ICEP

DAWN EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

ANALYSIS
Dated: Monday, 20 July

Our Policy

We provide you with best quality analysis of Dawn newspaper on daily basis. The reason
behind this endeavor is clear as our policy is to educate you. Knowing the current issues of
Pakistan_ domestic and external is imperative for Civil service aspirants. Unlike India, in
Pakistan no such digital platform or academic work is available for aspirants' ease of
preparation. So, follow these instructions: Read these editorials and Opinions carefully and
keenly. These are important for widening your knowledge base, improving language skills,
understanding key issues, etc. This section(Editorial/ Opinions) is very useful for English
Essay, Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs – and sometimes Islamiat – papers as they emphasize
more on analysis than facts. (Icep Analyst)

💬 To The Point
▪ Competitive Exams

▪ Essay Writing

▪ Current Affairs

▪ Pakistan Affairs

▪ Global Issues

▪ Geopolitics

▪ International Relations

▪ Foreign Policy

✍️Presented By:
M.Usman & Rabia K

1 ICEP Dawn Analysis

 CONTENTS TABLE
Page Title Section/Category
04 Where is Ehsanullah? Domestic Affairs
06 Foreign Capital Pakistan Economy
08 Going Green Pakistan Economy
and Climate Policies
11 A Question of Governance (Maleeha Lodhi) Comparative
Politics
14 Climate Odyssey (Aisha Khan) Global Climate
Issues

COLOURS Used:

Red for Difficult Vocab

Green for Important Figures and contents

Others colours used where necessary

2 ICEP Dawn Analysis

 DAWN EDITORIALS SECTION

3 ICEP Dawn Analysis

Where is Ehsanullah? | Dawn Editorial
Introduction to the issue:____

IT is curious that despite Ehsanullah Ehsan, former spokesman of the banned TTP
(Tehrik Taliban Pakistan) and later its splinter group Jamaatul Ahrar, having engineered
a miraculous ‘escape’ from the security agencies’ custody in January, there seems no effort
to recapture him. In fact, the government has barely mentioned him at all except to confirm
his flight, which Interior Minister Ijaz Shah undertook to do in the most offhand, cursory
manner during a chat with journalists. Ehsan, meanwhile, does not appear to have opted for
a low profile.

▪ A Twitter account reportedly used by him has been fairly active, and reflects the
bloodthirsty mindset one would expect of his kind. Among the more disturbing recent
tweets from this account is a death threat against PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-
Zardari, saying that the latter would meet the same fate as his mother, former prime
minister Benazir Bhutto.

▪ On Friday in the upper house of parliament, the PPP rightly demanded to know what
Ehsan’s current status was, with Senator Sherry Rehman asking why he was not in
custody. Further, she said, the government must disclose the details of his ostensible
escape and tell the nation who had a hand in it.

Detailed Analysis:__

Not many people will ever forget the chilling smugness, even glee, with which Ehsan would
claim his organisation’s responsibility for carrying out acts of heinous violence. His
surrender to the security forces in April 2017 was described by the then DG ISPR as
evidence of the low morale of terrorist organisations in the face of the military operation. No
details were given at that time about how the surrender came about, or whether it was part of
an immunity deal. Ehsan himself, however, had much to say in an interview to a private
TV channel, distancing himself from the TTP and accusing them of carrying out terrorist
attacks at the behest of RAW(research and analysis wing) and NDS( national
directorate security). Ehsan’s escape in January this year, announced in a short video
message on Feb 6 by the latter himself — thereby confirming a report to the effect in an
Indian publication a few weeks prior — was met with shock and anger in Pakistan. A group
representing the families of the APS massacre victims went to court, seeking contempt of
court proceedings against a number of government, security and intelligence officials for the
development.

Conclusion:___

That this mouthpiece of depraved terrorist organisations is able to roam free, apparently
making his noxious(harmful) ideas public and hurling threats against members of
Pakistan’s political class, is outrageous. That the government believes it can remain tight-
lipped (silent) about this issue is unacceptable. The public has a right to know more about
the circumstances surrounding Ehsan’s so-called escape. Until individuals like him pay the
price for the evil they have done, there can be no justice for the victims of their crimes and
no peace for the grieving families left behind.

4 ICEP Dawn Analysis

 Vocab Description (given with context for better understanding )

Context: splinter group Jamaatul Ahrar:

Meaning: Splinter: Separated group from the rest

Context: Interior Minister Ijaz Shah undertook to do in the most offhand, cursory
manner;

Meaning
Offhand: Informal, without much consideration
Cursory manner: hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed: a cursory glance at the
figures.

Context: tell the nation who had a hand in it

Meaning:. had a hand: Idiom: means a contributor, doing assistance in a crime

Context: Not many people will ever forget the chilling smugness, even glee

Meaning:
Smugness: complecensy, Self-satisfactory manner
Glee: with happiness: his face lit up with impish glee.

Context: or whether it was part of an immunity deal

Meaning:
Immunity Deal: When a suspected criminal is given impunity, if he is believed to have
information about other criminal activity. In exchange for testifying against someone else,
the witness may receive immunity from prosecution or imprisonment.

Context: carrying out terrorist attacks at the behest of RAW and NDS

Meaning: behest: request or command

a person's orders or command: they had assembled at his behest

Context:. families of the APS massacre victims went to court

Meaning: Massacre is a general killing of innocent people without any discrimination.

Context: this mouthpiece of depraved terrorist organisations is able to roam free.

Meaning:. Mouthpiece: speaking for someone, like a lawyer, representative person

5 ICEP Dawn Analysis

Foreign capital | Dawn Editorial
Introduction:___

This Year the Foreign Investment in Pakistan has increased 88%

THE large jump in the non-debt, job-creating flows of FDI into the country last fiscal is an
encouraging sign in the wake of the challenges posed by Covid-19. The long-term foreign
investment is reported by the State Bank to have spiked by 88pc to reach $2.6bn from the
previous year.

▪ According to the bank’s data, the power sector, telecom industry, and oil and gas
exploration sectors have attracted the largest portion of fresh foreign capital,
mainly from China, Norway and Malta. Indeed, these are the second highest FDI
flows into Pakistan in the last 11 years. Yet, it remains less than 1pc of the nation’s
GDP and much below the real economic potential of a country of 210m. Another
major problem is the concentration of FDI in domestic-oriented sectors, which in the
long run has significant foreign exchange costs for the country in the shape of outward
remittances of profits and dividends.

Critical Analysis:

Why Pakistan has failed to attract Foreign Investors and develop Exports-oriented
Policies:

Given the long history of Pakistan’s balance-of-payments woes and its need to boost
industrial output, especially for enhancing its exports, the country has always been looking
to mobilise foreign resources, mostly in the shape of official assistance. Since official
bilateral and multilateral assistance has been increasingly scarce for the last one decade, or
comes with stringent(rigid) political and policy strings attached, developing countries such
as Pakistan are left with little choice but to muster long-term FDI as well as boost their
exports and workers’ remittances to support their balance-of-payments position. Sadly,
Pakistan has never been a choice destination for long-term investors. Nor have successive
governments tried to make it a policy priority like other regional nations. We especially have
negligibly low FDI in the export-oriented industries.

There are a number of factors —

▪ poor regulatory environment,

▪ bureaucratic red tape,
▪ inconsistent business and economic policies,
▪ a weak macroeconomic framework,
▪ country perception, etc

— that have led to mobilisation of low FDI volumes despite offering a liberal policy
regime. While FDI flows account for less than 1pc of Pakistan’s GDP, our regional rivals,
such Bangladesh, India and Vietnam, have successfully attracted foreign investment up to
5pc to 6pc of the size of their economy, and mostly in the export sector. With our exports
and workers’ remittances feared to remain subdued(reduced) during the present fiscal
because of Covid-19’s effects on the global economy,

Recommendation:___ the government needs to take urgent remedial policy actions to

maintain the present FDI momentum and direct it towards the export-oriented manufacturing
industry.

6 ICEP Dawn Analysis

Notes of the Editorial:____

What is FDI?

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stocks measure the total level of direct investment
at a given point in time, usually the end of a quarter or of a year. The outward FDI
stock is the value of the resident investors' equity in and net loans to enterprises in
foreign economies. The inward FDI stock is the value of foreign investors' equity
in and net loans to enterprises resident in the reporting economy. FDI stocks are
measured in USD and as a share of GDP. FDI creates stable and long-lasting links
between economies.

What are the top countries which directly invested this year in Pakistan?

China, Norway and Malta.

What is the real economic Potential regarding FDI in Pakistan in one year?

210 Million

What are the factors that led Pakistan to gain low FDI ?

▪ poor regulatory environment,

▪ bureaucratic red tape,
▪ inconsistent business and economic policies,
▪ a weak macroeconomic framework,
▪ country perception, etc

Which Countries attracted most FDI compare to Pakistan?

Our regional rivals, such Bangladesh, India and Vietnam, have successfully
attracted foreign investment up to 5pc to 6pc of the size of their economy, and
mostly in the export sector.

What is The Way forward for Pakistan's Govt?

The government needs to take urgent remedial policy actions to maintain the
present FDI momentum and direct it towards the export-oriented manufacturing
industry.

7 ICEP Dawn Analysis

Going green | Dawn Editorial
Topic Sentence:_____ WHEN need inspires innovation, Mother Nature is more than
willing to help out.

Introduction:__

Pakistan’s National Parks Service is the result of an interplay of economic requirements,

environmental considerations and human and natural resources. It is modelled on the
American agency, and its inaugural programme, the Protected Areas Initiative, was launched
at the start of this month.

▪ It is going to cover 15 national parks in the first phase. The ultimate aim is to prop
up(support) designated green areas across the country, promoting them from their
current status as ‘paper parks’. Just as Prime Minister Imran Khan is impressing
upon fellow Pakistanis the importance of thinking green, the national parks initiative
is being promoted as a crucial landmark to realising the PTI’s vision.
▪ It is indeed a promising venture whose fulfilment could lend more
credence(Confidence) to the PTI’s insistence on declaring its 10 billion-tree
campaign a tsunami. The government is introducing the first phase of the project as
meeting the economic needs of the local community.
▪ Some 5,000 jobs are going to be on offer for the community. Hopefully, a sense of
ownership will also be the outcome of the local connection.
Critical Analysis of the Initiative:

The initiative appears to put the country on the right path towards a better, more livable
natural environment. Officials say they realise that this positive development has to be
backed up by policy and legislation ensuring greater protection of parks and green areas. The
sooner this is done the better since much time has already been lost. Pakistan declared the
Khunjerab National Park a sanctuary(a place of shelter)for rare species way back in 1975
— during the tenure of the country’s first popularly elected government. The venture paid
dividends but something happened along the way which allowed greed to encroach on
Pakistani green. Forty-five years later, the trees, the parks, the greenery are all part of a
sanctuary we desperately require for ourselves as a threatened species gasping for breath. It
is a sanctuary within reach that we can no more afford to ignore.

8 ICEP Dawn Analysis

Notes of the Editorial:____

Describe The Govt's Initiative of Building National Parks?

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced to create 15 national parks
across the country under the ‘Protective Area Initiative’ to protect and enhance
forest cover, create green jobs and address the threat of climate change. Out of
these 15 parks, nine are new national parks while government will strengthen
ecological management in six others.

The initiative, which is part of the ‘Green Stimulus’ vision, aims to enhance the
protected and conserved area to 15 percent to cover land area of over 7,300 sq. km,
encompassing the mountains in the north to the scrub forests in the country.

How many Job will be created by this initiative ?

Almost 5,000 direct green jobs will be created for the youth in the initial phase of
the project. “This a major initiative which will benefit future generations”

What is the International Communities' response regarding this initiative ?

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global environmental

organization, welcomed the move by Pakistani leadership to incorporate nature
conservation in its Green Stimulus package. IUCN congratulates “the government
of Pakistan on this exciting, bold and innovative initiative, which shows that
economic growth and nature conservation can be mutually reinforcing,” said Dr
Kathy MacKinnon, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.

Is there any existing beautiful National Park in Pakistan? Give me any pic.

9 ICEP Dawn Analysis

 DAWN OPINIONS SECTION

10 ICEP Dawn Analysis

A question of governance | DAWN OPINION
Maleeha Lodhi

Topic : How some countries handled pandemic well while other

countries fumbled

Important for Essay, current affairs and international relations

The writer is a former ambassador to the US, UK and UN.

WHILE the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the world, the faltering response of
many governments has sparked a lively global debate about why some countries have effectively
managed the crisis while others haven’t.

This has focused renewed attention on fundamental issues of governance. While the jury is still out
on how countries have fared, there is considerable evidence now of what it takes to manage
competently. Countries with leaders who governed well before the crisis, and were decisive,
inclusive and listened to their experts after the outbreak, did much better to contain the virus
than whimsical leaders who made policy a hostage to their ego.

The question has also been raised of whether democracies or authoritarian states have managed the
crisis better. Illiberal democracies have been identified as among those who have mishandled the
response. Gender as a factor in leadership has also been considered with analysts pointing out that
many women leaders have outperformed several of their male counterparts. The examples cited
are of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

More important than the type of political system or gender is the quality of governance that
preceded the pandemic and was tested, as was the leadership, when Covid-19 struck. Able
management has been possible under different political systems. But democracies with poor
leadership have had no edge over other political systems.

Picking daily fights with opponents distracts from challenges and sets up a divisive form of
governance.

Examples abound( Transition words) . Perhaps the US provides the most compelling illustration
of how a country under an erratic leader governing divisively and capriciously(unpredictable)
made such a mess of its pandemic response. There is consensus among Western opinion makers
that President Trump’s inept (incompetent) handling has exacerbated America’s health crisis.
Writing in the Financial Times, Martin Wolf argued that the “President and administration neither
want to govern nor know how to do so”. Trump became the “embodiment(symbol) of fierce
internal divisions” that played a destructive role during the crisis. David Remnick wrote in The
New Yorker that Trump’s stumbling response was no surprise given that even before, his

11 ICEP Dawn Analysis

administration was “more interested in setting fires than in investing in fire prevention or
containment” — dismantling the “administrative state”, abandoning international agreements
and cutting spending on science, health and emergency preparedness. Moreover “expertise
offended Trump”.

Other leaders who governed by whim not wisdom or consultation also fumbled(blunder) badly in
the pandemic. These cases confirm a basic fact — that ruling and governing are
fundamentally different. Securing the country’s top political office is one thing, but knowing
what to do and acting in the public interest quite another.

So, what distinguishes governance from simply ruling a country? What makes for good
governance? There are several, often interrelated principles which are generally accepted as
contributing to effective governance. Of these four are noteworthy.

The first is having a national vision and a clear road map to govern in the public interest. This
entails crafting a national — not polarising — narrative to inspire confidence and elicit public
support. Its antithesis (reversal) is a reactive approach, which lets events drive policy and
responds only after a crisis has erupted.

A second principle is inclusive governance, which brings people together and unites the nation
behind a chosen policy course. This involves governing by consensus and reaching out to political
opponents to build trust — the key to securing compliance from citizens and political actors. It also
means shunning partisan politics to achieve national goals.

The third principle is an institutional, not personalised, approach to decision-making and ensuring
that any impulsive instincts of a leader are kept in check by laid down processes. Structured
governance is predictable and orderly, which by following established procedures enables advice to
be systemically received and factored into decision making.

Good governance is, above all, competent government. The fourth principle to achieve this is to
seek sound solutions to problems, not bemoan the past and the legacy of challenges a government
has inherited. This means a focus on problem solving for the future, not living in the past. It
involves valuing expertise in decision-making and listening to others.

How does Pakistan’s current leadership size up against these

principles?
As much has already been said about its haphazard response to Covid-19, it is instructive to
evaluate its general approach to governance that preceded the pandemic and was subsequently
reinforced. From the outset the federal leadership rejected an inclusive approach, preferring to rule
unilaterally in excessive partisan fashion, dubbing all non-supporters as unworthy of engagement.
This meant losing an opportunity in the ongoing health crisis to unify the country and forge a
national strategy by political consent. The government still prefers to only represent its own party
supporters rather than the entire country.

Its polarising conduct is demonstrated by its ministers and spokesmen picking daily fights with
opponents and so-called mafias. This not only distracts attention from ongoing challenges but also
sets up a divisive form of governance. These distractions have meant that as problems have
emerged — ranging from shortages of flour, petrol and energy — the government has been
behind rather than ahead of the curve in tackling them.

The most stunning example of its missteps has been the irresponsible handling of the PIA pilots
affair. Addressing the licence issue did not have to involve destroying the national carrier’s
credibility and tarnishing the country’s reputation.

The government’s penchant(liking) to constantly blame others for every problem has actually
hobbled (limp) its problem-solving efforts. Ceaseless references to the conduct of previous

12 ICEP Dawn Analysis

governments has mired ruling party leaders in battling the past rather than fixing their minds on the
future.

Critical Analysis
The cult of personality that characterises the government has contributed to the lack of institutional
governance while the leader’s dominance has encouraged group think and denuded (expose) his
government from receiving alternate, expert policy advice. Personalised governance devalues
processes through which expert advice is relayed. Despite the bevy of advisers appointed by the
prime minister the paradox is how little premium is put on their advice.

In view of this it is not surprising that the image that persists of the government is that it is an
amateurish team that endlessly congratulates itself for its competence but has a great deal of ground
to cover before the public sees it the same way.

13 ICEP Dawn Analysis

Climate odyssey (long journey) | DAWN OPINION
Aisha Khan

Important for Essay and General Science

The writer is chief executive of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change.

Introduction
THE Conference of Parties to the UN Treaty-COP26 has been rescheduled to take place in
November 2021. The journey that started in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, with the goal of stabilising
green house gas concentrations at a level that does not interfere with the climate system, achieved
global consensus in 2015 at COP21 in Paris.

However, the future remains uncertain, with countries not willing to make firm commitments to
reduce emissions or agree on how to govern carbon credits exchanges.

14 ICEP Dawn Analysis

At COP25 held in Madrid in 2018, voices were raised in support of pledges to compensate
poorer countries for climate losses but no action was taken to guarantee emission reduction to
prevent extreme events from taking place. CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere continue to
increase with no sign of moving towards the sharp decline needed to avoid catastrophe as cautioned
by scientists in the special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Researchers at the University of Southampton examined CO2 levels during the Late Pliocene,
(about three million years ago) , to search for a modern and near future-like climate states.
According to co-author Thomas Chalk, the warmest part of the Pliocene had between 380 and 420
parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere. The values today hover around 415PPM which means that
we are already at levels that in the past were associated with temperature and sea level rise
significantly higher than today.

Civil society must ensure a just and green recovery.

The report also states that when CO2 levels peaked during the Pliocene, temperatures were three to
four degree Celsius hotter and seas were 20 metres higher. Chalk said that currently our CO2 levels
are rising at about 2.5PPM per year, meaning that by 2025 we will have exceeded anything seen in
the last 3.3m years. Co-author Gavin foster warned that we are burning through the Pliocene and
heading towards a Miocene-like future, (referencing a period from about 23m to 5.3m years
ago).

Put simply, we are living in an age of transition where fragility and crises are the new normal.
Disruptions at multiple levels taking place simultaneously are likely to unravel the social fabric,
become the cause of an economic meltdown, contribute to environmental degradation and
ultimately result in the collapse of ecosystems.

The world has witnessed crises before but it has never been faced with a situation where the cas
course cading impacts of interwoven crises like Covid-19, climate and economic upheaval have hit
it all at once. At present, we are headed on a collision course with nature but there is still time for
mid- correction and identifying the roots of the problems that connect us and the values that unite
us.

Repercussions of climate Adversaries

We are entering a decade when competing visions for the future of people and the planet will come
to a head. Civil society must seize this moment to demand bold climate action and unleash a
global wave of mobilisation to ensure a just and green recovery. Fragility and crises do not only
risk lives and livelihoods. They challenge the fundamental values of liberty, equality and fraternity.

“For several years now, the Western democracies have shown signs of change with the rise of
populist, nationalist leaders and parties. Liberal values and the familiar free market values, long
advocated by the West, are under attack. Alt-right elements openly assert racist and tribal
sentiments. The authoritarian regimes on the other hand have become more repressive. A walled
city mentality is taking over the world, reinforced now by the Covid-19 pandemic” (Riaz
Mohammad Khan). Civil society cannot escape the sinister impact of these trends and has an
increasingly important role to play in steering the moral debate on present and future models of
governance.

From Friedrich Hegel and his concept of ‘bourgeois (middle-class) society’, and the writings of
Karl Max and Friedrich Engels who followed this understanding that led to the term ‘civil society’
as used by Alexis de Tocqueville, the role of civil society has come full circle. The terms ‘civil
society’ and ‘social movements’ have conceptual differences but can come together as a powerful
mix to become catalytic agents of change.

The concept of civil society is linked to liberal democracy whereas the concept of social
movements is seen in the context of the French Revolution when the potential of mass behaviour
became apparent and the value of critical mass was recognised as a game changer.

15 ICEP Dawn Analysis

Conclusion
Covid-19 has slowed down emissions but it is not a substitute for sustained and coordinated climate
action. The 2015 Paris Agreement is criticised by scientists and activists for not being ambitious
enough but it is the only international agreement that is backed by nearly all countries in the world.
The current crisis offers a unique opportunity for a profound systemic shift to a more sustainable
economy that works for both people and the planet.

The writer is chief executive of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change.

16 ICEP Dawn Analysis