Dawn Editorials & Opinions
the 2018 elections. While the PML-N
Bypoll controversy - Newspaper -
DAWN.COM
Editorial 21 February 2021
THE recent round ‫ حالیہ دور‬of by-
elections have thrown up ‫تیزی آگئی ہے‬
quite a few surprises. They have also
generated ‫ پیدا کردیا ہے‬controversy ‫تنازعہ‬
over mismanagement ‫ بد انتظامی‬and
suspected rigging ‫ دھاندلی کا شبہ‬in at least
one seat for the National Assembly. The
PTI government is putting up ‫پیش کر رہی‬
‫ ہے‬a brave face but in many ways these
elections have exposed ‫بے نقاب ہوچکے ہیں‬
a few chinks in the PTI armour. The
polls in Sindh showed that the PPP
retains its hold on the province ‫صوبے پر‬
‫ اپنی گرفت برقرار رکھی ہے‬and the last two
years have not diluted its support ‫حمایت‬
‫ کو ختم نہیں کیا گیا‬among the voters. This
was evidenced ‫ ثبوت‬not just by the PPP’s
victory in both the provincial assembly
victories but also the impressive margin
‫ متاثر کن مارجن‬with which the party
won. Also noteworthy ‫ قابل ذکر‬is the fact
that the runner-up ‫ دوسرے نمبر پر‬in the
Malir seat PS-88 was not from PTI but
the TLP..
In Punjab, however, it was a straight
fight between the PML-N and PTI. The
two seats, NA-75 Daska and PP-51
Wazirabad, were won by the PML-N in
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has been able to retain ‫برقرار رکھنے میں‬
‫ کامیاب رہی ہے‬the provincial seat, the
ECP has held back the result of the
Daska seat because of alleged
irregularities. ‫ مبینہ بے ضابطگیاں‬The ECP
has, in fact, issued a strongly worded
press release that is, for all practical
purposes, an indictment ‫ الزام‬of the
Punjab government. PML-N leader
Maryam Nawaz Sharif has accused ‫الزام‬
‫ لگایا ہے۔‬the PTI government of indulging
‫ ملوث‬in blatant ، ‫ بالکل واضح‬rigging ‫دھاندلی‬
while the PTI claims it has won the
contest fair and square. The ECP has
taken the correct stance ‫ درست موقف‬by
stating unequivocally ‫غیر واضح بیان کرتے‬
‫ ہوئے‬that at 20 polling stations they
suspect ‫ انہیں شبہ ہے‬results may have
been tampered ‫چھیڑ چھاڑ کی گئی ہے۔‬
with. The ECP also goes on to say that
this entire affair ‫ سارا معاملہ‬seems to be a
result of weakness showed by
administrative ‫ انتظامی‬and law-
enforcement institutions. The
government of Punjab must take this
concern by the ECP seriously ‫سنجیدگی‬
‫ سے‬because it reflects adversely ‫منفی‬
‫ طور پر‬on the ability of the government
to provide the support that the ECP
requires by law in order to organise free
and fair ‫ آزادانہ اور منصفانہ‬polls. It is
important for the ECP to get to the
bottom of this controversy ‫ تنازعہ‬and
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 Dawn Editorials & Opinions

identify those responsible ‫ ذمہ دار‬so that Digital economy - Newspaper -

citizens’ confidence in elections is not DAWN.COM
impacted.. Editorial 21 February 2021

The biggest blow ‫ سب سے بڑا دھچکا‬for

EVER SINCE ‫ تب سے‬Covid-19 cases
the PTI has come in KP, the province
broke out ‫ سامنے آئے‬in the country in
that it considers its fortress. ‫اپنا قلعہ‬
February last year, the State Bank has
‫ سمجھتا ہے‬The Nowshera provincial
implemented ‫ نافذ کیے ہیں‬several actions
assembly seat won by the party in 2018
to encourage digital payments ‫ڈیجیٹل‬
has now gone to the PML-N candidate
‫ ادائیگی‬and reduce the use of cash
‫امیدوار‬. This should be a wake-up call for
transactions ‫نقد لین دین‬. Starting from the
the PTI which has been claiming ‫دعوی‬
suspension of the fee charged by banks
‫ کرتا رہا ہے‬that the opposition has lost
on interbank fund transfers, the bank
ground ‫ اپوزیشن کا اقتدار ختم ہوگیا ہے‬since
recently launched ‫ آغاز کیا‬a new instant
the last elections. These by-elections
real-payment system, Raast, which
may not provide a full picture of what
connects banks and digital wallets as a
the electorate is thinking but it does give
first step towards a digital
a peek into the prevalent mood. This
economy. Pakistan has joined ‫شامل ہوگیا‬
mood is not going in favour of the ruling
‫ ہے‬the list of 56 countries that have
party. The PTI may need to do some
developed instant ‫ فوری‬real-time
soul searching in order to figure out ‫پتہ‬
payment schemes. Raast will be used
‫ لگانا‬why there is such a gap between
initially ‫ ابتدائی طور پر‬for the payment of
what it says and the reality on the
dividends, ‫ منافع کی ادائیگی‬pension and
ground..
Ehsaas disbursements ‫ اخراجات‬to
Published in Dawn, February 21st, destitute women ‫بے سہارا خواتین‬. Besides,
2021. the Roshan Digital Account initiative for
overseas Pakistanis is not only
facilitating ‫ فراہم کررہے ہیں‬them in
opening accounts and investing in the
stock market and real estate schemes
digitally from their countries of
residence but also shoring up ‫حمایت‬

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 Dawn Editorials & Opinions

‫ کرنے کے لئے‬much-needed foreign fraudulent transactions. As many as 15

exchange flows into the country..
Now the State Bank has instructed ‫ہدایت‬
‫ کی ہے‬banks to issue ‫ جاری کرنے‬only
Euro-pay MasterCard Visa (EMV) chip-
and PIN-compliant payment cards,
which will become active for making
payments and online e-commerce
services the day the customers receive
them. Banks have been given until end
June to make arrangements ‫انتظامات‬
‫ کرنے کے لئے‬for issuing EMV cards,
which will make cashless payments
more secure and easier through the
introduction of new features. This will
also allow consumers to make loan
repayments ‫ ادائیگی‬through cards and
lodge complaints ‫شکایات درج کروائیں۔‬
through digital channels without the
need to visit a bank branch. The measure
aims at strengthening ‫ مضبوط کرنے‬the
security of digital payments and
curtailing fraud risk ‫دھوکہ دہی کے خطرے‬
‫کو کم کرنا‬. The new measure is expected
to promote ‫توقع کی جارہی ہے کہ اس اقدام‬
‫ سے فروغ ملے گا‬the e-commerce
ecosystem and shape consumer
behaviour in favour of online payments,
according to the State Bank. Earlier in
2019, it had instructed banks to adopt
‫ اپنانے کی ہدایت کی تھی‬a 3-D secure
protocol to prevent ‫ روکنے کے لئے‬online
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banks have so far adopted this standard
for securing online transactions ‫آن الئن‬
‫لین دین کو محفوظ بنانا۔‬. The measures taken
so far to promote ‫ کو فروغ دینے کے‬digital
payments are a positive step ‫مثبت قدم‬
towards a digital economy, which is
easier to document and tax. But the goal
of cashless and digital payments will not
materialise ‫ نہیں ہوگی‬unless ‫ جب تک‬more
people are connected to banking
channels and the government allows tax
incentives ‫ ٹیکس مراعات‬to consumers and
businesses making digital
transactions. Additionally, ‫اضافی طور پر‬
the government needs to ensure that
internet service providers and telecom
firms improve their services and extend
it to those living in remote areas ‫دور کے‬
‫ عالقے‬so that more people can take
advantage of the measures being
executed ‫اقدامات پر عمل درآمد کیا جا رہا ہے‬
to promote a digital economy..
Published in Dawn, February 21st,
2021.
Sparring in parliament - Newspaper -
DAWN.COM
Editorial 21 February 2021
IN keeping with the trend of unruly ‫بے‬
‫ شک‬and inconclusive debates ‫غیر منقولہ‬
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 Dawn Editorials & Opinions

‫ مباحثے‬on key issues that have become
the hallmark ‫ پہچان‬of this National
Assembly, yet another session of
parliament descended ‫ اجالس ہوا‬into
chaos ‫ افراتفری‬this week. During Friday’s
session, opposition MNAs staged ‫احتجاج‬
‫ کیا‬a protest around the dais ‫ ڈائس‬of the
speaker and compelled ‫ مجبور کردیا‬him to
adjourn proceedings ‫کارروائی ملتوی کرنے‬
‫ پر‬till Monday as they said the
ordinances ‫ آرڈیننس‬that were
promulgated ‫ نافذ کیے گئے تھے‬should
have been on the house agenda — a
position the government’s adviser on
parliamentary affairs Babar Awan
accepted. Another protest ensued ‫شروع‬
‫ ہوا‬when the debate turned ‫ موڑ دی۔‬to
inflation, and the speaker invited
Minister for Power Omar Ayub to take
the floor, even though leading
opposition MNAs were not done
speaking. This prompted opposition
members to again surround ‫ گھیرنا‬the
dais, with the speaker declaring they
could not “dictate” ‫ حکم‬to him. Although
lively debates ‫ زندہ دالئل‬in a charged
atmosphere are hardly ‫مشکل سے‬
uncommon ‫ غیر معمولی‬in parliament, this
particular Assembly has established a
reputation ‫ ساکھ‬for creating commotion
‫ ہنگامہ‬to the point of futility.
‫ فضولیت‬Perhaps one reason for this is
that, unlike previous assemblies where
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speakers gave the floor to the opposition
to speak first and then wrapped up ‫سمیٹ‬
‫ لیا‬the debate by allowing the relevant
‫ متعلقہ‬minister to talk, this particular
Assembly has become a boxing ring
‫ باکسنگ رنگ‬where government and
opposition MNAs spar. ‫ چھڑ جاتے ہیں‬As
a result, debate is up in the air while
proceedings are dominated by noise ‫شور‬
‫ کا غلبہ ہے‬and unparliamentary
language.. ‫غیر پارلیمنٹری زبان‬
Examples of raucous debate exist ‫سخت‬
‫ بحث و مباحثہ کی مثالیں موجود ہیں‬in many
countries, but our parliamentarians
would do well to follow the better ones
such as that in the British
parliament. Commons debates are often
lively, and while MPs may interrupt ‫دخل‬
‫ اندازی کرنا‬each other to challenge what is
being said, the decorum of the House is
maintained. This allows a dynamic
debate ‫ متحرک بحث‬and provides room for
constructive discussion. In Pakistan, the
Assembly becomes a fight club ‫فائٹ کلب‬
and any goal of discussing new laws and
burning issues is abandoned ‫ترک کردیئے‬
‫جاتے ہیں‬. The government should set the
tone ‫ لہجہ مرتب کرنا چاہئے‬by observing
some etiquette ‫آداب اخالق کا مشاہدہ کرتے‬
‫ ہوئے‬and discipline ‫ نظم و ضبط‬itself and
resist the temptation ‫ ترغیب‬to come into
the Assembly with its gloves on..
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 Dawn Editorials & Opinions

Published in Dawn, February 21st,

2021.

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