At Lahore’s Ichra Bazaar, a girl wearing a printed dress with Arabic calligraphy was surrounded by a mob that alleged she had committed blasphemy by wearing Quranic verses on her dress. Some shopkeepers and other onlookers defended her saying the word printed was “halwa”. A video doing the rounds on social media shows the girl looking terrified as the crowd of men accuses her of disrespecting the religion of Islam. Before the situation turned violent, however, the police broke up the mob and personally escorted the girl to the police station.
News International (February 27) says “The story may be shocking at first hearing but given our already tainted past is just yet another one in a long line of incidents we should be ashamed of.” The editorial comments on the state of safety of women in country and asks that Pakistan stop “playing with the future of its children by sustaining reactionary forces… there is still time to bring Pakistani society back into the realm of law, order, and justice.”
Express Tribune (February 28) believes that this misconception “is a result of widespread illiteracy and ignorance regarding languages and religious texts.” Moreover, Tribune notes that the woman’s apology later is “concerning” as it “reinforces a disturbing pattern where victims are pressured to publicly apologise for alleged offences, thus legitimising unjust behaviour.”
The network of motorways from Peshawar to Karachi is important because it connects the North and South. It is part of a trade route that links the ports of Karachi and Gwadar with China, Afghanistan and other central asian states. While most of this corridor is complete, the most crucial part — Hyderabad to Sukkur — is plagued with financial issues resulting in constant setbacks. Most recently, TECMC, the company that was handed the contract, has terminated it owing to a lack of funding. It seems that revised estimates for this project are much higher than was earlier anticipated.
Dawn (February 27) speaks to the significance of the PML-N’s roadway projects saying, “it cannot be denied that they have thrown open myriad opportunities for trade, commerce and tourism that had existed at a much more restricted scale before… It is unfortunate, however, that the building of these motorways was not pursued under a consistent, long-term policy.”
The Nation (February 27) points to the larger issue of investor confidence due to this setback: “In the fragile economic situation of the country, attracting both local and foreign investment of Rs700 billion for the M6 project becomes a challenging task. This setback… raises questions about the government’s ability to facilitate and sustain investor confidence in critical infrastructure projects.”
Earlier this week, Balochistan’s Gwadar was declared “calamity-hit” after it experienced torrential rainfall, its worst since 2010. Other regions along the coast also halted traffic, and suspended connectivity as the low-lying areas were entirely flooded — with some houses submerged upto four feet in water. While rescue operations are ongoing, the media is questioning the preparedness of disaster relief forces and the lack of infrastructure to prevent such flooding.
Express Tribune (February 29) talks about the fact that Gwadar was submerged with only 200mm of rainfall. It “hints at lethargy, unprofessionalism and inherent corruption in planning and development. It is also no surprise that the locals of the area keep on complaining against the indifferent attitude of authorities, and the discrimination they are met with in terms of development.”
Daily Times (March 1) believes that “Simply sending distress calls when natural disasters pound through the front door is not enough… What Pakistan needs is a comprehensive, all-encompassing blueprint to reduce climate-induced damage to its infrastructure. Climate change is real and it is impacting all of us right where it hurts the most.”
With the new government taking charge soon, the biggest challenge, it seems, is getting the economy back on track. In that regard, Pakistan is looking to secure yet another loan of six billion dollars under its Extended Fund Facility programme with the IMF for a period of three years. This is necessary for the nation to be able to receive greater funding from its bilateral, multilateral and commercial partners that are unwilling to dole out money unless Pakistan has a long-term agreement with the IMF and an intact reform policy.
The Nation (March 1) says, “Despite the political turmoil, we cannot afford to lose sight of our economic goals. The stark warnings being given about the risks posed by political instability highlights the need for a decisive and focused approach.”
Dawn (February 27) takes a similar position and mentions how the government had agreed to multiple measures that “caused the economy to contract and kept price inflation up, making matters even more difficult for struggling low-middle-income households.” But with the IMF willingly offering a helping hand, “the new government will have no choice but to make difficult and unpopular decisions, no matter what the political costs.”
adya.goyal@expressindia.com
