Source:Dawn

Article title: Looming ‫ﺑﮍا دﮐﮭﺎئ دﯾﻨﺎ‬massacre ‫ﻗﺘﻞ ﻋﺎم‬

Date: October 14,2023
A FRESH holocaust (destruction or slaughter on a mass
scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war)against the
Palestinians is in the making as Israel has ordered over a

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million residents of northern Gaza to evacuate‫ ﺧﺎﻟﯽ‬as a

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ground invasion‫ ﺣﻤﻠﮯ‬of the besieged‫ ﻣﺤﺎﺻﺮہ‬territory‫ﻋﻼﻗﮯ‬

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by Tel Aviv is imminent‫ﻗﺮﯾﺐ‬. But the grim‫ ﺳﻨﮕﯿﻦ‬truth is that

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Gaza’s bloodied and brutalised population has nowhere to
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go, as Israel has sealed the strip, while Egypt has also
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closed its borders.

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As the UN has noted, the Israeli evacuation ‫اﻧﺨﻼء‬order is

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“impossible” to carry out, while the UN relief body has said

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Gaza is “on the brink‫ دﮨﺎﻧﮯ‬of collapse”. Perhaps Israel

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seeks to recreate ‫دوﺑﺎرہ ﺗﺨﻠﯿﻖ‬here the Sabra and Shatila

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massacre ‫(ﻗﺘﻞ ﻋﺎم‬The Sabra and Shatila massacre refers

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to the 1982 killings of between 460 and 3,500

civilians—mostly Palestinians and Lebanese Shias—in the
city of Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War)of 1982 that it
oversaw‫ﮐﯽ ﻧﮕﺮاﻧﯽ ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬, only on a much bigger scale.
While civilian casualties ‫ﺟﺎﻧﯽ ﻧﻘﺼﺎن‬on both sides are
condemnable‫ — ﻗﺎﺑﻞ ﻣﺬﻣﺖ‬more than 2,700 people have

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died after Hamas launched its surprise operation on Oct 7
— Tel Aviv now seeks to do what it has always done
without compunction‫ﺟﮭﺠﮏ ﻣﺤﺴﻮس‬: massacre‫ ﻗﺘﻞ ﻋﺎم‬men,
women and children to ‘punish’ Palestinian armed
factions‫ﮔﺮوﮨﻮں‬. This is a war crime by any definition, yet
Israel’s Western friends choose to call it ‘self-defence’.
One positive development emerging from this nightmare

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scenario is that erstwhile‫ ﺳﺎﺑﻖ‬foes‫ دﺷﻤﻨﻮں‬within the

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Muslim world have set aside their differences to raise a

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voice for the Palestinians.

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince
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Mohammed bin Salman discussed the crisis over the
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phone. Mr Raisi stressed “the need to end war crimes

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against Palestine”, while the crown prince expressed

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“deep concern” for Gaza’s people.

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The prince and Turkish President Recep Erdogan also

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discussed the hostilities‫ﺟﻨﮓ‬, highlighting the need to get

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help to civilians. Meanwhile, the OIC and Arab League, as

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usual, have limited themselves to issuing statements

expressing outrage‫ ﻏﻢ و ﻏﺼﮧ‬and sympathy‫ﮨﻤﺪردی‬. But when
the people of Gaza are facing extermination‫ ﻗﺘﻞ‬by the
Israeli war machine, more than statements of sympathy
are required.
Muslim states first need to put up a united front and

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ensure humanitarian aid reaches the besieged‫ﻣﺤﺎﺻﺮہ‬
Palestinian population. Furthermore, those Muslim states
that are close to the US and Europe, as well as Arab
countries that have established ties with Israel, must
unequivocally‫ واﺿﺢ ﻃﻮر ﭘﺮ‬tell their counterparts‫ﮨﻢ ﻣﻨﺼﺒﻮں‬
that this brutal campaign against Palestinian civilians has
to end immediately.

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There is also a very real threat of the conflict‫ﺗﻨﺎزﻋﮧ‬

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transforming into a regional war. Israel’s Western partners

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have indicated that they stand by it come what may, and

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some have sent symbolic military help as Tel Aviv
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hammers the Palestinians.
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On the other hand, Iran, which backs Hamas, as well as

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Tehran’s other regional allies‫ اﺗﺤﺎدﯾﻮں‬have said they are

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prepared to hit back at Tel Aviv and its backers‫ ﺣﺎﻣﯿﻮں‬if

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certain ‘red lines’ are crossed. A perfect storm is brewing.

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To prevent an even bigger conflagration‫ﺑﮯ ﻗﺎﺑﻮ آگ‬, Israel’s

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war machine must be reined in‫ﮐﻮ ﻟﮕﺎم ﻟﮕﺎﻧﺎ‬, or else the

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consequences‫ﻧﺘﺎﺋﺞ‬, globally, will be devastating.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2023

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Source: Pakistan observer
Opinion title: Getting out of quagmire‫دﻟﺪل‬
Date: October 14,2023
Writer:Riaz missen
PAKISTAN faces a daunting‫ ﻣﺸﮑﻞ‬predicament‫ﻣﺼﯿﺒﺖ‬،‫دردﺷﺎ‬
rooted in a history of policies that favoured the elite‫اﺷﺮاﻓﯿﮧ‬,

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fostering‫ ﻓﺮوغ دﯾﻨﮯ‬a capitalist system that nurtured ‫دﯾﮑﮫ‬

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‫ﭘﺮورش ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬،‫ ﺑﮭﺎل‬monopolies‫اﺟﺎرہ داری‬. To break free from this

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intricate‫ ﭘﯿﭽﯿﺪہ‬web, Pakistan must embolden ‫ﺣﻮﺻﻠﮧ اﻓﺰاﺋﯽ‬

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‫ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬its citizens through grassroots democracy, placing
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human dignity at the forefront and harnessing‫اﺳﺘﻌﻤﺎل ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬
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the force of patriotism to instigate‫ آﻣﺎدہ رﮐﻨﺎ‬transformative

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change, ultimately‫ ﺑﺎﻵﺧﺮ‬securing a brighter and more

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prosperous‫ ﺧﻮﺷﺤﺎل‬future.
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The country finds itself trapped in a quagmire‫دﻟﺪل‬,

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characterized by a capitalist system that has

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nurtured‫ ﭘﺮورش دﯾﻨﺎ‬monopolies ‫اﺟﺎرہ داری‬and made it

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challenging for democracy to protect the common citizens

from oppression‫ﻇﻠﻢ و ﺳﺘﻢ‬. This situation has been
exacerbated‫ ﻣﺰﯾﺪ ﺧﺮاب‬by a history of economic policies
that favoured the elite at the expense of the general
masses. To address these challenges and pave the way
‫راﺳﺘﮧ ﮨﻤﻮار ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬for a brighter future, Pakistan must

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embark‫ ﺷﺮوع ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬on a multifaceted‫ ﮨﺮ ﻃﺮح ﭘﺮ ﻣﺸﺘﻤﻞ‬journey.
During Ayub Khan’s era, the seeds of industry were sown
with foreign loans, but the burden of these debts was
ultimately passed on to the common people. Subsequently,
during the Musharraf era, regulatory bodies and
grassroots democracy were ostensibly‫ﻇﺎﮨﺮ ﻃﻮر ﭘﺮ‬
introduced to safeguard the interests of the people;

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however, the true beneficiaries‫ ﻓﺎﺋﺪہ اﭨﮭﺎﻧﮯ‬often remained

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the wealthy elite.

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In the early ’90s, Pakistan sought‫ ﮐﯽ ﮐﻮﺷﺶ‬foreign loans to
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boost ‫اﺿﺎﻓﮧ‬productivity and reform the revenue system
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under democratic governance. The Investment Protection
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of Economic Reforms Act (PERA) was enacted ‫ﻧﺎﻓﺬ‬to

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enhance capital flow. However, corruption, a lack of the

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rule of law and an uneven playing field for investors led to

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more capital flowing out of the country than returning.

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In 2006, erstwhile ‫ﺳﺎﺑﻖ‬political adversaries‫ ﻣﺨﺎﻟﻒ‬came

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together through the Charter of Democracy, promising

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economic liberalization, regulatory bodies and local

governments. A National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)
paved the way‫ راﺳﺘﮧ ﮨﻤﻮار ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬for the return of top leadership
and their participation in general elections. The plan
seemed promising—a capitalist system coexisting with
democracy to prevent the moneyed‫ اﻣﯿﺮ‬elite from

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monopolizing power. However, this vision faltered ‫ﮐﻤﺰور‬
‫ﭘﮍ‬as opposing political parties aligned, fixating on
implementing a two-party system. In their home provinces
of Punjab and Sindh, dynastic‫ ﺧﺎﻧﺪاﻧﯽ‬rule remained
entrenched‫ﮔﮭﯿﺮا ﮨﻮا‬, while regions like Pakhtunkhwa, Azad
Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan were meant to be
governed alongside nationalists.

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Rather than being revitalized‫دوﺑﺎرہ ﻗﻮت دﯾﻨﺎ‬, local

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governments were suspended, effectively denying the

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people equitable‫ ﻣﻨﺼﻔﺎﻧﮧ‬resource distribution and the

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resilience‫ دوﺑﺎرہ اﺑﮭﺮﻧﮯ ﮐﯽ ﺻﻼﺣﯿﺖ‬needed to withstand ‫ﮐﺎ‬
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‫ﺳﺎﻣﻨﺎ‬economic challenges and natural disasters. This
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action also squandered ‫ﮔﻨﻮا دﯾﻨﺎ‬the opportunity for

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advancing toward the Millennium Development Goals

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(MDGs)(The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are

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eight goals with measurable targets and clear deadlines

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for improving the lives of the world's poorest people. To

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meet these goals and eradicate poverty, leaders of 189

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countries signed the historic millennium declaration at the

United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000). Furthermore,
loans from international institutions, including the IMF,
originally intended for revenue system reform, were
wielded‫ ﺑﺮوﮐﺎر ﻻﻧﺎ اﺳﺘﻌﻤﺎل ﻣﯿﮟ ﻻﻧﺎ‬as tools by dominant
political parties to consolidate‫ ﻣﻀﺒﻮط ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬and perpetuate
‫ﺑﺮﻗﺮار رﮐﮭﻨﺎ‬their power.

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As political foes ‫دﺷﻤﻨﻮں‬turned friends, the concept of
accountability‫ اﺣﺘﺴﺎب‬eroded‫ﺧﺘﻢ ﮨﻮﻧﺎ‬. Education and
healthcare funding dwindled‫ﮐﻢ ﮨﻮﻧﺎ‬, favouring the private
sector, while regulatory bodies were weakened, granting
the capitalist class unchecked power. While gross national
income surged‫اﺿﺎﻓﮧ ﮨﻮا‬, wealth inequality ‫ﻋﺪم ﻣﺴﺎوات‬grew,
burdening the poor and the middle class with the

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responsibility of repaying debts through indirect taxes,

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such as a high GST on energy and food.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s neighbours, including India, China,

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Iran and even Afghanistan, managed to progress despite
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their tumultuous ‫اﻓﺮاﺗﻔﺮی‬histories, thanks to a driving
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force—patriotism. This sentiment ‫اﺣﺴﺎس‬supported their

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currencies and human development, highlighting the

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importance of a unified‫ ﻣﺘﺤﺪہ‬national spirit.

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In 2018, a new political party emerged in Pakistan with a

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promising agenda for change, aiming to address the

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country’s challenges. Despite garnering‫ ﺣﺎﺻﻞ‬significant

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support from various stakeholders, including the

electorate and donors, the party could not deliver as per
the expectations of the masses. The irony is that the party
was even unable to introduce a local government system
in Punjab, which is the largest province of Pakistan. In the
meantime, due to a loss of parliamentary majority, the
party was voted out of power. This episode underscores

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‫ﻧﺸﺎﻧﺪﮬﯽ ﮐﺮﺗﺎ ﮨﮯ‬the complex and often tumultuous‫اﻓﺮاﺗﻔﺮی‬
nature of Pakistani politics.
Today, Pakistan faces a challenging situation where
securing external loans is nearly impossible and obtaining
loans domestically is increasingly precarious‫ﻧﺎزک‬.
Continuing to pay off bank loans by imposing taxes on
electricity bills and petroleum products has strained the

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population. Demand for petroleum products is waning ‫ﮐﻢ‬

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‫ ﮨﻮﻧﺎ‬due to soaring‫ ﺑﮍﮬﺘﯽ ﮨﻮﺋﯽ‬costs and the electricity

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season is winding down.

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The core of the issue undoubtedly rests with the people
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who wield ‫ﻟﮕﺎﻧﺎ‬the decisive influence‫ اﺛﺮ و رﺳﻮخ‬in escaping
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the current quagmire‫دﻟﺪل‬. The survival of the economy and

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the vigour‫ ﻗﻮت‬of democracy hinge‫اﻧﺨﺼﺎر ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬،‫ ﻟﭩﮑﻨﺎ‬upon

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bolstering‫ ﻣﻀﺒﻮط ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬their purchasing power and

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elevating‫ ﺑﻠﻨﺪ ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬their quality of life. The road ahead may be

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lengthy, but the concise solution is clear—it

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commences‫ ﺷﺮوع‬with grassroots democracy upheld ‫ﺑﺮﻗﺮار‬

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‫رﮐﮭﺎ‬by a legal framework that champions human dignity.

If the elite have faltered ‫ﮐﻤﺰور ﭘﮍ‬by succumbing ‫ﮔﺮﻧﮯ‬to the
lure‫ ﻻﻟﭻ‬of greed and relinquishing ‫ﺗﺮک ﮐﺮﻧﺎ‬the nation’s
affairs to international moneylenders, it is now imperative
to empower the populace‫ ﻋﻮام‬to embrace the essence of
democracy and savour‫ ﻟﻄﻒ اﭨﮭﺎﻧﺎ‬the fruits of freedom. This

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endeavour ‫ﮐﯽ ﮐﻮﺷﺶ‬transcends‫ ﺑﺮﺗﺮ ﮨﻮﻧﺎ‬mere economic
resurgence‫ ;ﺑﺤﺎﻟﯽ دوﺑﺎر اﺣﯿﺎ‬it is fundamentally about
safeguarding the nation’s prosperity and, as a result,
ensuring its sovereign‫ ﺧﻮد ﻣﺨﺘﺎر‬existence.
—The writer is politico-strategic analyst based in
Islamabad.

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Email: riaz.missen@gmail.com

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DAWN CSS VOCABULARY

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Grovel - crawl, humble oneself
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Guile - deceit, cunning
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Guileless - straight-forward, candid

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Gull - cheat, deceive

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Gullible - easily gulled

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Gush - burst out suddenly/talk ardently

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Gust - outburst of feeling; sudden rain, wind, fire, etc.

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Hack - cut roughly; hired horse

Halcyon - calm and peaceful
Hallow - to make holy; consecrate
Hamper - basket with a lid, prevent free movement or
activity

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Hapless - unlucky, unfortunate
Harangue - a long, passionate speech
Harbinger - something or somebody that foretells the
coming
Harrow - to distress, create stress or torment

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194
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