ABANDONED AIRPORT: The airport at Panjgur, once a vital link connecting the region to the rest of the country, has remained inactive for many years, limiting travel options for the local residents, and worsening the area’s socio-political and economic challenges. The lack of flights for years has hurt the socioeconomic fabric of Panjgur, forcing the locals to take alternative transportation that is time-consuming, especially in emergencies. This neglect is largely due to government indifference and mismanagement. To bring the airport back to life, the government must make infrastructure development a priority. A public-private partnership could help revitalise the airport, boosting the national economy and supporting a community that has long been overlooked.

Noman Arbab Baloch
Panjgur

GLOBAL FLOTILLA: The Global Sumud Flotilla 2025 is more than a humanitarian mission, it is a moral stand against the unjust blockade of Gaza. With over 100 vessels from 44 countries, carrying activists, lawmakers, and civil society groups, the flotilla embodies the principle of ‘sumud’; an Arabic word describing steadfast resistance to oppression. Showing solidarity with the oppressed is both an ethical duty and a courageous act. Even at the risk of interception or detention, the participants have been proving that oppression anywhere is a threat to dignity everywhere.

Azlina Razzak Baloch
Karachi

CRITICAL THINKING: The regime in Afghanistan is believed to have banned a book of essays, which is an act against independent thinking. With such acts, the authorities in Kabul betray their own insecurities. The world community, particularly those who profess to uphold freedom of expression, must speak out. If ideas are outlawed, then justice, memory and truth can be banned, too. Moreover, suppressing literature is not a sign of strength by any yardstick. It is, indeed, a sign of weakness. Silenced voices deserve solidarity, not censorship.

Muhammad Amin Asad
Buner

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2025