Photo : Dawn
Photo : Dawn
In Brief
Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Dar stress on the need to continue talks with Afghanistan
On 24 March, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar presided over a meeting geared towards assessing bilateral ties with Afghanistan. The meeting took place in Islamabad where Dar affirmed the verbal agreement with Afghanistan about continuation of talks to find solutions to the contentious issues. He stressed on the need for maintaining the continued process of dialogue with the Taliban government for putting forward Islamabad’s “concerns” and strengthening bilateral ties. Foreign Secretary Amina Baloch and Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq were also present at the meeting. Previously, Muhammad Sadiq traveled to Kabul where he held meetings with Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and Minister for Trade Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi for delving into issues that are impacting bilateral ties. The contentious issues between the two countries include “security and border disputes.” Islamabad has continually voiced its concerns regarding groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan being provided safe haven in Afghanistan. The Torkham crossing which remained un-operational due to skirmishes between the border security forces of the two countries has further aggravated the tensions. Foreign Minister of Afghanistan has appealed to Islamabad to not connect security issues with trade. (Baqir Sajjad Syed, “FM Dar backs talks with Kabul on security, trade,” Dawn, 25 March 2025)
On Pakistan envoy for Afghanistan’s visit to Kabul: “negotiated settlement of issues between Islamabad and Kabul is indeed the way to go,” says an editorial in The Express Tribune
On 25 March, an editorial in The Express Tribune titled “The way to go,” discussed the recent visit of Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan to Kabul.” The editorial highlighted that there has been a surge in the number of terror attacks in the country after the Taliban took over in Afghanistan. The editorial claimed that Pakistan’s consistent complaints against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan being provided safe haven in Afghanistan has been completely ignored by the Taliban regime. The editorial pointed out how the recent visit of Pakistan’s envoy for Afghanistan to Kabul is a positive development. It was concluded during the discussion between the two sides that politics would be kept aside when it comes to enhancing bilateral trade ties. The editorial supported Pakistan’s policy stand and pointed out how it has become particularly important as US President Donald Trump is intending to build ties with the Taliban. The editorial, nevertheless, claimedthat Pakistan has suffered the most from the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan. The editorial also called for action against the terrorists as they undermine the interests of all the neighboring countries. (“The way to go,” The Express Tribune, 25 March 2025)
On the problem of pollution: “Pakistan is increasingly becoming one of the most polluted nations globally, as a result of bad air quality” says an editorial in The News International
On 25 March, an opinion in The News International titled “Choked Pakistan,” discussed the problem of increasing pollution in the country. Masood Lohar pointed out that the government has not taken appropriate action to curb the problem of pollution in the country. He referenced Pakistan’s ranking in the infamous list of most polluted countries in the world. Pakistan consistently remains at one of the three top positions in the list. He also highlighted how none of the cities in Pakistan correspond to the “safe air quality” as defined by the World Health Organization. He highlighted how people in Lahore suffer due to the bad air quality especially during winter when the air quality deteriorates in the winters mainly due to burning of crops. Further, he referenced the water pollution in Karachi. He highlighted how close to “700 million gallons of untreated sewage” is discharged into the Arabian Sea every day. The author argued that the government must announce an “environmental emergency” so that everyone in the country comprehends the dire state of the environment. This would also help in directing resources to combat pollution. He further called for measures to prevent the discharge of untreated sewage in the sea. He argued for stringent laws on restricting the emissions which come out of vehicles. Further, he demanded that industries should be brought under the ambit of “environment laws.” (Masood Lohar, “Choked Pakistan,” The News International, 25 March 2025)