ICEP

DAWN EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

ANALYSIS
Dated: 26 August 2020

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 CONTENTS TABLE
Page Title Section/Category
04 A rosy picture? Economic affairs
06 Libya ceasefire Global Issues
08 US is isolating itself over Iran Global Affairs
09 What Balochistan Needs National Issue
19 The rule of law and hierarchy Judiciary of Pakistan
22 Shifting Priorities National Policies

COLOURS Used:

Red for Difficult Vocab

Green for Important Figures and contents

Others colours used where necessary

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 DAWN+ EDITORIALS SECTION

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A rosy picture? | DAWN EDITORIAL
▪ Why in news?

THE recent ‘economic turnaround’ has taken many by surprise and spawned
optimism about a quicker-than-expected recovery from coronavirus-inflicted
losses from the last quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Prompted by early signs, Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted that “the economy is on the right
track” as the current account balance swung into a surplus of $424m in July — the fourth monthly
surplus since October — from a deficit of $100m in June and $613m a year ago. It is true that
short-term trends indicate that the economy is returning on the path of growth.

▪ List of Economic growth achieved in last quarter

i. The trade balance is narrowing on surging exports.
ii. Workers’ remittances are increasing.
iii. Industry is picking up.
iv. The FBR has collected 23pc more taxes in the first month of this fiscal against a target of
Rs243bn.
v. Domestic demand for products such as cement, motorcycles, cars, tractors, etc is witnessing
a spike as the economy opens up amid a miraculous but perplexing decline in infections.
vi. The stock market has bounced back(returned) on expectations of better future corporate
profitability.
vii. Real estate prices are rising on the back of concessions announced for construction and
housing.

▪ Critical examining of mysterious economic recovery

The forecasts of a slow journey towards recovery seem to be a thing of the past. However, it is also
time to pause for a moment and ask if the current upturn (increase) is sustainable? Are we
really back on the right track?

Some economic improvements appear as a one-off(single time) , at least for now. For example,
export recovery owes itself to the pent-up (pent-up ) demand unleashed by relaxation in Covid-19
restrictions around the globe as buyers rebuild their depleted inventories and release stuck-up
payments for pre-pandemic shipments.

Similarly, we don’t yet know for certain the factors responsible for the surge in remittances at a
time when the global economy is in disarray and thousands of Pakistanis have lost jobs in the Gulf
countries.

Whether or not exports and remittances can maintain the present momentum will become
clear only in the second quarter of the ongoing fiscal year.

On top of that, much of the ongoing activity is on account of the temporary relief granted by the
IMF through the suspension of its harsh economic stabilisation policies, which had
engendered(caused) one of the deepest economic slumps (decline) even before the arrival of the
virus. What happens when the IMF programme is revived is anyone’s guess. Most likely, the
current recovery will hit the brakes once again. Nor are we sure as to how the virus will behave
over the next several months at home and abroad.

▪ Conclusion

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Last but not least, some of the potential adverse effects of the pandemic on businesses and banks
put on a hold by State Bank measures to counter the impact of the health crisis could well be felt by
the end of the March. While optimism is in order, we should perceive early wins with caution.

VOCABULARY DESCRIPTION
A rosy picture:
to make something sound very good.

He painted a rosy picture of the company's future.

bounced back:
To return quickly to a normal condition after a difficult situation or event
After losing the first three games of the series, they bounced back to win their next eight
games.

pent-up :
closely confined or held back.

“a surge of pent-up water”

One-off :
Limited to a single time, occasion, or instance

Slumps:
A sudden severe or prolonged fall in the price, value, or amount of something.

“a slump in profits”

Engender:
Cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition).

“the issue engendered continuing controversy”

early wins:
An early win is the implementation of a small outcome or objective that can be realized
quickly and early in a project’s time frame.

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Libya ceasefire |DAWN EDITORIAL
▪ Why in news?

Libya’s UN-recognised government announced a ceasefire across

the country on Friday and called for demilitarising the contested
strategic city of Sirte, raising hopes for peace in the more than
nine-year-old conflict.

EVER since the 2011 fall of Libyan strongman Muammar

Qadhafi in protests fuelled by the , the North African country
has not seen stability. In fact, the fate of Libya in many ways The Arab Spring (Arabic:
mirrors that of Syria, even though Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad ‫ )الربيع العربي‬was a series of
continues to cling to power whereas Qadhafi met a gruesome anti-government protests,
end. In both cases, foreign intervention designed to remove uprisings, and armed
an autocratic ruler has, instead, caused even more chaos and rebellions that spread across
the collapse of the state. much of the Arab world in
the early 2010s. It began in
▪ Chaos in Libya: Here is why? response to oppressive
regimes and a low standard
In Libya’s case, there were signs of hope last week when the of living, starting with
protests in Tunisia.
Government of National Accord(GNA) , the UN-recognised
set-up based in the capital Tripoli, announced a ceasefire.
However, the truce(ceasefire) has swiftly been rejected by the
Libyan National Army, an armed group led by warlord Khalifa Haftar that controls large parts of
the country’s east. An LNA spokesman on Sunday referred to the ceasefire as a “marketing
stunt”.
The Government of
▪ External meddling in Affairs and battle field made in National Accord is an
interim government for
Libya by West Libya that was formed
under the terms of the
Unfortunately, similar to the Syrian situation, the differences between Libyan Political
Libyan groups and tribes have been exacerbated by external meddling. In Agreement, a United
Libya’s case, the GNA is supported by Turkey and Qatar, while the Nations–led initiative,
rebel LNA has the support of Egypt, Russia and the UAE. Needless to signed on 17 December
say, these external players are using Libya as a battlefield to settle 2015
scores, while the Libyan factions are amenable (compliant ) to receiving
arms, funds and fighters from foreign backers.

This, as in Syria where the Western-Arab states joined forces to try and oust Mr Assad, who is
backed by Iran and Russia, has been a recipe for disaster.

▪ Critical Analysis
It illustrates the fallacy of nation-building programmes and the so-called responsibility to protect,
which was invoked by the West in both Syria and Libya. Qadhafi, much like the Syrian leader, was
no model democrat. In fact he was a ruthless dictator who brooked (tolerated) no
dissent(opposition) . Yet his forced removal by Nato has arguably created more problems for
ordinary Libyans. Now, instead of creating more chaos, all foreign forces must work to make the
ceasefire in Libya succeed, so that the once functional state can be rebuilt.

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 VOCABULARY ILLUSTRATION
Truce:

an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time.

“the guerrillas called a three-day truce”

Tripoli is the capital city and the largest city of Libya.

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US is isolating itself over Iran | Daily times
Editorial
▪ Why in news?

America was rebuffed last week when 13 countries on the security

council argued that the US had no legal right to “snap back”
sanctions because it had already walked out of the 2015 nuclear deal
with Iran

▪ US meddling in Middle East

For all its unorthodox and unprecedented initiatives in foreign policy, the Trump
administration is going to be remembered most for the advances it made in the Middle East
regardless of how many terms it serves. It effectively killed the Two State Solution – the olive
branch that had kept the Palestinians in their place all these decades – when it officially recognised
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and announced moving the US embassy there, engineered an even
more special relationship with Saudi Arabia than America is used to by giving them cover for
anything they want provided they keep spending hundreds of billions on American arms, its
intervention has made the Syrian civil war even messier and uglier than it was, and it has
brokered a historic embrace between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.

▪ US diplomatic move on Iran

Yet it has reserved its most potent(powerful) diplomatic poison for Iran. For all throughout the last
four years, it has seemed that the US was itching to open another war front in the Middle East, this
time with Iran. And it’s not as if nobody knows that both the Israelis and friends in the Gulf have
been trying as hard as they can to convince him to push the button. Things almost came to a head
when Trump, for some reason, decided to take out respected senior Iranian General Solemani
in Baghdad, even though the commander was supposedly on his way to Saudi Arabia to try
and mend ties and bring some sort of sanity(stability) back to the region.

▪ EU tilt towards Iran agitated US

Now, in what could be his last few days as US president, Donald Trump is shocking friends
and foes alike with his obsession with re-imposing sanctions against Iran under the 2015
nuclear deal. And who exactly has been left red faced now that 13 out of 15 UNSC members have
reportedly opposed America’s move? It’s nobody in Washington, if you ask anybody in the White
House, because Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused European allies of “siding with the
ayatollahs.” Now, even if the US is able to muscle this thing through, and indeed have sanctions
reimposed, Europeans will begrudgingly(reluctantly) play along for the time being but in the long
term an important dynamic of this relationship would be badly hurt. Right now they’re just trying
to delay the matter and hoping that Trump would lose the White House in November. All in
all, Washington is not scoring any points with all this ahead of the election, it is only isolating
itself. *

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What Balochistan Needs |Nation Editorials
Why in news?

The provincial government’s parliamentary committee of coalition

partners on Monday called for an increase in the number of
National Assembly’s seats for Balochistan.

The Parliamentary committee of coalition partners of the Balochistan government, while

welcoming a resolution passed by the Senate, also called for increased representation of the
province in the National Assembly (NA). Increasing representation in principle is great, since more
representation in the NA, theoretically speaking, can augment the neglect of the province and its
people. However, the question worth asking is this: Will the mere increase in the participatory
process in the parliament offer any real help?

▪ Issues of People of Balochistan

i. Low voter turnout will remain a considerable challenge even if the seats for Balochistan go
up in the lower house of the parliament.
ii. Reduced participation in the electoral process, as witnessed in the 2018 elections, when
the voter turnout dropped by more than 3 percent as compared to 2013, is a point of
concern.
iii. The people in the province have lost faith in the efficacy of the electoral process.
iv. Therefore, even if the bill of enhancing Baloch representation in the house passes,
marginalisation of the province will not end.

▪ Government’s steps taken

Clearly, the Baloch problem cannot be solved with such a simple step even if it is the first of many
more interventions by the state to bring the disgruntled Baloch people back into the national ambit.
The proposal of the coalition partners is not idealistic.

▪ Suggestion
However, a more meaningful step would be for them to ask the centre to announce a special
package for the socio-economic uplift of the province, where a significant chunk of the population
lives in multidimensional poverty.

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 One liner Mcqs Section

• Anti-Money Laundering (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Islamabad

Capital Territory Waqf Properties Bill, 2020 were rejected in senate by
opposition.

• Afghan delegation was led by Amir Mullah Baradar.

• Taliban Political Commission (TPC) delegation met with the foreign minister
on 25th August, (Tuesday) and exchanged views on the current status of
Afghan peace process.

• The Kavkaz 2020” (“Caucasus 2020”), strategic military command-post

exercise will be held in Astrakhan region of South Russia between
September 15 and 26, where various countries, including China and Pakistan.

• Asteroid — named 2020 QG passed by our planet on Tuesday, 25th August

• Pakistan successfully developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system (video-

based risk detection technology ) by the company Love For Data to ascertain
areas and their respective coronavirus risk rating and divide them accordingly.

• A tele-school was launched on April 7.

• Urdu will be the main medium of instruction for the new curriculum

• Federal Minister for Education is Shafqat Mahmood.

• Uniform curriculum would be implemented from grade one to five.

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 ENGLISH WRITING PRACTICE

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 Important Dawn + Vocabulary

598). PERCOLATE
Meaning: filter, drain, drip
Definition: (of a liquid or gas) filter gradually through a porous surface or substance.
Usage: The water percolating through the soil may leach out minerals.

599). ENVIRON
Meaning: surround, encircle, enclose, ring, envelop;
Definition: surround; enclose.
Usage: The stone circle was environed by an expanse of peat soil

600). USHER
Meaning: escort, accompany, help, assist
Definition: show or guide (someone) somewhere.
Usage: He ushered him to a window seat.

601). Pledge
Meaning: Mortgage, guarantee, pawn
Definition: give as security on a loan.
Usage: The creditor to whom the land is pledged

602). Tumultuous
Meaning: loud, deafening, thunderous, thundering, ear-
splitting, noisy, vociferous
Definition: making an uproar or loud, confused noise.
Usage: Tumultuous applause

603). Coalition
Meaning: alliance, union, partnership, affiliation, bloc, caucus.
Definition: a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming
a government.
Usage: A coalition between Liberals and Conservatives.

604). Inhibit
Meaning: impede, hinder, hamper, discourage, obstruct, slow, retard
Definition: hinder, restrain, or prevent (an action or process)
Usage: Cold inhibits plant growth

605). Squirm
Meaning: wriggle, wiggle, writhe, twist, slide, slither, turn, shift, fidget
Definition: wriggle or twist the body from side to side, especially as a result of nervousness
or discomfort
Usage: He looked uncomfortable and squirmed in his chair.

606). Allegedly
Meaning: reportedly, supposedly, reputedly, ostensibly, apparently, presumedly
Definition: used to convey that something is claimed to be the case or have taken place,
although there is no proof
Usage: He was allegedly a leading participant in the coup attempt

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607). Creep
Meaning: crawl, squirm, wriggle, writhe, worm, inch, edge
Definition: move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed
Usage: He crept downstairs, hardly making any noise

608). Gimmick
Meaning: stunt, contrivance, scheme, trick, dodge, ploy, stratagem
Definition: a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or trade.
Usage: It is not so much a programme to improve services as a gimmick to gain votes.

609). Provocative
Meaning: annoying, irritating, infuriating, provoking, maddening, goading
Definition: causing anger or another strong reaction, especially deliberately
Usage: A provocative article.

610). Orthodoxy
Meaning: doctrine, belief, creed, dogma, credo, theory, view, idea, practice
Definition: authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice.
Usage: Monetarist orthodoxy.

611). Tendentious
Meaning: partisan, expressing, intending
Definition: expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially
a controversial one.
Usage: A tendentious reading of history

612). Credence
Meaning: acceptance, belief, faith, trust, confidence, reliance, traction
Definition: belief in or acceptance of something as true.
Usage: Psychoanalysis finds little credence among laymen

613). Reluctant
Meaning: unwilling, disinclined, grudging, resistant, opposed, antipathetic.
Definition: unwilling and hesitant; disinclined..
Usage: She seemed reluctant to answer.

614). Disingenuous
Meaning: dishonest, deceitful, underhand, underhanded, duplicitous, lying, false
Definition: not candid or sincere, typically by
pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.
Usage: This journalist was being somewhat disingenuous as well as cynical

615). Ascribing
Meaning: attribute, assign, put down, set down, accredit, credit
Definition: regard something as being due to (a cause).
Usage: He ascribed Jane's short temper to her upset stomach.

616). Maverick
Meaning: individualist, nonconformist, free spirit, eccentric, outerside
Definition: an unorthodox or independent-minded person.
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Usage: He's the maverick of the senate

617). Verdict
Meaning: judgement, adjudication, decision, finding, ruling, resolution, decree, order
Definition: a decision on an issue of fact in a civil or criminal case or an inquest
Usage: The jury returned a verdict of not guilty

618). Embroil
Meaning: Involve, entangle, ensnare, enmesh, catch up, mix up, bog down, mire
Definition: involve (someone) deeply in an argument, conflict, or difficult situation.
Usage: The organization is currently embroiled in running battles with pressure groups.

619). Reckless
Meaning: rash, careless, thoughtless, incautions, heedless, unheeding, inattentive, precipitate
Definition: heedless of danger or the consequences of one's actions; rash or impetuous
Usage: You mustn't be so reckless".

620). Legislative
Meaning: law-making, judicial, juridical, administrative
Definition: having the power to make laws..
Usage: The country's supreme legislative body.

621). Scepticism
Meaning: Doubt, doubtfulness, Dubiousness, lack of conviction
Definition: a sceptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something.
Usage: These claims were treated with scepticism.

622). Contingent
Meaning: Chance, accidental, fortuitous, possible, unforeseen, unpredictable
Definition: subject to chance.
Usage: The contingent nature of the job.

623). Culmination
Meaning: Climax, pinnacle, peak, high point, Height, crest, zenith
Definition: the highest or climactic point of something, especially as attained after a long
time.
Usage: The deal marked the culmination of years of negotiation.

624). Surrogate
Meaning: substitute, proxy, replacement
Definition: a substitute, especially a person deputizing for another in a specific role or office.
Usage: Wives of MPs are looked on as surrogates for their husbands while the latter are at
Westminster.

625). Enumerate
Meaning: List, itemize, catalogue, set out, set forth, give
Definition: mention (a number of things) one by one.
Usage: There is not space to enumerate all his works.

626). Altruistic
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Meaning: Unselfish, selfless, self-denying
Definition: showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others;
unselfish.
Usage: It was an entirely altruistic act.

627). Maverick
Meaning: Individualist, nonconformist, free spirit, eccentric, outsider, trendsetter
Definition: an unorthodox or independent-minded person.
Usage: he's the maverick of the senate.

628). Promulgate
Meaning: make public, publicize, announce, proclaim, circulate
Definition: promote or make widely known (an idea or cause).
Usage: These objectives have to be promulgated within the organization .
629). pecuniary
Meaning: financial, money, monetary, fiscal, capital, ccommercial
Definition: relating to or consisting of money.
Usage: He admitted obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.

630). Ponderous
Meaning: clumsy, slow, heavy, awkward, graceless
Definition: slow and clumsy because of great weight.
Usage: A swarthy, ponderous giant of a man.

631). Expedite
Meaning: Speed up, accelerate, hurry, hasten, step up, quicken
Definition: make (an action or process) happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly.
Usage: He promised to expedite economic reforms.

632). Conscience
Meaning: moral sense, sense of right, still small voice
Definition: a person's moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one's
behaviour.
Usage: He had a guilty conscience about his desires

633). Contravene
Meaning: Break, breach, violate.
Definition: offend against the prohibition or order of (a law, treaty, or code of conduct).
Usage: He contravened the Official Secrets Act.

634). Sanctum
Meaning: Holy place, shrine, altar, refuge, foxhole, hiding place
Definition: a sacred place, especially a shrine within a temple or church
Usage: An icon installed within the sanctum of the temple

635). Whopping
Meaning: Huge, massive, enormous, gigantic, very big, very large
Definition: very large
Usage: A whopping $74 million loss.

636). Assassination
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Meaning: Murder, killing, political execution, slaughter, butchery, extermination,
termination
Definition: the action of assassinating someone
Usage: The assassination of President Kennedy

637). Foil
Meaning: thwart, oppose, baulk, disappoint, impede, obstruct
Definition: prevent (something considered wrong or undesirable) from succeeding.
Usage: A brave policewoman foiled the armed robbery

638). Motley
Meaning: Mixed, diverse, assorted, sundry, varied, disparate
Definition: incongruously varied in appearance or character; disparate.
Usage: A motley crew of discontents and zealots.

639). Facetious
Meaning: Flippant, flip, glib, joking, jocular, playful, impish
Definition: treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humour; flippant
Usage: A facetious remark.

640). Murky
Meaning: dark, gloomy, grey, leaden, dull, dim, cloudy
Definition: dark and gloomy, especially due to thick mist.
Usage: The sky was murky and a thin drizzle was falling.

641). Lynch
Synonyms: hang, hang by the neck
Meaning: (of a group of people) kill (someone) for an alleged offence without a legal trial,
especially by hanging.
Usage: Her father had been lynched by whites.

642). Arid
Synonyms: dry, dried up, waterless, as dry as a bone, thirsty, Dull
Meaning: lacking in interest, excitement, or meaning..
Usage: His arid years in suburbia

643). Impresario
Synonyms: Organizer, manager, producer, stage manager
Meaning: a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas
Usage: Amit Shah plays impresario to this knee-jerk nationalism.

644). Gravitas
Synonyms: dignity, seriousness, solemnity, gravity, loftiness, grandeur
Meaning: dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner..
Usage: A post for which he has the expertise and the gravitas

645). Manace
Synonyms: Danger, peril, risk, hazard, threat
Meaning: a person or thing that is likely to cause harm; a threat or danger.
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Usage: A new initiative aimed at beating the menace of drugs

646). Fetish
Synonyms: fixation, obsession, compulsion, mania
Meaning: a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a
particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc..
Usage: A man with a fetish for surgical masks

647). Blatant
Synonyms: flagrant, manifest, unmistakable, open, obvious
Meaning: (of bad behaviour) done openly and unashamedly
Usage: Blatant lies

648). Sacrosanct
Synonyms: sacred, hallowed, inviolable, inviolate, untouchable
Meaning: (especially of a principle, place, or routine)
regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with
Usage: The individual's right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct

649). Martyr
Synonyms: suffer from, be a constant sufferer from, have chronic
Meaning: a person who displays or exaggerates their discomfort or distress in order to obtain
sympathy
Usage: She wanted to play the martyr

650). Swoop
Synonyms: dive, descend, drop, plunge, pitch
Meaning: (especially of a bird) move rapidly downwards through the air.
Usage: The barn owl can swoop down on a mouse in total darkness

651). Flare
Meaning: Blaze, flash, flame, burn up
Definition: burn or shine with a sudden intensity.
Usage: The bonfire crackled and flared up

652). Trigger
Meaning: Activate, set off, set going, trip
Definition: cause (a device) to function.
Usage: Burglars fled empty-handed after triggering the alarm

653). Evacuate
Meaning: remove, clear, move out, shift, take away, expel, evict.
Definition: remove (someone) from a place of danger to a safer place.
Usage: Several families were evacuated from their homes

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 DAWN+ OPINIONS SECTION

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The rule of law and hierarchy | The Express Tribune
Hassan Niazi

Pakistan has always had a difficult relationship with the rule of law.Its
history is riddled with paper-thin adherence to the concept. The law has been
used as a political tool for personal gain, or as a hammer to achieve
illegitimate goals regardless of the cost. Examples abound: Necessity, as a
means to legitimize unconstitutional actions; the use of presidential
discretion to dissolve elected parliaments; religious offences, to maintain a
hegemony of faith.

Thesis statement

Pakistan ranked at 120 out of 128 in Rule of Law Index

The World Justice Project, in its 2020 Rule of Law Index, ranks Pakistan at 120 out of 128
countries. This abysmal ranking comes as no surprise. Yet, no institution of state, no
political party, no chief justice, appears to be working towards confronting the problem.

Progress is not possible without Rule of law:

This state of affairs, at first, appears perplexing. After all, without a strong rule of law
regime there can be no development, no economic growth, and no peace. Why does then
nobody talk about overhauling our legal system?

Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the absence of the rule of law in the country favours
those who have historically held power in Pakistan. Furthermore, the way the law is
structured necessitates and perpetuates hierarchy. A hierarchy favouring not just those who
have historically held power, but also of wealth, and social capital.

Law must apply equally to everyone:

An essential component of the rule of law has always been that the law must apply equally
to everyone. No person, or institution of state, should be above the law. At its core, this is an
accountability provision. Those who flout the law must be held accountable — no matter
who they are.

We know this is not true in this country.

Law is subjected to Power in Pakistan:

The imbalance of power that courses through Pakistan is reflected in the law. While our
history shows that the law has gone above and beyond to hold politicians accountable, it
beats a hasty retreat when it comes to dictators and those who facilitate them. It is shocking
how the law is used to grant impunity to some of the most draconian actions taking place in
certain parts of the country. There are parts of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa which
appear to exist outside the law altogether. The only form of law that is allowed entry there is
the one that suits those in power.

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The legislation has been used to pursue desired Goals: Examples
Rather than enhance accountability, the law has historically tried to make many of the
human rights violations easier through legislation such as the

▪ Frontier Crimes Regulations of 1901 (applicable in former Fata)

▪ or the 2011 Actions (in Aid of Civil Powers) Regulations.

Even the Constitution aids and abets this flouting of the rule of law.

▪ In 2019, the KP Action (in Aid of Civil Powers) Ordinance, 2019 was enacted which
allowed — in the name of exceptional circumstances — the use of internment centres
in K-P which deny the right to a fair trial. The Constitution can be used to justify this
legislation since it states in Article 245 (1) that armed forces can be used in aid of civil
power if the federal government deems it necessary. This decision is then made
immune from being questioned before any court.

The delayed and long-run Cases of Judiciary makes Justice an alien concept:
The legal regime also favours a hierarchy of wealth. Wealth buys you the law because it
buys you time. They say ‘delay defeats justice’ but Pakistan never got the memo. Let me
give you an example of how long a case can run in our judicial system: In January 2018, the
Supreme Court announced its verdict in a case that had been instituted 100 years ago.As
lawyers, even for the simplest contractual dispute, we are forced to advise our clients that
the case will take at least 10 years before a decision is made by a trial court — longer, if
either party decides to appeal. This means in excess of 10 years in legal fees, costs, and
multiple trips to courts. With legal aid non-existent, and judges rarely making cost orders,
the majority of people in Pakistan cannot afford this. Which is why they defer to
politicians, biraderi, or just a one-off bribe to avoid going to court altogether.

Wealth also grants access to social capital. And the law favours the language of a particular
social class.

The Law is vague concept to the majority of people: Reasons

The rule of law states that the law must be, to the best of the state’s ability, clear and
accessible to all. People should know what the law is so that they can not only plan their
lives accordingly, but also so that they can know what their rights are.But for the majority of
people in Pakistan, the law is an alien concept. Written almost entirely in English, taught in
English, with judgments in English. The law is a foreign language, making it accessible only
to a small segment of the country. A small segment that interprets it, moulds it, and enacts it
according to their own best interests. Discourses around constitutional rights are
meaningless to the majority of the people in the country because they have never
experienced those rights in their lifetime.

Conclusion:

The consequences of having a system where the law perpetuates existing power structures is
of course the further reproduction of hierarchy. And thus, the law, dreamt to protect all,
protects only a few. The rest of the country is made completely dependent on this small
minority.

Way forward:

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We must dismantle this regime, otherwise there is no chance of this country progressing on
any front. The only way to do this right now is through a collective demand for change.
Imran Khan has three more years left in power. If he acts now, he can work to change this
system. That change would be the greatest accomplishment by any politician in the history
of this country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2020.

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Shifting Priorities | Daily Times
Sabbah Uddin

From a layperson on a tea stall in a village to an astute diplomat in

Islamabad, everyone knows and understands a basic principle, ‘if you offer
your back – everyone will ride’. For Pakistan, this would not be the only time
when someone wants us back for a free joy ride. While oil-rich countries in
the Middle East are reconciling constructively to deal with a sworn enemy,
Islamabad has taken a firm stance to not allow anybody to take advantage of
Pakistan’s weaknesses and economic vulnerability to coerce her into a
position where it had to compromise on its humanitarian stance on Palestine.

Thesis statement

Pakistan's Principled stance amid shifting priorities of Gulf Countries

For Pakistan, Kashmir and Palestine are similar issues and Islamabad cannot afford a
different stance for each. Thus Pakistan is doing what it can to avoid any compromise on
principle stance which might have pushed the country into a conflagration which would
have affected the country as a nation for decades to come. To relieve the pressure Pakistan
has successfully signalled “change of camp” rather than erecting a camp of its own with
Turkey, Iran, and Malaysia. To address the pressure on its economy, Pakistan is now once
again focused on its half-complete projects in the region such as CPEC.

CCPEC 'a thrown in the flesh’ for America and Gulf Countries:
The economic corridor has bothered everyone in Washington’s camp. Gwadar has also been
a “thorn in the flesh” for friendly Arabs who have their convincing economic fears and
apprehensions about CPEC. Strategic papers drafted at Washington so far did much to scare
both Pakistan and China. Beijing had a deep sensitivity to CPEC sabotaging elements such
as East Turkistan Islamic Movement. The scenario of religious terrorists or ethnic Baloch
separatists attempting to break the Chinese ‘necklace of pearls’ forecasted harm to CPEC
and other Chinese investments in Pakistan. However, this could not deter Beijing, which
carried out its own reality check and due diligence before investing in Pakistan. For
Pakistan, there was none other than this most dangerous scenario that CPEC has set the ball
rolling for Greater Baluchistan in the south and initiation of sectarian disturbances up north
in Gilgit-Baltistan. Securing these two CPEC limbs became a priority for both Islamabad
and Beijing. However, the worst-case scenarios regarding CPEC never materialized, but
they remain an unfulfilled dream for those who wanted to see Islamabad entangled in an
internal security turmoil failing to protect Chinese investment.

Pakistan must take China on-board, which because of its

incredibly growing economy, the share of global developments
and unprecedented spread of influence around the world, can
put its weight to support Pakistan

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Conspiracies against CPEC:
Failing to pose hurdles to the corridor was not possible. They spun hence a lot of
propaganda against CPEC. They constructed themes that CPEC was a Trojan horse and
would enslave the country. For many, CPEC became a failure who predicted that it has
already drowned between the gulf of mistrust between China and Pakistan. People expected
that this gulf would probably widen each passing day because of terrorism. Beijing noted,
calculated diplomatic advances made by Islamabad towards those in Washington’s camp
with concern. Media joined the bandwagon about CPEC from unravelling stories of
corruption and mismanagement in some projects to Chinese nationals’ wedding. Courts in
Pakistan were summoning Chinese companies for clarifications. It was like a deliberately
designed plan manifesting itself as a sponsored campaign against CPEC. Unfortunately,
those advising the government in Pakistan also started to believe in such narratives.

What is CPEC and its Long term planning?

The reality was different, but it was beyond the cursory view of armchair experts. For a few
in favour of CPEC, it was simple to understand that CPEC was a regional test project as part
of the Chinese BRI (Belt and Road initiative) which had not even started yet in Pakistan.
Over optimistic planning with the desire for quick wins became the root cause of confusion
about CPEC. The realization set in that CPEC was not just a road passage or a port
development scheme but an environment enabled for long term Chinese OBOR initiative.
Thereafter, Pakistan and China once again opened up with a Long-Term Plan (LTP) for
CPEC. They planned the economic corridor in a way that by the end of the year 2030. CPEC
road test will be completely stimulating economic growth in Central and South Asia. By this
time, CPEC would transform the region into an international economic zone.

CPEC must be Pakistan's first priority for economic growth:

Owing to the recent developments in the Middle East and our region, Islamabad has fully
realized that it cannot expect to improve its economy by mere banking on support from the
countries in the Middle East. Islamabad repented its mood swings of putting CPEC on the
backburner, which was readily affording Pakistan a chance to seize opportunities presented
by China’s economic development and transformation.

Handling FATF smartly needs balanced and well calculated policies:

While Pakistan is now deciding to choose the anti-Arab camp, Islamabad knows also that the
current legal onslaught on the pretext of FATF compliance. Pakistan must adapt to an
environment shaped by leveraging powers and judiciously contest against them. While
disentangling feet from the FATF compliances, Pakistan must take on board the friendly
members of FATF amongst the 36 members through aggressive diplomatic overtures.
Pakistan cannot afford a blacklist at this junction in time. Pakistan must take China on-
board, which because of its incredibly growing economy, the share of global developments
and unprecedented spread of influence around the world, can put its weight to support
Pakistan. China has invested strategically ensuring Chinese companies around the world. At
this junction in time, every country in the world and particularly those in Asia now trade
more openly with China while the United States feels its growth being outperformed.
Pakistan must ensure to have unconditional support from China to thwart pressures from
Washington and the Middle-East.

Conclusion:

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Pakistan has little to worry about if it partners with China to pursue its economic goals
besides sharing the table with Turkey and Iran in regional projects. In this situation Pakistan
will be definitely at the head table by getting a strategic prominence in the region.

Writer is a versatile analyst and speaker on contemporary issues

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