Arrested growth
A STUDY recently published in the Lancet has painted a distressing picture for our future generations. It finds that Pakistan ranks among the worst nations, with 14.3pc preterm births. The figure is a bleak testament to the state of our health infrastructure. Preterm babies are at high risk of death. Those who survive are likely to suffer disability and developmental delays, and even chronic illnesses. Pakistan has also long reported shockingly high figures for stunting. Latest figures by the World Bank indicate that over 40pc of children under five in Pakistan are stunted. The South Asian average stands at 31pc. Stunting not only hampers physical growth but also impairs cognitive development, leading to reduced educational outcomes and productivity in adulthood. If left unchecked, it will render vast swathes of our population unable to contribute to Pakistan’s progress.
Why has Pakistan seemingly abandoned its mothers and children? An unfortunate cocktail of reasons is to blame. Year after year, health expenditure remains inadequate, sidelined in favour of more ‘immediate’ concerns. While public health initiatives exist, they lack the reach, consistency and monitoring necessary to make a lasting impact. The situation is exacerbated by the rural-urban divide, with remote regions deprived of even basic healthcare. Environmental challenges, such as flooding and locust attacks, have compounded the problem. Sixty-nine districts reported nearly 48pc stunting in children under five. Such figures should sound warning bells at the highest echelons of power. A Rs8.5bn plan to combat stunting and malnutrition in some 31 districts was recently unveiled, offering some hope. Socioeconomic factors must also be considered. There is limited awareness about maternal nutrition, poor antenatal care, deep-rooted beliefs that prevent the consumption of a varied diet by expecting mothers, early marriages, and the practice of feeding boys more than girls. All these contribute to both preterm births and stunting. Ignorance, sadly, isn’t always bliss. Pakistan needs a multipronged approach. A sizable increase in health expenditure is non-negotiable. Awareness campaigns must be ramped up, as well as collaboration with global health agencies. The health of our children is the health of our nation. It is high time we invest in our future by prioritising the well-being of our youngest citizens. If not now, then when?
Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2023
Turned away
ON Saturday, as UN agencies pressed Islamabad to consider the risks of forcefully repatriating Afghan refugees, a major earthquake in western Afghanistan resulted in over 2,000 deaths, according to the Taliban government, with thousands left injured and homeless.
Reports of the devastation caused by the disaster served as a grim backdrop to the concerns raised by humanitarian agencies about the difficulties Pakistani authorities may condemn hundreds of thousands of Afghans to as they go ahead with a controversial plan to evict all ‘illegal aliens’ by the end of this month.
The drive, which has been criticised for seeking to forcibly push those who had fled violence, persecution and impoverishment in Afghanistan back into that troubled country, has been pursued with unseemly eagerness by the caretaker government, with one ministry even running a countdown on X (formerly Twitter) to remind undocumented migrants about the number of days they have remaining in this country.
Meanwhile, reports abound of refugee settlements being shuttered, landlords being told to evict Afghan tenants, and Afghans — both documented and undocumented, men, women and children — being rounded up by police across the country.
The reaction from rights organisations and more hospitable Pakistanis to Islamabad suddenly turning its back on Afghan refugees has, understandably, been one of dismay and concern.
While the Pakistani authorities are well within their rights to demand that migrants and refugee seekers, especially those who are undocumented, return, is this really the right way to go about doing so?
Uprooting hundreds of thousands of human beings who have scraped together a life in Pakistan and sending them back to an uncertain future defined by terror and turmoil seems unnecessarily cold, made all the more so by the short deadline given to them to pack up and leave.
The UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration have both come forward to advocate for the rights of Afghan refugees; they must work proactively with the Pakistani government to find a quick solution to this issue. It appears from reports that the authorities here are unprepared for the task they have taken on.
At the bare minimum, the ongoing effort to deport all foreigners not holding a valid visa and passport requires international oversight to ensure that those being returned are not deprived of what little they possess in the process.
There have been complaints of unscrupulous individuals exploiting vulnerable Afghans by demanding bribes to ensure their safety; the Pakistani authorities have a responsibility to put an immediate end to such reprehensible practices.
Ideally, the entire exercise needs to be reconsidered, but even if the decision is non-negotiable, the returning Afghans need to be treated with compassion. They are owed that.
Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2023
Pulpit concerns
THE pulpit should echo the message of unity. But these megaphones have delivered some triumphalist views of religion, triggering social rejection and persecution of minorities. On Friday, HRCP released a fact-finding report on blasphemy incidents in Sargodha, which gives prominence to the “misuse of mosque loudspeakers and pulpits to press for FIRs against Christians and instigate violence against them”. The report, Mob Violence and the Social Ostracisation of the Christian Community in Sargodha, stresses that culprits of mob carnage and those who bypass due process be held to account. In Pakistan, evidence is not central to a blasphemy charge. Therefore, it must be pointed out, pulpits, especially in Punjab, have been weaponised over time to serve a lethal mix of bias and misinterpreted religious opinion, resulting in gory ‘justice’. Unsurprisingly, the reasons are often worldly: property, revenge and control. This culture of impunity also seems to suit a shameless power elite that confines itself to customary condemnations. We have long maintained that hate speeches from microphones aimed at stirring up perverse zeal towards weaker sections, cannot be condoned. In the age of social media, it takes minutes for news and accusations to spread, making a disturbed situation more tenuous. Hence, the state and clerics have little choice but to uphold their responsibility to counter social apartheid by ensuring that a community is not demonised from the pulpit.
The power of spiritual podiums should not be taken lightly; with the right ulema in place, these can be vital voices of harmony and acceptance. That said, separating ideas on faith from political rhetoric is the path to reversing the tide of prejudice. Unfortunately, the last two decades have been far from promising, so such a shift is a pipe dream. Meanwhile, authorities can use the power of Friday sermons to erase majoritarian canard and oppressive traditions, or else the plague of militancy and bigotry will annihilate our own.
Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2023