Dawn Editorial 15 October 2020

A matter of intent

THOUGH not exactly an icebreaker, the first major interview given by a senior Pakistani official to a major Indian news outlet since New Delhi revoked held Kashmir’s autonomous status last year signals that even in such gloomy circumstances, if the intent is there on both sides the peace process can be revived.

The interview featuring the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Moeed Yusuf, conducted by veteran Indian newsman Karan Thapar for The Wire, was indeed bumpy at times. However, Dr Yusuf’s revelation that India had sent feelers for talks with Pakistan indicates that behind the constant nationalistic bombast emanating from New Delhi, there may be a desire to reopen the channels for dialogue.

As Dr Yusuf pointed out, the core issues affecting bilateral ties remain Kashmir and terrorism. While many in India like to repeat the mantra of Pakistan sponsoring cross-border terrorism, the SAPM revealed that this country had evidence that India was involved in the 2014 APS tragedy. Moreover, with a right-wing Hindu nationalist set-up controlling the levers of power in New Delhi, the anti-Pakistan rhetoric has reached a fever pitch.

But, it is never too late to climb down, for South Asia can ill afford a perennial state of conflict the Pakistan-India dispute engenders. He added that Pakistan stands for peace and regional growth, and that this country wants to open the trade corridor on its eastern border.

Talks must be meaningful and issue-based. They should not be used as a cover by India to distract the world, particularly from the grim situation in held Kashmir, simply to show the global community that New Delhi is doing all it can to bring peace to South Asia. As the Pakistani official mentioned, there has to be solid intent on the Indian side. Dialogue in itself is not a sign of normalisation; this region has witnessed many episodes where peace was in sight, only for the dream to be dashed before the goal was achieved.

Having said that, and without prejudice to Pakistan’s principled stand on the Kashmir question, talks should not be preconditioned. Let the process begin and see where it goes. If both sides list lengthy preconditions before the talks commence, there will be little chance of success. In such circumstances, especially when trust levels are low, backchannel diplomacy may be an option. The SAPM had a point when he said that should Pakistan and India fail to sort out their issues, this region will be left behind.

Indeed the demand for “real dialogue” is a genuine one. Perhaps if the ‘soft’ issues are addressed first — Sir Creek, people-to-people contacts — progress can be made on the core problems. However, if the stalemate is left as it is, the small window for peace in South Asia may close soon, and it is anybody’s guess when it will open again.

ADB report

TO a considerable extent, Pakistan’s economy has escaped the compounding impact of the coronavirus outbreak and the locust invasion. The worst may be behind us, at least for now, although the twin plagues have hurt millions of Pakistanis and disrupted the economy. A new ADB report about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the locust swarms on farm households in Sindh shows that livelihoods and food security were significantly affected by the virus outbreak and the hoppers. Half of over 400 farmers interviewed for the survey reported lower food consumption and a third complained of reductions in their earnings because of the nationwide lockdown enforced to curb the spread of infection. Similarly, the swarms have affected almost all respondents from upper Sindh and over a third from lower Sindh. The farmers also reported an almost universal lack of response from the government as a “source of information about the locust swarms or relief in the form of surveys and spraying”.

The bank had conducted the survey back in June when infections were peaking, and developing locust invasions were threatening to devastate the crops and orchards in most parts of the country. Three months later, the situation does not seem as dire as at the time of the survey. Although the two scourges have left deep scars on the economy and the people, a substantial number of households in the urban and rural areas appear to be on the road to recovery. Overall, the economy is on the mend as reflected in the published data for the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year. But is there any room for complacency? The answer to the question is in the negative. The virus outbreak and the locust attack have clearly shown us that we are not ready to combat such emergencies. Indeed, the government took some timely policy and other measures to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 and the locusts; but these actions were temporary and, in some cases, may have only delayed the inevitable. We still don’t have the required infrastructure to handle any recurrence. For example, we do not have a single functional crop duster to protect our farmers from another locust invasion. Nor do we have facilities to treat Covid-19 infections outside a few major cities. Thus, as the ADB report points out, the government needs to take action to both mitigate the damage already caused and to invest in long-term means to confront such emergencies.

Transport for women

FOR most Pakistani women, negotiating societal, physical and moral restrictions is a way of life. Be it the workplace, an educational institution or their home, the challenges they face are far too many. Daily transport is no different: fear of sexual harassment, the stigma attached to coming into contact with unrelated men and a plethora of logistical problems while commuting, place countless barriers in their pursuit of education and work, and even in their attempts to complete everyday chores. The problems begin even before women reach the bus stop. A pilot survey of 1,000 households in Lahore carried out by the Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan showed that at least 300 — 30pc — of the respondents felt it was “unsafe” for women to walk in the neighbourhood. This issue was also raised at a seminar in Karachi. Urban planners at the event stated that the logistics of the existing transportation system were geared towards men and that women faced difficulties in gaining access to various modes of transport.

Secondly, the experts said, the present transportation system did not meet the requirements of women, who had different commuting patterns from men. There were a number of issues, for example, lack of adequate seating for women in public buses. Experts suggested the plying of exclusive public transport for women. The idea is a sensible one. Women would feel safer in larger groups and with a considerable number commuting for work and education it might also prove to be economically viable. In 2014, a women-only bus service was launched in Islamabad and Rawalpindi but the service was closed after a few months. Perhaps transport authorities in Pakistan can revisit this initiative and give incentives to transporters for operating buses exclusively for women. The authorities should also deploy law-enforcement officers at bus stops and improve street lighting near bus routes. Small steps will go a long way in making women feel safe on the streets and allow them to increase their productivity at work.