Dawn Editorials 05 June 2021

Dawn Editorials & Opinions
5th June 2021

DAWN
EDITORIALS
Page 1 of 5
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Environment in danger development, power production and

agriculture framework that shuns ‫دور‬
Editorial 05 June 2021 ‫ ترک کرنا‬،‫ کرنا‬a carbon-intensive
approach..
THERE is no doubt ‫ شک‬that Prime
Minister Imran Khan has elevated ‫بڑھا‬ At the moment, the bigger picture tells a
‫ دیا ہے‬the debate on climate change and story that is at variance ‫ مختلف‬with the
accorded ‫ تفویض کیا‬it the status of a government’s stated intentions. Between
national issue by continuing to talk 1994 and 2015, Pakistan’s carbon
about it on regional and international emissions ‫ اخراج‬had increased by 123pc.
forums. Several initiatives ‫ اقدامات‬taken Around 46pc of the country’s total
by the government such as the 10- greenhouse gas emissions come from
Billion Tree Tsunami and the Ecosystem fossil fuels, ‫ حیاتیاتی ایندھن‬followed by
Restoration Fund have gained ‫پذیرائی ملی‬ 43pc from agriculture. Ironically ‫ستم‬
‫ ہے‬international recognition. Today, on ‫ظریفی یہ ہے کہ‬, more than 95pc of our
June 5, Pakistan is the global host ‫میزبان‬ coal-based power projects were
for World Environment Day and is commissioned ‫ شروع کیا گیا تھا‬in the past
launching the UN’s Decade on four years and are at different stages of
Ecosystem Restoration. Other initiatives development. Meanwhile, last year a
of the government include the launch of long-term plan opted ‫ منتخب ہوا‬for fossil
the Green Eurobond worth $500m. In fuels for energy production, ignoring the
April, the government also pledged ‫وعدہ‬ possibility of renewable energy. ‫قابل‬
‫ کیا‬to transition to 60pc clean energy and ‫ تجدید توانائی‬No surprise then that by 2030
convert 30pc of its vehicular fleet to our carbon emissions are projected to
electric by 2030. Soon after the increase by 300pc. Similarly, large
announcement, it shelved ‫ملتوی کی‬ projects including the Peshawar BRT —
imported coal projects intended ‫ارادہ کیا‬ for which hundreds of trees were felled
to produce 2,600MW of energy in ‫ — گرائے گئے‬and the Rs5tr Ravi City
favour of hydroelectric projects that will construction only add to the carbon
generate 3,700 ‫پیدا کرے گا‬MW. However, footprint..
for these measures to have an impact,
the government must have an integrated These gaping contradictions ‫بڑھتے ہوئے‬
policy ‫مربوط پالیسی‬, infrastructure ‫ تضادات‬in development policy offset ‫دور‬
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‫ کرتی ہے‬any potential impact of the ‫ کرسکتا ہے‬its last chance to save itself
government’s eco-friendly ‫ماحول دوست‬ from nature’s wrath.. ‫ فطرت کا قہر‬..
plans by years and undermine ‫مجروح کرنا‬
our international credibility ‫ساکھ‬. Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2021.
Similarly, the failure to impose ‫ نافذ کرنا‬a
ban on the use of single-use plastics last Misused law
year, exposed the government’s
Editorial 05 June 2021
weakness ‫ کمزوری‬for favouring
industrialist lobbies. Globally, the THE acquittal ‫ بری‬of Shafqat Emmanuel
frequency ‫ کثرت‬and intensity ‫ شدت‬of and Shagufta by the Lahore High Court
extreme weather events have increased, this week has once again underscored
resulting in huge loss of life and ‫ نشاندہی کی ہے‬the deeply problematic
property. Scientists have termed ‫قرار دیا‬ ‫ گہری پریشانی‬growing misuse ‫غلط استعمال‬
‫ ہے‬this decade the last chance to slow of the blasphemy law. After spending
down a permanent ‫ مستقل‬rise in global seven years in jail, following the
temperatures. If Pakistan is to save itself handing down of a death sentence ‫سزائے‬
from the apocalyptic ‫ تباہ کن‬effects of ‫ موت‬to them by an additional district and
climate change, the government must sessions judge, the Christian couple has
show far greater seriousness ‫ سنجیدگی‬in been acquitted ‫ بری کردیا گیا ہے‬of charges
its purpose and execution ‫ عملدرآمد‬of its of sending a blasphemous text message
plans. In the short term, up to 20pc of to the complainant, a shopkeeper
the projected 2030 GHG (greenhouse identified ‫ شناخت کی‬in some news reports
gases) emissions can be reduced by as a mosque cleric ‫مسجد کا امام‬. Like
decarbonising transport and agriculture. many others before them, the couple
Provincial environmental protection spent nearly a decade locked away from
departments also need to be overhauled their families, deprived ‫ محروم‬of their
‫ ازسرنو ترتیب دینا‬and made fully freedom. At the time of her arrest,
functional and independent so that they ‫ گرفتاری‬Shagufta worked as a helper at a
can flag ‫ نشاندہی‬projects violating ‫خالف‬ school and earned a paltry ‫معمولی‬
‫ ورزی کرنے‬environment rules. If Rs3,500 a month. Her husband, Shafqat,
Pakistan does not act on a war-footing who is reportedly ‫مبینہ طور پر‬
‫جنگی بنیادوں پر‬, it might squander ‫ضائع‬ handicapped ‫معذور‬, owned a mobile
repair shop. The couple from Gojra in
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Toba Tek Singh come from a very their freedoms ‫ آزادی سے محروم کرنا‬with
humble background ‫ انتہائی متوسط طبقہ‬،, no redress. ‫ ازالہ‬Moreover, in many
and one can only imagine ‫تصور کر سکتے‬ chilling ‫ خوفناک‬cases, an accusation of
‫ ہیں‬how their four children must have blasphemy alone — with no evidence
fared ‫ کارکردگی دکھائی‬، ‫ گزر بسر کیا‬during ‫ ثبوت‬or formal legal process — can
their prolonged incarceration. ‫طویل قید‬ result in violence and death. The cases
Sadly, this story is not unique ‫;انوکھا‬ of university student Mashal Khan and
others too have been falsely accused, Christian couple Shama and Shahzad are
‫ غلط الزام لگایا گیا ہے‬، languishing for years just two examples of how such
in jail, only to be acquitted ‫بری کیا جائے‬ accusations lead ignorant people ‫جاہل‬
by the higher courts. Asiya Bibi spent ‫ لوگ‬to take the law into their own hands.
almost a decade in solitary ‫تنہائی‬ Salmaan Taseer, despite being a serving
confinement ‫ قید‬before the Supreme governor, too, was killed as a result of
Court overturned her death sentence. At the same mentality, ‫ ذہنیت‬which prizes
the moment, there are several hate and violence over truth and justice.
individuals convicted ‫ سزا سنائی گئی ہے‬of This trend must come to an end, and our
blasphemy ‫ توہین رسالت‬by the lower lawmakers must unite ‫ اکٹھے ہونا‬to find a
courts, and awaiting justice from the solution so that more innocent ‫معصوم‬
higher courts.. citizens do not suffer..
The Supreme Court has often warned Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2021.
‫ اکثر انتباہ کیا ہے‬against false blasphemy
accusations ‫ الزامات‬and even called on India’s abstention ‫ووٹ دینے سے‬
politicians to ensure ‫ یقینی بنانا‬that those ‫اجتناب کرنا‬
jailed under these offences ‫ جرائم‬have
not been wrongly accused. Yet, little Editorial 5th June 2021
progress has been made on this issue
and citizens continue to spend too many ISRAEL’S recent brutal ‫ ظالمانہ‬foray
years of their life awaiting justice. ‫ اچانک حملہ‬into Gaza and its targeting of
Parliament must gather the courage to Palestinians elsewhere in the occupied
talk about these issues. Lawmakers must territories ‫ مقبوضہ عالقوں‬has elicited ‫برپا‬
also confront ‫ مقابلہ کرنا ہوگا‬how false ‫ کیا‬strong reactions from across the
accusations strip accused citizens of world.
Page 4 of 5
While many of Tel Aviv’s protectors calling Indira Gandhi his ‘sister’.
‫ محافظ‬and friends parroted ‫طوطے کی طرح‬ However today, under the Hindutva
‫ دہرائی‬the line that Israel has a right of banner India is a firm ally of Israel, with
‘self-defence’ — even as the Jewish Benjamin Netanyahu boasting of the
state mercilessly ‫ بے رحمی سے‬murdered “deep friendship” between New Delhi
children in Gaza — thousands of and Tel Aviv.
conscientious ‫ باضمیر‬people of all faiths
‫ عقائد‬and nationalities ‫ قومیتوں‬took to the Perhaps this is a natural pairing, ‫قدرتی‬
streets in cities across the world to ‫ جوڑا‬as right-wing governments in both
condemn ‫ مذمت کرنا‬this butchery ‫ظالمانہ‬ states have applied similar brutal
‫قتل‬. However, some states that had methods in occupied ‫ قبضہ‬Palestine and
formerly supported the Palestinian cause held Kashmir. Of course, the irony ‫ستم‬
were conspicuous ‫ ظاہر کیا‬،‫واضح طور پر‬ ‫ ظریفی‬that Hindutva’s founding fathers
by their silence, apparently ‫ظاہری طور پر‬ lionized ‫ توجہ مبذول کرانا‬،‫ تعریف کرنا‬the
to please Israel. India is among this Nazis is lost on ‫ بھول چکے‬many. Today,
group; in a recent vote at the UN Human India-Israel relations are clearly a
Rights Council calling for a probe ‫تحقیقات‬ marriage of convenience ‫باہمی مفادات پر‬
into Israel’s recent atrocities, ‫ بربریت‬،‫ظلم‬ ‫مبنی‬, with both states sharing notes on
India chose to abstain. ‫ پرہیز کرنا‬This led how to brutalise ‫ ظلم برپا کریں‬the
the Palestinian foreign minister to Palestinians and Kashmiris. However,
observe in a letter to New Delhi that the regardless of such dicey ‫غیر متوقع‬
abstention ‫“ باز رہنا‬stifles ‫ دباتا ہے‬the friendships, people of conscience ‫ضمیر‬
important work of the Human Rights across the world will continue to raise a
Council at advancing ‫ بہم پہنچانا‬human voice for the Palestinians, while the
rights for all people”. plight ‫ حالت زار‬of the Kashmiris will also
not be forgotten. State-sponsored
India’s about-turn ‫ یوٹرن‬where the brutality ‫ بربریت‬cannot snuff out ‫ختم نہیں‬
Palestinian cause is concerned ‫ متعلق‬is ‫ کرسکتی‬the desire of the people of
not new and has been decades in the Palestine and Kashmir for freedom and
making. Initially ‫شروع میں‬, spurred dignity ‫وقار‬.
‫ حوصلہ افزائی‬by a sense ‫ احساس‬of Third
World solidarity, India offered support Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2021
to the Palestinians, with Yasser Arafat
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Dawn Editorials & Opinions

5th June 2021

Environment in danger development, power production and

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