With India in the middle of its election season, Pakistan seems to have much to comment on. News International details Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP’s “anti-Muslim rhetoric” over the last two decades starting with a reference to the Gujarat riots of 2002, moving on to the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), incidents of lynching on “cow smuggling” charges, and Modi’s most recent comment on the Congress distributing the public’s “hard-earned money” among “infiltrators”.
The editorial notes, “Throughout it all, the courts and much of the rest of official Indian society have either been spectators at best or facilitators at worst.” In terms of the institutions meant to hold power to account, it believes that “while the courts have watched as the BJP government makes a mockery of basic, constitutional rights, the media has often been a cheerleader. Hindutva is well and truly unleashed.”
Express Tribune (April 24) also comments on the most recent “infiltrator” claim, “Modi’s speech was so inflammatory that even a few apolitical Hindu activists have slammed the politicisation of Hindu iconography such as ‘mangal sutra’ necklaces.”
It noticed the lack of action on these claims and said, “The ECI was swift in sending notices to opposition politicians for using religious rhetoric but stayed silent on Modi, meekly telling reporters ‘no comment’ after several hours of ignoring them.”
Student protests in America
In the last few weeks, students from elite US universities such as Columbia, Yale, New York University and many others have been camping out on college grounds demanding that their administrations “divest and disclose”. They are specifically calling for disinvestment from companies that are funding the Israel genocide against Gaza and asking their colleges to disclose all such investments. In response, law enforcement officers cracked down on the students and made over 100 arrests. The reason given for this clampdown is “anti-semitism”.
Dawn (April 25) says, “President Biden should know what is particularly reprehensible is the grotesque violence unleashed by Israel on Gaza, and Washington’s ironclad support for it, not American students denouncing this butchery.” Further, it says, instead of the inhumane treatment, these students “deserve nothing but respect”.
The Nation (April 24) says, “Dissent will always look the same to those in control… History has shown, however, that such efforts only galvanise resistance.” Condemning the presence and involvement of police, the editorial says it “must be avoided at all costs; coercion and punishment will only breed further radicalism.”
Iran reaches out
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Pakistan earlier this week and met with the country’s top leadership including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief General Asim Munir. This move is being seen as a way to mend fences in the context of the January attack from Iran on Pakistani territory claiming the presence of the armed group Jaish al-Adl. In less than 48 hours after that attack, Pakistan retaliated in the same manner. During this visit, there was talk of increasing bilateral trade to $10 billion in the coming five years.
The Nation (April 24) believes that “the biggest applause” is for “the emphasis on trade expansion… Pakistan is mostly looking to strengthen its ties with other countries along economic lines. And it is a strategic move from Iran that the visit brings along a strong promise of economic collaborations.”
Daily Times (April 23) focuses on the Pakistani government’s role in this venture saying, “It’s crucial to remember that this is a new agreement, and significant time and effort will be required to translate these aspirations into reality. The Pakistani government must be proactive in addressing any hurdles and ensuring the smooth flow of trade.”
A digital divide
The ‘Doing Digital for Development — Access, Adopt, Anticipate, Accelerate’ report, developed in collaboration with the UNDP as part of Pakistan’s National Human Development Report 2024, was released on April 24. It indicated a strong correlation between districts with high “digital development” and high “human development outcomes”. On digital development, Pakistan ranks as “moderate”. The report also revealed that of the women that do have access to digital technology, 83.4 per cent of them are controlled by their spouses or parents.
Dawn (April 25) laments that “digital access has become a marker of privilege in Pakistan” with digital development among the 20 per cent of its richest being 15 times more than in its poorest populations. It advocates for “democratising digital development” and maintains that “increased adoption of modern technologies will also help improve national productivity”.
Express Tribune (April 26) also demands accessibility to the internet for all citizens “regardless of socioeconomic status or gender.” It says, “Without addressing women’s access to the internet — and on a separate note, their online security — Pakistan will never be able to fulfil its digital development potential.”
adya.goyal@expressindia.com
