritise investments in digital development. Half of the country still does not have access to smartphones, computers and even basic internet services, according to UNDP. With the rise of AI, the ‘have nots’ — especially the 42pc of the workforce that is currently engaged in automatable jobs, as estimated by the agency — are at risk of being left further impoverished while the privileged few — those who not only have access to modern technologies but also to tools that can teach them how to utilise them — are catapulted forward. It is these inequalities that Pakistani policymakers must be constantly wary of and work to mitigate as AI gradually becomes more mainstream and starts threatening jobs held by low- or unskilled workers. As the UNDP points out, legislative measures, like the National AI Policy 2024 introduced by Pakistan, are just not enough: the state needs to proactively ensure universal access to digital tools, affordable infrastructure and public sector readiness to reap the benefits of the AI transformation. The opportunity is there: it is a matter of whether we take it or get left behind.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025


The way forward

THOUGH there were initial reports of violations, the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, brokered by the US and other foreign actors on Saturday, has largely held.

This brings a welcome return to relative calm in the subcontinent after both states engaged in hostilities following India’s unprovoked aggression against Pakistan on May 7. The first priority should, of course, be to ensure that the truce holds, and is solidified, so that there is no further bloodshed and aggression. Meetings and calls between the military officials and diplomats of both states can help sustain the ceasefire, so that it develops into a longer-term truce.


But once calm is restored, the two states cannot afford to lose time in addressing the issue that is the biggest source of instability in South Asia: the unresolved Kashmir question. US President Donald Trump has again offered his good offices to see if a solution to the Kashmir dispute can be found. The Foreign Office has welcomed the American leader’s offer. It remains to be seen how receptive India is to US mediation. While they would be loath to accept foreign intervention in what they see as an ‘internal’ issue, refusing Washington’s offer may be difficult for New Delhi.

However, while Mr Trump’s offer is indeed welcome, if foreign prodding had been enough, the Kashmir dispute would not have continued to fester for close to eight decades now. It is only Pakistan and India that can take the big decisions on Kashmir. Pakistan has repeatedly expressed its desire to see a negotiated settlement to Kashmir. India, on the other hand, has displayed extreme rigidity.

The ill-conceived move to scupper Indian-occupied Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019 is the biggest example of the BJP government’s attempt to prevent a just solution to the dispute. It has, in fact, created new ‘facts’ on the ground. But while foreign powers cannot dictate peace, what they can surely do is to convince India that it is time to change its tune.


The blueprints exist for a fair and non-violent solution to Kashmir, such as the Musharraf-era formula. These, or any other acceptable proposal, should be pursued, either publicly or through the backchannel. Though shrill war lobbies on both sides, particularly in India, will object to peace parleys, the fact is that an out-of-the-box solution acceptable to Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris is the only hope for long-term peace in South Asia.

If India continues to employ brutality and violent tactics in held Kashmir, and pursues attempts to re-engineer the region’s demographic profile, public disaffection will continue. Statesmanship and vision are needed by all parties to the conflict to ensure that the path of confrontation is eschewed in favour of that of coexistence and peace.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025