Over 10,000 souls
A SHAMEFUL milestone has just been crossed in Gaza: more than 10,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered as Israel conducts its bloodthirsty campaign in the besieged Strip in response to the Hamas attack of Oct 7.
Gaza’s people have been denied food, water, fuel and adequate medical care in what could be described as a 21st-century holocaust, ironically perpetrated by the offspring of those who had survived the horrors of the Third Reich. Life in Gaza and the rest of occupied Palestine had been miserable even before the Hamas assault; now it is a fight for survival for the Palestinian people.
Perhaps Tel Aviv’s intentions can be gauged by the shocking remarks of an Israeli minister, who suggested using atomic weapons in Gaza, before backtracking and saying he was speaking ‘metaphorically’. Such bloodcurdling ‘metaphors’ reveal the actual thinking of Israel’s rulers.
As the Palestinian death toll mounts, Israel — backed by the US — refuses to heed calls for a ceasefire. These calls are being led by the UN, but Tel Aviv has still to satiate its bloodlust and to murder more Palestinians in the name of countering Hamas. Meanwhile, the US champions the macabre fiction of ‘humanitarian pauses’.
We assume these pauses will allow the people of Gaza to pick up the remains of their loved ones, and prepare for the next round of deadly Israeli strikes. The Gazan massacre is indeed one of the most monstrous crimes perpetrated by a state against a civilian population, yet the world community has been unable to stop the butchery.
However, some states are making it clear to Tel Aviv that it cannot be business as usual. Bolivia, for example, has severed ties with Israel, while South Africa has recalled its diplomats. These states have shown great moral clarity in standing with the oppressed, and unmasking the oppressor.
And the Arab/Muslim world? It has displayed its usual lethargy, limited to issuing statements with strong adjectives. In comparison, many ordinary citizens of the Muslim world have decided to boycott firms seen as sympathetic to Israel. And it is truly heartening to see the solidarity marches in Western cities featuring hundreds of thousands of Muslim and non-Muslim, black, white and brown people calling for an end to genocide.
These ordinary citizens have shown more moral courage than most Muslim governments have on the matter of Palestine. However, a chance for redemption is coming on Sunday, when the OIC is due to hold a summit to discuss Palestine in Riyadh.
Though past precedent means one should not have high hopes, perhaps Muslim states’ rulers can come up with an action plan to counter Israel’s barbarism. This can include an economic boycott of Tel Aviv, as well as of all those enabling Israel’s wholesale massacre of Palestinians.
Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2023
Broken promises
AN election manifesto is perhaps the most important document that political parties use to make an ideological connection with voters. It lists priorities and policies that political parties intend to execute in pursuit of their broader economic, cultural and political vision if voted into power. Once the elections are over, the voters might use the manifesto to remind party leaders of the promises they had made to the electorate, and hold them accountable for their sins of omission and commission. But such is the fickle nature of Pakistani politics that almost every party’s manifesto contains empty rhetoric, and is published more as a formality than to spell out concrete plans they actually intend to implement. No wonder a policy note released by the state-run Pakistan Institute of Development Economics has found past election manifestos of the PPP, PTI and PML-N inadequate, and missing out on crucial macroeconomic, constitutional and social issues. That means the political parties do not have “any concrete blueprint to work on if they are voted into power”, which underlines their myopic approach to governance as well as their ad hocism and subjugation to vested interests that undermine Pakistan’s long-term development.
Likewise, an analysis of the social media discourse of the leaders of these parties from 2018 to 2022 shows that they seldom discuss substantive issues and party positions on issues of significance as outlined in their election manifestos. Their entire political discourse revolves around their family legacies, personal grievances and frivolous criticism of the rulers of the day. Therefore, it is not surprising that a growing number of people are becoming disillusioned with politics in general and the electoral exercise in particular. Hence, Pide researchers have rightly advised political parties to align their discourse with their pre-election commitment to voters. The upcoming polls afford an excellent opportunity to political parties and their respective leaders to restore their credibility in the eyes of the voters by informing the latter, through their election programmes, as to what solution they have to Pakistan’s multiple and overlapping economic, constitutional and social issues, and how they intend to implement them. Confronted with perhaps the country’s gravest financial, political and social crises, the voters deserve a chance to make an informed choice regarding the party they think is best suited to lead the country out of the present mess.
Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2023
Congo virus outbreak
ALOCHISTAN is grappling with an outbreak of the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, commonly known as the Congo virus. Officials say 20 people have died of CCHF this year, tragically among them a doctor as he was being rushed to Karachi for treatment. Of 200 suspected patients, 73 have tested positive for the tick-borne virus. Twelve healthcare professionals are being treated in Karachi. The condition of four doctors is said to be serious. Mercifully, no case has yet been recorded in the port city. However, the rate at which the infection has spread to healthcare workers in Balochistan is alarming, raising questions about the adequacy of infection-control measures and availability of protective gear. These concerns must be swiftly addressed to protect those who are risking their lives to save others. Moreover, it is imperative that the authorities collaborate with their counterparts in Sindh to establish swift and safe transfers of patients through air ambulances.
Given the severity of CCHF — fatalities can occur in up to 40pc cases — there is an urgent need for the development of a vaccine to prevent its spread. Until then, the only recourse available is public awareness and preventative measures. Those involved in the livestock industry must be informed about the risks associated with the virus to reduce tick-to-human and animal-to-human transmissions. They must wear protective clothing when handling animals, use approved acaricides on clothing and examine themselves for ticks regularly. Human-to-human transmission can be controlled by avoiding close contact with infected persons, enforcing hand hygiene, and using protective equipment in healthcare settings. The government should act quickly to contain the virus, protect healthcare workers, and ensure public safety. It has enacted some measures, including a temporary ban on the use of private slaughterhouses in populated areas. Time is of the essence, and the lives of healthcare providers, as well as the broader community, hang in the balance.
Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2023