Modi vs Vajpayee
With elections in India in full swing, the media in Pakistan has commented on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speeches. Daily Times refers to the “infiltrators” remark made by PM Modi at a crowded rally in Rajasthan. Express Tribune compares PM Modi to ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Daily Times (May 3) believes that “a lower turnout and an overall lack of momentum prompted Mr Modi… to change tack and fire up the Hindutva mentality” because he seems to be “overwhelmingly interested in maligning the opposition party” and “cross all boundaries by laying down bizarre allegations”.
Condemning such remarks, the editorial states: “Just because the BJP wishes to see its committed voter on the ground does not give it a hallway pass to throw whatsoever dirty punch it wishes in any direction it deems necessary.”
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Express Tribune (May 1) quotes PM Modi’s speech in which he says, “this is Modi, this is the New India. This New India comes into your home to kill you.” It considers this to be a “massive fall” from BJP’s ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had said, “Guns can solve no problem; brotherhood can.”
May Day
On May Day this year, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the government’s commitment to labour welfare. President Zardari also addressed employers and appealed to them to prioritise workers’ health and safety and ensure adequate training and equipment for all jobs.
Discussing the various steps that the administration could take, The Nation (May 2) states, “Curbing child labour is another tangible step within our reach. Fostering a culture of respect for labour rights… will go a long way in encouraging our low-income workers to be cognisant of their rights.” In terms of tangible solutions, there is mention of “initiatives like subsidies and poverty alleviation programs” to mitigate pressure.
Dawn (May 1) suggests a “minimum wage” for each province to start. Taking a cue from the textile industry, it says, “Far too many labourers work in hazardous conditions, and lack the relevant safety nets should accidents occur. Pressure from international unions and activists has helped change the situation for the better in the textile industry; other sectors must follow suit.”
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World Press Freedom Day
The 31st World Press Freedom Day was on May 3. UNESCO’s theme for this year was “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis”. With South Asia being adversely affected by the effects of climate change, the media warns of misinformation and digital “tyranny”.
Dawn (May 3) takes stock of the state of press freedom in different countries in South Asia: “In India, press freedom has seen a marked decline, driven by a political climate that increasingly stifles dissent… Bangladesh, ranked lowest for press freedom in South Asia, faces its own challenges.” In Pakistan, “the battle is dual-fronted: the government and security establishment both assert control, looking to influence editorial policy.”
News International (May 3) says, “climate change’s most severe impacts are being felt in the Global South and Pakistan is on the front lines of global warming. With media, bloggers and the people in general constantly looking over their backs for their state as opposed to it being the other way around, any sort of accountability to the people becomes difficult.”
A severe wheat crisis
Pakistan is currently facing a “wheat crisis”. Thousands of farmers began protesting in various cities after the government decided that it could not buy their wheat due to a surplus in the market that the government had imported instead. This, the farmers claim, has caused them huge losses with market prices being abysmally low.
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Express Tribune (April 28) believes the cause of this crisis to be Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A large part of Pakistan’s wheat (59 per cent) was imported from Ukraine. The war raised prices in Pakistan due to shortage. But it seems that “international prices were not affected as Ukraine had developed new export routes, and the other countries also had bumper crops. This made the caretaker government’s decision to import wheat look like a disaster.”
Daily Times (May 3) also attributes this mismanagement to the governance of caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. It says, “Mr Kakar stayed well beyond his constitutional mandate… lecturing on media and making impressions on foreign trips. Although his aspirations to perch atop the hot seat were denied by the international powers, the facade of his good governance and fiscal discipline would continue to haunt the country for a long, long time.”