Kabul attacks
A TWIN suicide attack in the heart of Kabul and inside a high-security zone could further destabilise the Afghan government and cause fresh tensions in the already acrimonious Pak-Afghan relationship. If there has been a consistent red line for the Afghan state, it has been attacks by the Taliban in Kabul — the seat of power for the government and the biggest target for insurgents trying to overthrow the state. In his initial reaction at least, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has focused on condemning the Taliban and avoiding directly blaming Pakistan. But with the national unity government riven by internal disputes and an Afghan intelligence apparatus that is overtly hostile to Pakistan, accusations will likely erupt and be difficult to contain. Meanwhile, there is already scepticism inside Pakistan about the true intentions of the Afghan government after the recent announcement of a rejuvenated trilateral dialogue between the US, India and Afghanistan. That latest peculiar diplomatic-cum-security manoeuvre comes at a time when the security establishment here has been openly accusing India and Afghanistan of facilitating militancy and terrorism inside Pakistan.
The twin priorities for Afghanistan ought to be the stabilisation of the political government and an expeditious path to dialogue with the Taliban. Yet, it may increasingly be the case that the former is undermining the latter: the non-Ghani factions of the national unity government are mostly strident in their criticism of Pakistan and do not believe that there can be political reconciliation with the Taliban, in the present circumstances or at all. Moreover, the trilateral dialogue between India, Afghanistan and the US may further erode the possibility of a revival of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group. While the Afghan government may be hoping that the trilateral dialogue will put pressure on Pakistan to curb Taliban sanctuaries inside Pakistan and nudge the Taliban to the negotiating table via the QCG or a similar group, in practice it may have the opposite effect given the hardening view of Indo-Afghan policy towards Pakistan in security circles here. The trilateral dialogue also adds to the diplomatic muddle by creating parallel tracks in which India and Pakistan are expected to engage with Afghanistan and other regional powers: China in the possibly defunct QCG; India in the trilateral; Pakistan squabbling with both India and Afghanistan and in tense relations with India — where is the harmony or even consistency in approach?
What ought to be kept in mind here, however, is that President Ghani came to office seeking to reverse his predecessor Hamid Karzai’s approach of seeking closer ties with India. Now Mr Ghani is enthusiastically seeking deeper economic, political and military ties with India. Whether a potential friend of Pakistan’s in Kabul has irreversibly become hostile towards Pakistan is not known. But the powers-that-be on either side of the Durand Line need to remember the Pak-Afghan relationship is symbiotic and must always be nudged in a constructive direction.
Medical waste
MOST of Pakistan’s urban areas, especially Karachi, have a severe waste-management problem. The large mounds of unsightly rubbish dumped unceremoniously in open spaces bear ample witness to this. And while this thoughtless manner of getting rid of waste poses immense problems to people’s health as well as the environment, when the garbage happens to contain medical waste, the dangers are multiplied manifold. As reported in this paper on Monday, the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre — Karachi’s largest public-sector hospital — has no proper system of disposing of medical waste. As pictures published with the story illustrate, heaps of rubbish surround the medical facility’s incinerator, with used syringes and IV bags in clear sight. If this is the situation outside the largest public hospital of Pakistan’s biggest city, one can well imagine how hundreds of smaller — not to mention unregulated — facilities in Karachi and other areas treat their waste. Experts are of the view that most of the Sindh capital’s public and private health facilities lack proper waste-disposal mechanisms, with reportedly only one private hospital meeting international standards. The situation in other urban centres, such as Rawalpindi/Islamabad, is of concern, yet Karachi’s problem — related to the metropolis’s overall waste-management dilemma — is particularly acute.
The hazards posed by unregulated medical waste are many. These include the spread of ailments such as blood-borne hepatitis, skin infections and tuberculosis amongst others. Those who scavenge through garbage heaps are at particular risk, while localities situated next to hospitals and clinics also suffer. There is an urgent need for provincial health authorities countrywide to look into the neglected area of medical-waste management. As experts have pointed out, waste should be separated within the hospital into hazardous and non-hazardous categories, before it is disposed of properly, and not thrown in the nearest garbage dump. While there is a shortage of incinerators in cities like Karachi, there has also been criticism of using incineration as a method of waste management, particularly where its effects on the environment are concerned. More environmentally friendly methods — such as ‘green autoclaves’ — have been suggested as alternatives. Health authorities must review the methods currently being used in hospitals across our cities and towns to treat their medical waste. There must be greater oversight by the state to ensure that public and private medical facilities are using best practices to get rid of their waste in an environmentally sound and responsible manner.
Pakistan’s ODI loss
THE cricket team’s disappointingly one-sided ODI series against England, that won 4-1, has exposed yet again the numerous shortcomings of the national team in the limited-overs version of the game. Azhar Ali’s lacklustre leadership, the batsmen’s inability to put up a total in excess of 300 on the board, a bowling attack lacking teeth and variety, and many dropped catches have all contributed to the defeat. But perhaps the most disturbing factor has been the players’ own apathy that prevented them from making a contest of it. The truth is that the current ODI team has been submissive from the outset, both in attitude and play, not surprising for a side languishing at the ninth spot in world ODI rankings. The hosts, in contrast, started the series well, their aggression and style of play in keeping with the fiercely competitive brand of ODI cricket that they have exhibited since the 2015 World Cup.
The aftermath of the drubbing will see Pakistan having to bear the ignominy of playing the ICC Qualifiers 2018 in order to make it to the World Cup 2019 — the first time the national team has been relegated to a point this low. For a cricket-playing nation that is credited with the inception of the World Cup back in 1975, Pakistan’s plight is a sorry one. A turnaround in ODI fortunes will require no less than an overhaul where not only is the skipper replaced but a more focused, regimented effort is made to groom a specialised breed of one-day players with the panache and skill to alter the complexion of the game in a matter of minutes. Dashing wicketkeeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed, who shone the brightest in the England series — Tests and ODIs — highly deserves the leadership mantle besides his T20 captaincy. A determined man with a level-headed approach to the game, Sarfraz, along with coach Mickey Arthur, is Pakistan’s best bet to bring the sinking ODI ship ashore. In this regard, swift measures by the PCB hold the key.
Published in Dawn September 6th, 2016