ISLAMABAD: A significant chunk of Pakistan’s population fears political violence in the country within the foreseeable future, as shown by the results of an international survey released by a United States-based grantmaking network on Monday that supports civil society organizations across the world.
Founded by a prominent Hungarian-American businessman George Soros, Open Society Foundations seeks to develop and advance robust systems of justice, education, public health and independent media.
Its annual global survey, Open Society Barometer, was conducted between May 1 and July 21, 2023, wherein it interviewed over 36,000 respondents across 30 countries to determine the state of democracy and human rights in different regions of the world.
Among some of its findings, the survey showed that young people around the world did not display a great deal of faith in democracy, with over a third of respondents between 18 and 35 years supportive of a strong leader who could do away with legislatures and elections.
“Respondents demonstrated a widespread fear of political unrest leading to violence,” the survey report noted. “A global majority of 58 percent – and majorities in 21 of the countries polled – agreed with the statement ‘I fear that political unrest in my country could lead to violence in the next year.’”
“Fear was highest in South Africa and Kenya (79 percent), Colombia (77 percent), Nigeria (75 percent), Senegal (74 percent), and Argentina and Pakistan (both 73 percent),” it added.
Open Society Foundations noted the gravest threat democracy faced did not emanate from rival appeal of authoritarianism but rather the question of whether democratic leaders were capable of delivering for their populations.
“People want to believe in open societies in which checks on power, pluralistic and independent institutions, minority protections, and individual rights enable all to participate,” it maintained.
According to the report, 79 percent Pakistanis also said it was important to them to live in a country that was democratically governed.
However, only 56 percent of them believed that democracy was preferable to any other kind of government in the country, which was less than 62 percent of global average.
Pakistan has witnessed significant political and economic uncertainty for a prolonged period.
The country is moving toward general elections which are likely to be held in the beginning of the next year, though it has also witnessed greater political polarization than the past since the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan in a no-trust vote last year in April.
Over 70% Pakistanis fear political violence in foreseeable future — international survey
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Over 70% Pakistanis fear political violence in foreseeable future — international survey
- Open Society Foundations says 79 percent Pakistanis find it important to live in a democratically governed country
- The US-based organization says people widely wonder if democratic leaders are capable of delivering for their populations
Pakistan deploys mobile air monitoring stations in Lahore amid toxic smog
- Each station costs over $322,000, equipped for real-time air quality data
- Smog has enveloped Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital, since last month
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan’s populous Punjab province have deployed five mobile air quality monitoring stations in Pakistan’s eastern Lahore city, each costing over Rs90 million ($322,000), amid worsening smog conditions, state-run media reported on Thursday.
Lahore, consistently ranked as the world’s most polluted city in live IQAir rankings in recent weeks, is facing hazardous air quality due to cold atmospheric conditions trapping dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from illegally burned fires.
The toxic smog, which has spread to 17 other districts in Punjab, has caused over 40,000 cases of respiratory illnesses this month, according to health officials, prompting authorities to close schools until November 17.
“The Punjab government has established five mobile air quality monitoring stations in Lahore to track the city’s air quality index,” Radio Pakistan reported.
It quoted the Punjab Environment Protection Department official Farooq Alam as saying the mobile stations had been placed in highly polluted areas, such as the Defense Housing Authority, Model Town, Gulberg, Bhatta Chowk and near Shimla Pahari.
Alam told Radio Pakistan that “each mobile monitoring station costs over ninety million rupees,” adding that they are equipped with advanced technology to collect real-time air quality data.
The Punjab administration official, however, did not mention any sustainable solution to the worsening smog condition, which has become a regular feature during the winter season.
Meanwhile, Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority has urged people to wear face masks as a precautionary measure against smog and to avoid venturing out unnecessarily.
The United Nations children’s agency has warned that the health of 11 million children in Punjab is at risk due to air pollution.
According to a study by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute last year, pollution could reduce life expectancy in the region by more than five years.
Pakistan warns Israel’s UN refugee agency ban risks cutting Palestinian lifeline in Gaza
- Israel has notified the UN of its termination of ties with UNRWA amid escalating fears of famine in Gaza
- Pakistan urges member states to reaffirm commitment to the UN agency through financial, political support
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani diplomat at the United Nations said on Thursday Israel’s decision to sever ties with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, could cut off the only lifeline available to the people of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, urging the international community to prevent such an outcome.
Established in 1949 to provide education, health care and other services to Palestinians in their homeland, UNRWA has long faced Israeli criticism. Since October 2023, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has accused the agency of facilitating Hamas activities, leading to two controversial bills in Israeli parliament that banned the agency from operating in the region.
Israel’s recent decision to notify the UN of its termination of ties with the UN agency comes amid escalating fears of famine in Gaza. The decision also coincides with the deaths of nearly 180 UNRWA staff members in the ongoing conflict, drawing global condemnation, as UN officials highlight the unprecedented loss of life among their workers.
“Today, millions of Palestinians fear that the public services upon which their lives depend will soon disappear,” First Secretary Ansar Shah at Pakistan’s UN mission said while participating at a debate about the issue at the world body. “They fear that their children will be deprived of education, that illnesses will go untreated, and that social support will stop.”
“We have to answer the call of the Palestinian people,” he continued. “We must take concrete actions, uphold the UN Charter and international legality, or risk a collapse of a world order built on the foundations of UN Charter.”
The Pakistani diplomat emphasized that UNRWA was essential for delivering vital services to Palestinians.
He warned that without intervention from member states, the UN agency could collapse, plunging millions of Palestinians into chaos.
Shah also reiterated Pakistan’s stance by calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israel’s “wanton violence in the West Bank.”
“The demonization and delegitimization of UNRWA must be halted,” he said, urging UN member to reaffirm their commitment to the agency through financial and political support.
Pakistan deploys mobile air monitoring stations in Lahore amid toxic smog
- Each station costs over $322,000, equipped for real-time air quality data
- Smog has enveloped Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital, since last month
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan’s populous Punjab province have deployed five mobile air quality monitoring stations in Pakistan’s eastern Lahore city, each costing over Rs90 million ($322,000), amid worsening smog conditions, state-run media reported on Thursday.
Lahore, consistently ranked as the world’s most polluted city in live IQAir rankings in recent weeks, is facing hazardous air quality due to cold atmospheric conditions trapping dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from illegally burned fires.
The toxic smog, which has spread to 17 other districts in Punjab, has caused over 40,000 cases of respiratory illnesses this month, according to health officials, prompting authorities to close schools until November 17.
“The Punjab government has established five mobile air quality monitoring stations in Lahore to track the city’s air quality index,” Radio Pakistan reported.
It quoted the Punjab Environment Protection Department official Farooq Alam as saying the mobile stations had been placed in highly polluted areas, such as the Defense Housing Authority, Model Town, Gulberg, Bhatta Chowk and near Shimla Pahari.
Alam told Radio Pakistan that “each mobile monitoring station costs over ninety million rupees,” adding that they are equipped with advanced technology to collect real-time air quality data.
The Punjab administration official, however, did not mention any sustainable solution to the worsening smog condition, which has become a regular feature during the winter season.
Meanwhile, Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority has urged people to wear face masks as a precautionary measure against smog and to avoid venturing out unnecessarily.
The United Nations children’s agency has warned that the health of 11 million children in Punjab is at risk due to air pollution.
According to a study by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute last year, pollution could reduce life expectancy in the region by more than five years.
New polio case reported in Pakistan, taking 2024 tally to 49
- In early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases
- This year, 24 cases reported in Balochistan, 13 in Sindh, 10 in KP and one each in Punjab and Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s anti-polio program said on Friday the country had reported a new case of the polio virus in the southwestern Balochistan province, taking the nationwide tally to 49 this year.
A new case was reported from Jaffarabad in Balochistan, according to updated figures on the website of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. Starting from late 2018, Pakistan saw a resurgence of cases and increased spread of polio, highlighting the fragility of gains achieved in the preceding three years.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the child is under process,” the polio program said in a statement.
This year, 24 cases have been reported in Balochistan, 13 in Sindh, 10 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each in Punjab and the federal capital of Islamabad. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio eradication program began in 1994, and the number of cases has declined dramatically since then.
But Pakistan continues to face challenges in its fight against polio, including militancy, with polio workers regularly targeted by attacks, particularly in the northwestern KP province.
The polio program has adapted to respond to climate disasters such as floods, but continues to face disruptions. There are also gaps in supplementary immunization activities, especially in areas where the virus is still present.
Pakistan calls for renewed international support for UN agency for Palestinian refugees
- Israel’s parliament voted last month to ban UNRWA from operating within Israel and occupied East Jerusalem
- Almost all of Gaza’s population of more than two million people are dependent on aid and services from UNRWA
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday urged the international community to renew its support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), following the Israeli parliament passing a law last month that will ban the body from operating in the country when it takes effect in late January.
Israel’s parliament voted last month to ban the UNRWA from operating within Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, crippling its ability to work in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Almost all of Gaza’s population of more than two million people are dependent on aid and services from the agency.
The move has faced widespread condemnation, with UNRWA warning the new law could see aid supply chains “fall apart” in the coming weeks. Israel has defended the move, repeating its allegation that a number of the agency’s staff were involved in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks last year, which killed 1,200 people.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told Israel that replacing UNRWA in Gaza and the West Bank would be Israel’s responsibility as the occupying power.
In a statement delivered at the UN Fourth Committee meeting, First Secretary at the Pakistani Mission to the UN, Ansar Shah, underlined the importance of “concrete measures to ensure that UNRWA remains operational and continues its critical humanitarian work for Palestinian refugees.”
“He called on all UN member states to provide political, financial, and operational support to UNRWA and stressed that sustaining and expanding the agency’s operations is essential to mitigating the harmful effects of Israel’s actions in the region,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the Israeli attempts to dismantle UNRWA’s operations, which is a blatant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the provisional measures set by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).”
Shah said the international community must step in to prevent the collapse of UNRWA, which would leave millions of Palestinians without access to essential services like education, health care, and social support.
Founded in 1949, UNRWA works in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, initially caring for the 700,000 Palestinians who were forced from or fled their homes after the creation of the state of Israel. Over the decades, the agency has grown to become the biggest UN agency operating in Gaza.
Since the war in Gaza began in October last year, the agency says it has distributed food parcels to almost 1.9 million people and also offered nearly six million medical consultations across the enclave over the course of the conflict.
More than 200 UNRWA staff have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023 in the course of those duties, according to the agency.
