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Editorial: DAWN - 14 March 2015 (Vaccines’ wastage)

By Piscean -
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Vaccines’ wastage THE difficulties faced by the country in vaccinating every single child against polio are widely known and place a formidable question mark over the health of new generations. Less talked about, though, is the fact that the deficiencies of the health sector in terms of protecting children against preventable diseases are myriad, and so deeply entrenched as to make a change of course appear difficult. If at one end of the spectrum there is the problem of the slowdown in the rates of routine immunisation, at the other are the glaring gaps in supply, storage and oversight, which may cumulatively negate what little success the country does manage to achieve in this area. The latter point was underscored by the news that came to light a few days ago that a large consignment of the pentavalent vaccine, worth some $1.3m, that was being stored on the premises of the National Health Services Ministry had spoiled because the required temperature had not been maint
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Editorial: DAWN - 06 July 2013

By Piscean -
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Tougher days: ahead IMF loan THE government and the market are jubilant over the ‘successful conclusion’ of a new loan of $5.3bn from the IMF. And why not? The loan will ease pressure on diminishing foreign exchange stocks and relieve the government of worries of how to repay over the next 12 months what the country already owes to the Fund. But is it really a ‘step forward’ for the new government, which had promised voters so much? Although the announcement of the agreement on the loan hides more than it reveals, from whatever has so far been divulged it is clear the people should brace themselves for greater hardship. When Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said a “better tomorrow dawns only when the requisite pains are borne today”, he was signalling towards a tougher future for the people in whose name the loans are secured and who must repay these generosities with sacrifices. The help from the IMF is necessary not only to repay its existing debt but also to obtain bu
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Editorial: The News - 02 July 2013

By Piscean -
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State and security Sunday was again a day of carnage in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Around 50 people are dead in both incidents – bomb blasts. Quetta’s Hazara Town once again saw a large number of its own, 30 at last count, die along with scores injured – nearly all of them from the Hazara Shia community. A Frontier Corps’ convoy was attacked in Peshawar, where 18 were reported dead and more than 45 injured. Police and other security personnel and women and children died in both the attacks. Yet again the terrorists have struck at a minority community. And yet again the usual words come from those in high positions – leading to nothing of substance. There also seems to be a distinct lack of unequivocal condemnation from the political parties so recently elected on the back of promises to make a positive improvement in the lives of all, no matter their sectarian adherence. It is not just a particular sect that is under attack, it is the very fabric of the st
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Editorial: DAWN - 02 July 2013

By Piscean -
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Realisation dawns: PTI’s call for anti-terrorism plan AS the sprawling militancy and terrorism complex continues to rain down violence across Pakistan, a slight shift in political perceptions was witnessed on Sunday when PTI chief Imran Khan called for a joint civil-military strategy to fight terrorism. Until now, Mr Khan has talked more about drones and talks with the TTP than about the threat that militancy poses to the stability and security of Pakistan. But with the PTI’s government in KP rocked by a series of attacks in the province and violence in other parts of the country continuing unabated — in addition to Peshawar, Quetta and North Waziristan also suffered serious attacks on Sunday — there is perhaps the beginnings of a realisation within the PTI that the internal threat is real and serious and can only be countered by a firm resolve and coherent plan. So while Mr Khan did repeat on Sunday his standard trope of a ‘political settlement’, he appeared to ac
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Editorial: The News - 01 July 2013

By Piscean -
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Forays into friendship The British Prime Minister David Cameron is the first leader of a foreign government to visit Pakistan since the election that brought the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif’s government to power. His visit comes back-to-back with a trip to Afghanistan. High on the British agenda is the nature of the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in particular the timbre of that relationship as the wind-down of foreign engagement in Afghanistan accelerates. In a more than usual anodyne press conference (at which neither leader took a single question) there were assurances about the enemies of Pakistan being the enemies of the UK, and the eternal friendship that exists between the two countries. Afghanistan got a mention too as Cameron spoke of the UK government’s support for President Karzai saying that any peace process will be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, a mantra that is looking distinctly threadbare in the light of the debacle in diplomatic terms tha
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Editorial: DAWN - 01 July 2013

By Piscean -
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Need for restraint: Altaf Hussain`s speech IT was, in the end, the briefest of resignations, and very much in keeping with previous such episodes. But there was also something new about Altaf Hussain`s early morning speech and quick change of heart yesterday. For the first time, the MQM supremo acknowledged that the London police consider him a suspect in the Imran Farooq murder investigation. Mr Hussain also confirmed that British authorities recently raided his home in London and confiscated unspecified material. While railing against an international conspiracy against his person, Mr Hussain pledged to cooperate with British authorities and defend himself in a trial, if he is eventually charged in relation to Mr Farooq`s murder in September 2010. This is a good sign: the MQM boss, while denying any involvement, has indicated his willingness to respect the judicial process. The protracted telephonic back-and-forth between Mr Hussain and MQM activists and support
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