Polluted air
FOR a very long time now, Lahore has been on top of the list of the world’s most polluted cities for many days of the year. In winters, the situation worsens as a thick smog engulfs its residents. It is, therefore, not surprising if the quality of air has started deteriorating as temperatures fall. The problem has worsened for some residents who are living in localities where ‘development’ work — resulting from the rulers’ obsession with signal-free corridors for the affluent — has led to heavy dust pollution. No wonder half the city is coughing and breathing hard, while the other half is struggling to protect itself against pollution. In a global survey, a Swiss maker of air purifiers found Lahore to have become the city with the worst air in the world in 2022. The manufacturer’s AQI measures the extent of airborne particulate matter, which can pose serious risks to one’s health.
The problem of air pollution has been steadily growing in Lahore and many other cities of Punjab. Prolonged and heavy exposure to hazardous air is causing health complications, including asthma, lung damage, throat infections, stroke, heart problems, and shortened life expectancy. Sadly, the decision-makers have been slow to react to the problem. Most officials and politicians continue to deflect the blame by holding stubble-burning by Indian farmers mainly responsible for the smog in Lahore. But poor air quality and smog are the result of numerous factors, which include vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, fossil fuel-fired power plants, the burning of waste material, and smoke from tyre burning emitted by thousands of brick kilns. They are all part of the problem. The provincial development model puts more emphasis on building signal-free roads for car owners than on measures that can promote the collective well-being of citizens, regardless of their socioeconomic background, and the enforcement of the law against polluters. When smog sets in, governments simply focus on band-aid solutions such as ordering school closures on particularly pollution-heavy days to reduce traffic emissions. Lahore’s air quality and smog problem are deeply interconnected with poor urban planning and other urban issues, ranging from poor solid waste management and unplanned urban sprawl to vehicular emissions and the near absence of mass public transportation. In the absence of concerted efforts to deal with air pollution, Lahore will continue to choke on toxic air.
Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2023
Gaza besieged
A BLOODBATH is underway in Palestine. In the aftermath of Saturday’s shock blitz by Hamas, which rattled Israel and punctured the myth of its military invincibility, Tel Aviv is on the rampage.
It is responding in the only way it knows: by slaughtering Palestinian civilians. Tel Aviv has announced a “complete siege” of Gaza, cutting off food, water and power to the Strip.
To be clear, Gaza has been under siege since 2007, blocked off by both Israel and Egypt, in effect turning the coastal territory into an open-air concentration camp. Only this time, what little succour reached the territory has also been cut off.
Israel is treating Gaza as the despots of antiquity treated all people who dared oppose them: by setting alight entire cities and putting their inhabitants to the sword.
The civilian toll on both sides is indeed tragic, and heavy casualties have been reported. The Palestinian fighters should ensure that no civilians are harmed in their operations.
Of course, no such mores can be expected from the Israeli side, as Tel Aviv’s defence minister has said they are fighting “human animals”. If this is the mentality guiding those who run Israel, another Palestinian massacre will be the grim outcome.
What is particularly reprehensible is the selective outrage shown by most Western states. While many a Western leader has shed tears over Israel’s losses during the current hostilities, these same states have been miserly while expressing grief as Palestinians buried their children — murdered by Israel — over the decades.
The immediate need is for the world community to prevent Israel from blockading Gaza, which the UN says is banned under international law, with others noting that Tel Aviv’s tactics come within the ambit of war crimes.
Muslim states particularly need to coordinate with each other and the UN to ensure Palestinians have access to medical care, food and shelter, and are kept safe from Israel’s marauding forces. But for there to be long-lasting peace in the Middle East, the Palestine question needs a just resolution.
For three quarters of a century, the sons and daughters of Palestine have either been in exile, wandering in foreign lands in search of shelter, or have been brutalised as prisoners living in their own land. The endless Nakba must end.
No half-baked normalisation deal that stabs Palestinians in the back and trades away their right to nationhood can ever succeed; the ceaseless violence and humiliation being heaped upon them will only increase their thirst for revenge from the occupier.
The exclusionary and racist Zionist experiment, backed by empire and supported by the successors of empire, has failed. To end bloodshed in the holy land, and ensure the rights of all its communities, a roadmap for Palestinian statehood is the only answer.
Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2023
Labour market inequality
THE 2023 Nobel prize in economics has been awarded to American Claudia Goldin for her outstanding achievements in the study of gender differences in the labour market over the centuries. Her work provides the first comprehensive account of women’s earnings and labour market participation. She collected 200 years’ worth of data from the US to understand how and why the gender pay and employment gap exists. Historically, women’s work participation can be viewed as a U-shaped curve, with their contribution taking a dip when the US transitioned from an agrarian to an industrial society, but then rising again during a boom in the services sector. Women’s education levels also increased and the advent of contraceptives impacted women’s career choices. The earnings gap, however, didn’t close, despite modernisation. Ms Goldin’s work highlights that over time, men and women were found to be earning disproportionate wages in the same field of work and that the imbalance largely arose with the birth of the first child.
Pakistan, like many other nations, grapples with pronounced gender inequalities, not just in wages but also in workforce participation. Ms Goldin’s work resonates profoundly, urging us to understand the roots of these discrepancies to chart a more inclusive path forward. The need for flexible working environments, tailored to accommodate the unique challenges faced by women, is more pressing than ever. In bestowing this honour on Ms Goldin, the Nobel committee not only celebrates her academic excellence but also underscores the importance of gender economics in today’s world. Ms Goldin’s research serves as a clarion call: to understand, to act, and to reshape the economic landscape in favour of gender parity. In a world striving for equality, Ms Goldin’s beacon shines brighter than ever. As we join in celebrating her achievements, it is imperative we also take a moment to introspect, ponder upon her findings, and commit to bridging the divide.
Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2023