Polio immunisation drive
THE first polio drive of the new year in KP is set to vaccinate 7.2m children. This drive is crucial, because all the 20 polio cases recorded last year were from KP. The immunisation drive is taking place in the shadow of increased militancy across the country. In 2022, during the vaccination campaigns, seven policemen and as many health workers were gunned down by militants. In the 16 drives that took place in the province, up to 42,000 officers were deployed for the protection of the vaccination teams. On 14 occasions, the teams came under violent attack.
These realities, as well as the upswing in terror attacks, mean that authorities will have to be extra vigilant and also engage as many faith and community leaders as possible to ensure maximum cooperation. It is a sad fact that Pakistan is one of the two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, the second one being Afghanistan. There is no doubt that successive governments have worked hard to eradicate the crippling virus, and that billions of dollars have been poured into the drive. But many of the misconceptions against vaccination still exist. There are still families that harbour the false belief that polio drops will render their children infertile, and that vaccination campaigns are part of a ‘Western conspiracy’. Some families simply refuse because they are ignorant about how the drops work to protect their children. Another tragic chapter in the polio vaccination story is that health workers, in collusion with parents, have made finger markings, denoting a child’s inoculated status, without actually administering the drops. Such practices are not common, but still mean that some children are not immunised and can contract polio. All these factors underscore how important both security arrangements and community engagement are when it comes to an effective polio vaccination campaign. Pakistan made some significant gains, and then regressed. However, with more vaccination campaigns, ramped-up security and continued efforts to involve the community, a polio-free Pakistan is possible.
Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2023
NSC huddle
THE nation’s top civilian and military officials put their heads together in the just concluded National Security Council meeting to deliberate on two of Pakistan’s foremost threats: terrorism and the dire economic situation. The results of the huddle were not unexpected, with both the elected leadership as well as the military top brass vowing to crush militancy with the full might of the state. Coming on the heels of last month’s corps commanders’ conference, the perception emerging from that meeting as well as the NSC conclave is that a kinetic operation is on the cards, especially in light of the increase in violent activities by the proscribed TTP. Considering that the TTP has for all intents and purposes launched an insurgency after it tore up the truce with the state, and that violence in Balochistan is increasing again, a military operation seems to be the only viable option to counter the terrorist threat. And striking now, when the militant insurgency is in its incipient phase, may be a wise move, before the terrorists gain potency. Without directly mentioning the Afghan Taliban rulers, the NSC meeting stated that “no country will be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation” to anti-Pakistan terrorists. Other key decisions included the revival of provincial apex committees, and the resolve to improve training of security personnel fighting militancy.
While the state — both the civilian leadership and the establishment — made a mistake by attempting fruitless peace talks with the TTP, which the militants insisted should be held on their terms, the realisation has finally dawned upon the rulers that the fight must be taken to the terrorists. This will likely entail clearance operations in parts of KP and Balochistan where militant activity has seen a significant upswing, though the administration must also beef up the defence of cities, as the Islamabad suicide attack has shown. As for dealing with Afghanistan, the interior minister’s threat of going after TTP sanctuaries across the western border has elicited a harsh response from Taliban officials. Pakistan should refrain from getting involved in a war of words with the Afghan Taliban, but otherwise the messaging should be clear: no TTP or other anti-Pakistan militant sanctuaries will be tolerated in Afghanistan. The Taliban claim that there are no TTP operatives on Afghan soil is hard to believe, and it is the responsibility of the Kabul regime to uproot elements in their country responsible for destabilising Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2023
Inflation misery
THE PDM government’s continuing inability to keep prices under control speaks volumes about the competency of its economic management team, currently led by a former finance minister who loves to make a great deal of his ‘extensive experience’.
It has thus far failed to show any spine as far as the protection of ordinary citizens’ financial well-being is concerned. As a result, the public has largely been left to fend for itself as the country undergoes a severe and painful reconfiguration, resulting from years of myopic and self-serving decisions.
It is fair that rather than point the finger at an individual or group of individuals, one should blame the succession of self-confident economic ‘wizards’ whose only real trick has been to disappear as soon as the cost of their bad policies comes due. However, the PDM had sold itself as the panacea to Pakistan’s economic challenges, especially when the government was with the PTI. It has yet to demonstrate why it had been so confident in its ability to deliver.
Consumer inflation continued to burn red-hot at 24.5pc in the cold of December, reversing track from a brief (and slight) dip to 23.8pc in November and taking average inflation for the first six months of the ongoing fiscal year (July to December) to slightly above 25pc. That number masks a more worrisome reality: inflation in rural areas, where more than two-thirds of the country’s people reside, has been considerably higher at around 28pc over the same period.
Meanwhile, the urban citizenry has been forced to spend, on average, 23pc more on their needs in fiscal 2023. The data reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics also shows a worrying upward trend in commodity prices in the month of December compared to November, indicating that prices have yet to stabilise and may, therefore, continue to rise. The data shows that food is now the biggest driver of inflation, with prices up by an eye-watering 35.5pc year-over-year. Prices of perishable items are up, on average, by a shocking 56pc from the same month last year.
The average citizen has little choice but to cut consumption and curtail their dreams as out-of-control inflation decimates their household budget. With a sense of helplessness and hopelessness slowly descending on the country, those who are privileged are increasingly talking about moving abroad.
The least the government could do in these difficult times is to leverage its administrative powers to ensure that unscrupulous players are not taking advantage of the prevailing instability in domestic markets to profiteer at the expense of the browbeaten citizenry.
Demonstrating to the nation that it is doing what it can despite challenges would greatly help in keeping the country together. However, it seems the finance minister is too caught up in his own worries and has little time for those whose future he has taken responsibility for.
Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2023