More vaccines, transparency in procurement needed

Dawn Editorials & Opinions
— a reality that up until a month ago

More vaccines needed - Newspaper - complicated matters for vaccine supply
DAWN.COM in the country. Only recently has the
Editorial 20 June 2021 WHO approved two vaccines from
China, which is where Pakistan hopes to
THE vaccination rate in the country has get the majority of its vaccine supply
slowed in recent days and could result in from. These lenders also have stringent
a crisis if not addressed efficiently. After procurement rules regarding
hitting the 130,000 mark for doses transparency and tenders which the
earlier this week, vaccine centres across National Disaster Management
the country on Thursday inoculated only Authority, which has been tasked with
55,728 people, which includes 46,113 procurement, must fulfil. .
individuals who received their second
As the government approaches creditors
shots. Less than 10,000 received their
and suppliers, it must ensure
first jab that day. Though SAPM Dr
transparency in vaccine delivery and
Faisal Sultan initially dismissed
timelines so that members of the public
concerns of a shortage, a special
do not find themselves groping in the
meeting of key federal government
dark. The most vulnerable and elderly
figures held later indicated otherwise. A
must be prioritised for first and second
press release issued after the meeting
doses, and at the same time, through
suggests measures are being taken to
awareness-building measures, the public
start the process of availing credit lines
must be kept engaged to make sure that
with the country’s development partners
interest in getting vaccinated does not
so that timely payments can be made to
wane. The time between when creditors
vendors for a smooth supply of
are approached and the final financing is
vaccines. Importing the vaccine requires
disbursed can often be a period of
liquidity, a requirement Pakistan can
months, so the government needs to
only partially address through domestic
factor these realities in when it utilises
financing. There have been significant
its resources to expand vaccine
challenges for the government in
operations and distribution..
approaching creditors such as the World
Bank and ADB. Foremost is the fact that It is a pity that Pakistan has as yet
neither lender would approve financing managed to administer only 12.7m doses
for vaccines that are not WHO-approved
Page 1 of 15
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in total, with just over 3m people fully do anything to inflict damage on its
vaccinated. With a target vaccine opponents. And what better way of
population of 70m, the total doses hurting one’s opponents than denying
required are 140m — a figure that opposition lawmakers uplift funds for
means that the road ahead for Covid-19 schemes that affect the voting
inoculation will be a long one strewn preferences of people in their
with several challenges. Many constituencies? What else could harm
developing countries were dealt a blow their electoral prospects more than the
when Covax vaccine delivery grounded failure to bring their constituents safe
to a halt earlier in the year, and most are drinking water or get a street or two
still struggling to secure supplies as paved? After all, these considerations go
manufacturers fulfil commitments to a long way in determining voting
richer countries that were the first to patterns in our society. Thus, it is not
place orders and pay for them. As the surprising that governments try to spend
economically weaker countries struggle money on small, public works schemes
with vaccinating their large populations, through their own legislators or their
richer nations should know that the potential candidate from a particular
failure to curb Covid-19 will result in constituency. The current process of
economic damage for everyone.. choosing and implementing local
development schemes is fraught with
• Published in Dawn, June 20th, corruption, and in many cases adds to
2021*. developmental throw-forward in the
shape of incomplete projects. Yet that is
Balochistan protest - Newspaper - the reality of our politics..
DAWN.COM
Editorial 20 June 2021 What happened in Quetta was just
another reminder of the growing
THE clashes outside the Balochistan political split across the country and the
Assembly on budget day were widespread misuse of taxpayers’ money
unfortunate. But they had been waiting for boosting the electoral prospects of
to happen. The growing political the ruling party or parties. Sadly, no
polarisation in Pakistan means that the party is above this kind of politics,
party at the centre or in the province will which punishes people for voting and
Page 2 of 15
electing their opponents. Nor is this a Silent victims - Newspaper -

new phenomenon in Pakistan. We have DAWN.COM
seen opposition parties frequently raise Editorial 20 June 2021
the issue of governments blocking the
release of funds for uplift schemes in the THE deafening silence of political
constituencies of their lawmakers. When authorities, including leaders from the
in opposition, the prime minister had religious right, on the Mufti Azizur
expressed his disgust with federal and Rehman case, demonstrates yet again
provincial controls over the uplift the low priority that is accorded in this
portfolio and promised to devolve the country to justice and human rights and
job of development spending — at least dignity. The fact that a septuagenarian
a big part of it — to where it belonged, cleric, suspected of sexually molesting a
ie the local governments. He has not madressah student, is on the run with his
kept his word. His party was unable to whole family and that not a single word
implement this in KP where its of condemnation has been uttered by
government made it legally mandatory a Maulana Fazlur Rehman who heads the
few years back to transfer some 30pc of political party to which the alleged
the entire provincial development abuser reportedly belongs, is simply
portfolio to the local governments. The appalling. What is also beyond
major factor behind the failure of the comprehension is that the administration
experiment was opposition from the at the madressah where the mufti taught
party’s own legislators who would not thought it best to dismiss him, telling
want to lose this important tool to him to pick up his belongings and leave,
influence the voting choices of their instead of handing him over to the
electorate. Without the creation of a law. Did his political affiliation play a
financially and administratively part in this? There are all too many
empowered third tier of government, examples of madressah students who
ugly episodes like the one witnessed in have been sexually assaulted or beaten
Quetta will continue.. within an inch of their lives. The state
seems to have turned a blind eye to these
• Published in Dawn, June 20th,
cases and many others like them. For
2021*.
instance, the perpetrators of the Kasur
child pornography ring still remain at
Page 3 of 15
large, and the real criminals behind the Constitution is ever workable without
Balochistan University scandal remain the patience, the tolerance, the search for
unscathed by the law. . accommodation that is necessary to the
preservation of democracy.’ .
Meanwhile, the cries for help are getting
louder. According to the latest report by It was April 10, 1973, and it was the
NGO Sahil, at least eight children were high-water mark for our parliament: the
abused every day last year, an increase first constitution put together by the
of 4pc from the previous year — but people’s directly elected
these have just been the reported cases, representatives. .
with social and cultural taboos, or the
fear of reprisal, preventing victims or But that ‘search for accommodation’
their families from coming forward and soon went out the window. Over the
reporting a range of abuse — from rape, next several years, the Constitution
pornography to sodomy, etc. Besides weathered Mr Bhutto’s own
there is little public awareness of child amendments, Gen Zia’s deep freeze, and
protection laws and the families of the Sharifuddin Pirzada’s science
young victims are reluctant to turn to the lab. Pakistan became a presidency, and
police that itself is a product of the same the results were uninspiring..
cultural milieu, and not trained to treat
By 2010, the need to heal gave us the
such cases with the seriousness and
Eighteenth Amendment. Parliament
professionalism they merit. The state
returned to its rightful place at the heart
must wake up..
of our democracy. The GIK button — a
• Published in Dawn, June 20th, presidential itch for sacking the
2021*. assemblies — was
scrapped. Empowering the provinces
On parliament - Newspaper - acknowledged the sins of One Unit and
DAWN.COM the horrors of East Pakistan. .
By Asad Rahim Khan Undoing Fata some years later was the
next huge step for our elected reps (sans
WHEN signing off on this country’s the rather nauseating role of Messrs Fazl
sacred document, Zulfi Bhutto said, ‘No and Achakzai), and it enfranchised
Page 4 of 15
millions. As of this writing, greater The visuals, too, were depressing: the
rights for Gilgit-Baltistan also seem in PTI’s Ali Awan was seen playing
the offing. No less is needed; its people volleyball with budget books, while
fought and died to become part of letting off a fluent stream of abuse. For
Pakistan proper.. reasons yet to be known, the gent behind
him started blowing a whistle,
None of this was harmless presumably to direct traffic. .
fun..
There was also the defence minister’s
All this brings us to a striking defence. With one arm on each banister
conclusion: at its finest, parliament like Kitchener at Gallipoli, Pervez
mends the soul. It also decides the Khattak watched motionless as the
destiny of this country in ways that can pawns marched ahead. He then
be both legitimate and enduring — sauntered forward, gently tossed some
qualities that evade martial law and its confetti into the fray, and shuffled right
generalissimos (this writer recommends — a battle manoeuvre for the ages..
Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s beautiful The
Autumn of the Patriarch, where the Over on the other side, the PML-N’s
centuries-long reign of a Caribbean Rohale Asghar picked up his foot and
despot is revealed only to have lasted reached for his mouth, pegging his
seven years).. naughty words to ‘Punjab ka
culture’. Mr Asghar thus does a
This is all the more important to disservice to the 98,205 sons and
remember after the events of the past daughters of Lahore that elected him..
few days, with the usual suspects
sneering at the whole project — first At the same time, those calling all of
came the treasury benches sparking this unprecedented are mistaken. Uneasy
chaos in Islamabad, and then the frenemies today, the PPP and PML-N’s
opposition blockading the Balochistan cavalries charged each other in ’94, after
Assembly. The parliamentary secretary Tehmina Daultana rushed at PM
for law was injured, as was a security Benazir. Further back, one author
staffer.. describes the scenes in the East Pakistan
Assembly in ’58, “Chairs sailed through
the air … even the national flag was
Page 5 of 15
transformed into a potentially lethal, Article 63-A makes independent

freewheeling lathi.” . backbenchers impossible, as does the
latest drive against the secret vote..
None of this was harmless fun: such
violence would take the life of deputy Third, parties must evolve beyond blood
speaker Shahed Ali, prompting this dynasties in favour of primary elections;
paper’s editorial to go as far as urging Aimal Wali is set to smash all records as
the Constitution’s suspension. That Khan IV of the ANP. The Muslim
diagnosis has proven wrong, yet it Leagues are adopting the same Bhuttoist
speaks of the sacred trust our model, in thrall to a single royal family:
parliamentarians hold, and its hard Sharif, Pagara, Elahi. While promising a
lessons along the way: for any crisis of break from bloodlines, the PTI flubbed
democracy, there can only be more its own intra-party elections; the gents
democracy.. that the clean and honourable Justice
Wajihuddin pointed out as riggers
On that note, the buck stops with the remain unpunished..
ruling party. The PTI must let the
opposition speak, it must shut down its Finally, in the Quaid’s words,
ordinance factory, and the prime “Remember that you are now a
minister must start attending sessions sovereign legislative body, and you have
and fulfilling his promise of got all the powers. It, therefore, places
Westminster-style Prime Minister’s on you the gravest responsibility…” .
Questions..
That’s the original mission. Our
The opposition, for its part, has to do the parliament must rise to it. .
hard work of shadow budgets and policy
alternatives. But it must be wooed or The writer is a barrister..
debated, not bulldozed..
Second is rejigging lawmaking and 2021*.
quorum. As Justice Fazal Karim has
written, a 446-member parliament can
get away with passing a law “with as
few as 58 members”. Meanwhile,
Page 6 of 15
Courts & the poor - Newspaper - demolition of leased houses in middle-

DAWN.COM income or elite settlements without
By Arif Hassan investigating their leased status..
There are also different criteria for

THE judgement of the Supreme Court
judgements related to the poor and those
permitting the demolition of houses
related to the rich. For example, Bahria
along the Gujjar and Orangi nullahs has
Town was fined Rs460 billion, and the
reinforced the opinion of a number of
land that it illegally occupied was
civil society organisations that Karachi’s
regularised at a fraction of its market
planning and policy decisions are
value. Nobody associated with this
governed by a strong anti-poor bias
enormous land scam has been arrested
including by the judicial system. For
or charged. Members of the police force
one, it is almost impossible for low-
and civil administration that coerced
income communities to access the
landowners to surrender their lands to
justice system and were it not for a few
Bahria Town and against whom FIRs for
public-spirited lawyers, they would
murder have been registered, are free for
probably remain unrepresented. Even
the last many years and proceedings
when they raise funds to hire lawyers,
against them do not take place. .
they are treated with indifference and
with hostility and suspicion by the court Justice eludes those whose
staff. They are asked to attend hearings homes have been
which are often rescheduled without demolished. .
notice. Petitioners also complain that
they are often not allowed to enter the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Bani Gala
court to participate in the proceedings. . residence was regularised at Rs6.66 per
square yard and so were the Hyatt
The Supreme Court has also ordered the Regency violations of the Islamabad
demolition of leased houses along the Master Plan. Meanwhile, demands of
nullahs because it thinks that these katchi abadi residents for the
leases are fake. One is at pains to regularisation of their homes in informal
understand how it knows this without an settlements have been consistently
investigation. It is also pertinent to ask denied. .
here if it would also order the
Page 7 of 15
The demolitions along the Karachi either side of it prime property that the
nullahs are not purely based on technical developers are anxious to grab. Mean-
issues but are also political in while, so far no demolition has taken
nature. The number of demolitions that place, or even officially identified, of
were supposed to take place along the illegal construction by elite and
Manzoor Colony nullah were government encroachments on the
1,205. However, they have been reduced natural drainage system of the city. .
to 56 because the nine-metre roads that
were to be built on either side of them The Supreme Court has also not
are no longer being built. This change, commented on the inadequacy of the
according to the local population, has compensation being provided to the
taken place because the local MPA is victims which is Rs15,000 per month as
from the PPP and he had the ear of the rent for two years. This cannot provide
provincial government. . them with a home and after two years of
living in insecurity and misery, they will
The demolitions along the Gujjar and probably find a home along some other
Orangi nullahs are in PTI constituencies nullah thus adding to homelessness in
and the residents claim that the PTI have Karachi. .
not intervened on their behalf. The
reason why the number of houses to be However, the Supreme Court has
demolished is so high on these nullahs is directed the Sindh government to take
because nine-metre roads are being built appropriate steps to rehabilitate the aff-
on either side of them. First of all, these ected population. But the time period for
roads are illegal because they do not this or its nature has not been defined. In
form part of any larger plan for the the case of the Circular Railway
area. The Supreme Court has ordered demolitions in 2018, the Supreme Court
the demolition of settlements but has not had also directed the administration to
ordered to stop building of illegal provide alternative accommodation to
roads. Residents claim, with the affectees within a year. However,
considerable logic, that they are being three years have elapsed and no such
built because the Gujjar nullah links the action has been taken, nor has the
Northern Bypass to the Lyari Supreme Court demanded compliance
Expressway and this makes land on for its orders. .
Page 8 of 15
The PTI government wishes to provide Assembly and the unsavoury PML-N
housing to the homeless but it is making reaction it triggered, there is an issue
more people homeless. It also stresses that can’t be brushed under the carpet..
the importance of education but over
30,000 students will not be able to We would if it were not absolutely
attend school anymore as a result of the unambiguous criminal conduct that led
Gujjar and Orangi nullahs’ demolition. . to yet another train disaster costing
dozens of lives, destroying as many
Small wonder that Pakistan’s legal families and plunging them into grief
system has been rated at 120 out of 128 and despair earlier this month. I say
by the International World Justice “absolutely unambiguous criminal
Programme. Its reform and a change in conduct” with great responsibility. .
its anti-poor bias is necessary for a
conflict-free Pakistan and should be In the June 17 issue of Dawn, exactly 10
treated as a priority. . days after the train tracks near Ghotki
resembled killing fields with human
The writer is an architect. . blood splattered all over with dozens of
dead bodies and the injured being cut
www.arifhasan.org. out of the mangled mass of steel that
were once carriages, Dawn’s
arifhasan37@gmail.com.
Muhammad Hussain Khan broke the
• Published in Dawn, June 20th, story that higher-ups had been warned of
2021*. an impending disaster but did nothing to
prevent it..
Train crash tragedy foretold -
I am taking the liberty of reproducing
Newspaper - DAWN.COM
some parts of that news story which,
By Abbas Nasir though the top story on Page 15 (the
South region page), may have been
MEDIA is often slammed for focusing missed by readers who did not go
on far too many negative things but even through each page. On a different news
if we were to ignore in the name of priority day, it may have made the outer
‘positivity’ the governing PTI’s pages. .
appalling conduct in the National
Page 9 of 15
Just a reminder, PR is Pakistan Railways him about purchase of material for

and FGIR is Federal Government railway stations’ establishment..
Inspector of Railways. Both are
mentioned in the report that underlines “FGIR Farrukh Taimoor arrived at
the callous disregard for human life:. Daharki railway station and then visited
Sukkur railway station on Wednesday in
Higher-ups had been connection with the inquiry. FGIR’s
warning of an impending team, which conducted inquiries into
disaster but did nothing to train accidents, would carry out the
prevent it. . probe on June 16-18..
“Sukkur Division superintendent Tariq “The superintendent’s last letter dated

Latif’s letters, available with Dawn, May 26 was addressed to chief
which were sent in quick succession to executive officer (CEO) of PR in which
PR authorities point out issues he mentioned ‘during inspection ever
confronting tracks’ condition, unwilling since taking over the charge he had
permanent way staff, lack of human found the track in a dilapidated state’..
resource, machinery and ‘missing’ staff
in the division.. “The letter said: ‘Running was found
very much rough, oscillatory, jerky,
“He had faced severe criticism from PR bumpy, camel riding and fittings,
management for speaking to media fastenings, joint bolts, fish plates were
following the tragedy as he had told found missing and loosely packed and
television channels and correspondents not tightened properly.’.
that he had already cautioned authorities
against the danger and sought “He explained that it depicted the track
rehabilitation of tracks.. was not maintained as per required
standard specification, track geometry
“Surprisingly, the officer in his April 7, and way and works manual. ‘God
2021, letter addressed (in the wake of forbid, any eventuality may take
derailment of Karachi Express’s coaches place. It reflects permanent way
near Mando Dero on March 3) to the subordinate staff is not taking interest in
FGIR stated he (FIGR) harboured performance of their duties properly
grudge against him for reporting against although they have been reprimanded
Page 10 of 15
time and again and served with show- not impossible, to ensure punctuality,
cause notices and explanation calls. . safety and routine administrative work’..
“He said: ‘They have lost interest in “He went on to state: ‘If any operational
their work and have ceased to be hazard takes place, its responsibility will
efficient employees as they have been rest with headquarters office in Lahore
posted in this division since decades’.. as posts of 10 permanent ways
inspectors (PWIs) grade-II, two PWIs in
“Concluding the letter he sought grade-I and 11 AWIs are vacant and
intervention of CEO in ‘this important ‘condition of the track is terrible’..
safety related issue. Existing permanent
way subordinates may be replaced with “Earlier on March 11, 2021, while
experienced and skilled ones to ensure referring to his previous letters of
proper maintenance of the track, safe February and November last year, the
train operation and avoidance of any officer submitted to CEO that ‘in view
incident on this account’.. of safety of train operation, it is again
suggested that a comprehensive plan for
“On May 24, the officer drew the CEO’s rehabilitation of track infrastructure may
attention towards ‘dearth of operational be prepared so as to ensure safe train
officers and officials and staff of operation, efficiency of department and
essential categories in Sukkur division to avoid any incident on this account’..
that is adversely affecting performance,
punctuality and safety of trains. Sukkur “About the rails, he mentioned that the
division has concentration of work rails mostly laid between 1962 and 1989
during night. Human resource at least in on main line had outlived their useful
essential categories of the division track life and needed urgent
highlighted earlier has to be as per replacement. Mostly sleepers had also
sanctioned strength,’ ” he said.. outlived their usefulness as they were
laid in 1964-1984, he said..
“He requested filling essential
operational vacancies on priority as this “Citing major issues, he said, ‘high
state of affairs had rendered the division capacity wagons and increase in
vulnerable and said ‘it was difficult, if frequency of trains have reduced
maintenance time and is affecting track
Page 11 of 15
infrastructure. Old aged track No choice but to leave - Newspaper -

infrastructure needs complete renewal DAWN.COM
on entire section’.”. By Usama Khilji
The official reaction so far: PR

REFUGEES are amongst the most
Chairman Habibur Rehman Gilani told
vulnerable groups of people by virtue of
Geo TV that the tracks repairs required
being at the mercy of other states when
billions of rupees that can’t be spent as
it is no longer safe for them to remain at
the ML-1 (the fast-train infrastructure
home. It is an uprooting process that is
under CPEC) will require that this track
painful and tragic, and must be made as
is discarded and a new one laid at a huge
easy as possible by host states on purely
cost..
humanitarian grounds. History shows
And the incorruptible and efficient that one never knows when they may
Railways Minister Azam Swati says ‘as become a refugee. .
the minister’, he does not drive trains or
Refugees bring in new ideas and skills,
runs the railways on a day-to-day basis
contribute to the economy, and expand
so won’t accept responsibility, won’t
the market base in a host country, apart
even consider resigning. .
from having a high success rate due to
Some of Mr Swati’s illustrious the fact that they often have to work
colleagues blamed the PML-N for the extra hard to prove their value as well as
tragedy which left office in August to settle in a new country. It is important
2018. Need one say more? No. Or we to note that all refugees leave their
might be told how things are done in the homes not by choice but by compulsion,
West. . and most would rather be back at home..
The writer is a former editor of Dawn.. This World Refugee Day (June 20), it is
important to consider the state of
abbas.nasir@hotmail.com. refugees residing in Pakistan, the
refugees created due to the policies of
• Published in Dawn, June 20th, the Pakistani state, and prepare for the
2021*. influx of displaced people that Pakistan
may get in the near future..
Page 12 of 15
The influx of Afghan the international humanitarian law

refugees into Pakistan is principle of non-refoulement. Under
likely to increase again this, states cannot forcibly send back
with the US withdrawal.. refugees to their home country where
there is a credible threat of persecution..
Pakistan has been recognised for
opening up its borders to Afghan The influx of Afghan refugees into
refugees in the past three decades, which Pakistan is likely to increase again with
is highly admirable, and playing host to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan
the largest refugee population in the scheduled for September, and the
world for the longest time. However, corresponding increase in violence in
legal issues have persisted for Afghans Afghanistan, which never really
in Pakistan since the beginning, stopped. In fact, the Afghan Taliban are
especially in the absence of any specific taking over more territory, terrorising
legal protections. Pakistan is not a Afghans, and continuing to target
signatory to the 1951 Refugee women, journalists, judges and
Convention nor its 1967 Optional humanitarian workers amongst
Protocol, and hence does not even have others. Pakistan’s historical relationship
the word ‘refugee’ mentioned in any of with the Taliban, whereby their
its laws. . government was recognised in the
1990s, and the links the state continues
Afghans who have lived here all their to enjoy with them, must be leveraged to
life including an entire generation that stop the violence in Afghanistan for
was born here and has known no other peace to materialise there, and to
country as its home continue to be prevent Afghans from having to seek
governed by the Foreigners Act of 1946 refuge in other countries again,
which sees them as ‘aliens’. This has including Pakistan. .
meant a lot of police harassment, social
prejudice and discrimination in basic Pakistan must also keep its doors open
services such as banking. The lack of a for refugees from Myanmar who are
refugee law has also meant that refugees being persecuted by a violent military
can be asked to leave Pakistan at any dictatorship; the same military has been
point, without any legal protection under involved in the genocide of the
Page 13 of 15
Rohingya community. Moreover, dissidents. Most end up in Afghanistan,

Pakistan must stop supplying weapons Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Australia,
and air force supplies to Myanmar until Sweden, Italy, Greece, Australia,
the dictatorship ends as Pakistani Canada, etc. In 2019, more than 33,000
exports should not be used to further Pakistanis applied for asylum abroad, of
massacres abroad. . which 21.3 per cent were accepted, and
another 20pc of the rejected applications
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s promise to were accepted in review, numbering a
Afghans born in Pakistan that they will total of 7,554, as per World Data..
get Pakistani citizenship — the
Citizenship Act 1951 stipulates that Prosecution of those who threaten,
anyone born in Pakistan will be a citizen discriminate against and persecute
— is yet to materialise. It must be religious minorities must be ensured
speeded up. However, Pakistan’s under the law quickly, and the abuse of
arrangements to include Afghans in the the blasphemy laws and Ordinance XX
Covid-19 vaccination campaign is to persecute minorities, and settle
admirable, and worthy of emulation in personal scores must be discouraged and
Europe and elsewhere where refugees prosecuted too. .
are struggling to get inoculated due to
their immigration status. Pakistan must The highest number of Pakistani asylum
also expand the vaccination campaign to seekers are going to Europe, where they
unregistered Afghans in Pakistan, which are often smuggled in by mafias who
number around 1.5 million currently. . profit off the despair of the poor or
marginalised by charging exorbitant
Pakistan also needs to focus its human amounts. I had a chance to interact with
rights strategy to protect religious Pakistani refugees in northern France
minorities, dissidents, and ethnic where they often camp for months and
minorities — groups that are compelled are mistreated by the local
to leave this country for asylum abroad authorities. They face a similar situation
due to threats to their life and in Greece. .
safety. This includes Ahmadis, Hindus,
members of the Hazara community, Another major factor causing Pakistanis
Christians and political and other to take great risks to migrate is
economic hardships; though not life-
Page 14 of 15
threatening in an immediate sense it is

gravely impacting the quality of life of
citizens. The government has not helped
this situation much by boasting about
the high amounts of remittances by
overseas Pakistanis and the increase in
‘export’ of labour from
Pakistan. Instead, the government
should be improving the economic
situation in Pakistan so that citizens can
stay at home, be employed or set up
businesses and be able to earn and
contribute to the economy. .
To conclude, it is essential that Pakistan

signs the Refugee Convention 1951 and
brings laws up to date to protect
refugees, takes measures to improve the
situation of minorities so they are not
compelled to leave, and leverage a
peaceful policy in the neighbourhood to
prevent the further influx of refugees in
the region. .
The writer is director of Bolo Bhi, an

advocacy forum for digital rights..
usama@bolobhi.org.
Twitter: @UsamaKhilji.

2021*.
Page 15 of 15

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Dawn Editorials & Opinions

— a reality that up until a month ago

electing their opponents. Nor is this a Silent victims - Newspaper -

transformed into a potentially lethal, Article 63-A makes independent

Courts & the poor - Newspaper - demolition of leased houses in middle-

There are also different criteria for

Just a reminder, PR is Pakistan Railways him about purchase of material for

“Sukkur Division superintendent Tariq “The superintendent’s last letter dated

infrastructure. Old aged track No choice but to leave - Newspaper -

The official reaction so far: PR

The influx of Afghan the international humanitarian law

Rohingya community. Moreover, dissidents. Most end up in Afghanistan,

threatening in an immediate sense it is

To conclude, it is essential that Pakistan

The writer is director of Bolo Bhi, an

• Published in Dawn, June 20th,

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