The report by BBC Urdu is once again pushing Pakistan towards unnecessary partiality that it does not adhere to in the Russia-Ukraine war. Since the beginning of this war in February 2022, Pakistan’s official stance has been neutrality and the foreign office has once again reiterated it in the wake of the recent report that has aroused questions. Pakistan did not sell weapons to Ukraine or Russia. This position is unchanged since the story of weapons selling surfaced for the very first time. The official stance to provide media with further details on the matter and to answer all queries through relevant departments and officials reflects a commitment to transparency and public accountability.
The allegations, repeatedly denied by Pakistan, are now more of a distraction while the country has other pressing matters. But in the age of media, all concerns have to be addressed because general public discourse is heavily influenced by media consumption. Sideways, another issue portrayed largely as an unfair blockade of Afghanistan’s goods-carrying containers at the Karachi Port has been resolved. The containers have been allowed to pass as a goodwill gesture but Pakistan reserves all rights to check the goods that enter its territory and also has complete authority to restrict inflows and outflows of certain goods, as deemed necessary.
If there is a negative list of some items, a responsible attitude for a country using Pakistan’s ports is to avoid the import of those items. In such a scenario, alternatives must be sought or the matter should be brought up for negotiation. Established protocols and emerging policies of Pakistan must be respected. It is, however, good diplomacy that the issue has now been resolved and the goods will travel to their destination – Afghanistan. Similarly, upholding laws in dealing with illegal businesses and assets is the right approach.
Assets built upon fake documents are criminal and are nothing but trespassing of laws. Repatriation of refugees has uncovered how the misuse of certain freedoms has caused trouble for the overall law and order situation. The repatriation of individuals violating immigration laws also aligns with efforts to address security concerns and disrupt potential links to terrorist networks. These policy decisions are, no doubt, tough choices but in the longer run, it is for the betterment of the lives of Pakistani citizens