More carnage in Balochistan
THE blight in Balochistan continues. This time a shrine in a remote, mountainous region of Khuzdar has been attacked and the death toll and number of casualties are devastating. It was the third monstrous attack in the span of three months – lawyers killed by the dozen in August; policemen killed by the dozen in October; and, now, members of the public killed by the dozen. The numbing scale of the disasters is difficult to process even in terms of a province that has been in the throes of every possible kind of violence for over a decade. Perhaps one day the people of Balochistan will be able to ask why they were cursed to suffer the violence of state and non-state actors alike, a macabre circularity that has seen them experience bloodshed in the name of security and insecurity.
Then post-attack rituals too are wearyingly familiar. In the immediate aftermath, the state stands exposed. Neither is the state able to deliver an acceptable level of security that prevents such devastating attacks nor is it able to quickly arrange for the kind of medical attention the victims require and material attention for the victims’ families. It usually takes the extraordinary intervention of senior government or military leaders for medical care to be made available. Afterwards, it does not seem to occur to that very same leadership that what is really needed are stronger institutions and better service delivery so that if — when — another attack occurs, medical care automatically swings into action. Difficult as it may be to strengthen institutions in the midst of long-term conflict, actual performance is so dismal as to call into question the very competence and priorities of the country’s leaders. As ever, it is the citizenry that has to suffer because of the leadership’s failings.
A day later, the devastation at the Shah Noorani shrine was already receding and a congratulatory narrative taking its place because of the Gwadar port inauguration. To be sure, the potential for the economic uplift of the Gwadar region, much of Balochistan and the country itself ought to be highlighted. It is possible that the trade and transit potential of the country is on the verge of receiving a transformational boost. But security and prosperity are intrinsically linked and if the benefits of economic growth are to be equitable and fair, surely swathes of Balochistan cannot be allowed to remain under the threat of militant violence of every hue. It seems that the only constant in Balochistan is violence — political and military leaders have come and gone with several already forgotten, but somehow militancy and endemic violence appear to have found a way to normalise themselves.
World-class Karachi?
THE city of Karachi is something of an enigma. While it is Pakistan’s largest city and commercial hub, bad governance and lack of vision have turned it into an ever-expanding, lawless sprawl. The World Bank, in its Pakistan Development Update, launched on Thursday, has broken down the city’s problems in a systematic manner and offered solutions as well. It would be worth recalling what ails Karachi. Among other things, the report points out Karachi’s ad hoc planning and weak financial and institutional capacities. If we were to ask the common citizen of Karachi, he or she would offer a long list of what exactly ails this chaotic metropolis — high crime, no public transport system to speak of, monstrous traffic, water woes, broken roads, and mounds of rotting garbage strewn across town would probably top the list of complaints. It is not just the multilateral lender that has pointed out Karachi’s many faults; many respected Pakistani urban planners have been highlighting issues such as weak infrastructure and growing informality for years. But what is to be done? The World Bank says Karachi has the potential to be a “world-class” city; to achieve this, “pillars” need to be erected to put the city on firm foundations. These pillars include “coordinated institutions” and “closing infrastructure gaps”. Indeed, Karachi is blessed with many bounties, such as a natural harbour and a large populace with a variety of skills. The primary challenge is channelling its energies in a positive direction.
The solutions offered by the bank — as well as the suggestions of other experts — must all be considered. However, until there is the political will to transform these suggestions into concrete realities, the fate of this city is unlikely to change. And an empowered local government is the only solution capable of giving practical shape to these suggested remedies. Unfortunately, the Sindh government prefers to keep key local government powers, resulting in toothless and unresponsive civic institutions that are incapable of running this city. Elected local bodies — answerable to the people and overseen by the province — indeed have the potential to create a sustainable city that provides shelter to all income brackets and social groups. But unless things change on the governance front, the fear expressed in the World Bank report that “The city may be headed towards a spatially unstable, inefficient, and unliveable form”, may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Pakistan’s frail children
ALTHOUGH figures for child survival between 1990 and 2015 have improved, the MDG that aimed for a two-thirds reduction in under-five mortality rates was not achieved. Regrettably, Pakistan is among the 10 countries in Asia and Africa where 60pc of the world’s 5.9 million children died before their fifth birthday last year, according to a new Lancet study. Focusing on 194 countries, this report identifies premature birth and pneumonia as factors in child mortality. Because the death of 2.7m children under age five occurred in the neonatal phase around the time of delivery or due to infection, governments must now focus on improving vaccination programmes, breastfeeding and water and sanitation awareness. In Pakistan, at least 10pc of all under-five deaths are caused by pneumonia. However, pneumonia vaccination coverage is inadequate with 54pc inoculated countrywide. Children with pneumonia suffer malnutrition and cognitive impairment. According to the National Nutrition Survey 2011, one-third of all children are underweight and nearly 44pc stunted. That these figures have hardly changed over two decades is shocking. The government must be held accountable because it is failing yet another generation, stunted and starving to death, and often unable to access life-saving treatment.
Malnutrition has staggering consequences for economic productivity. Adults who are stunted as children will earn 20pc less than those who are not. Improving child health in vulnerable communities as in Sindh is the task of the provincial government — and its abysmal failure is starkly visible in frail children. Given that malnutrition is attributed to reversible factors (food insecurity, early marriage etc) prevention through well-planned interventions is necessary. Harnessing existing poverty alleviation programmes to identify those in need of nutrition is critical. The Lady Health Workers programme can promote nutrition advocacy with its widespread reach. More important, and because women’s health is key to reducing child mortality, girls’ education must be accessible, especially where women are least empowered.
Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2016