Continuing with its webinar series on “Altered State of the World Post COVID-19: Opportunities and Challenges,” the Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research (CSCR) organised its fourth webinar on April 23, 2020.

Policy Advisor and former Director General Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs, Strategic Plans Division Air Commodore (R) Khalid Banuri moderated the session. In his opening remarks, he emphasized on the significance of the topic and introduced the speakers to the attendees of the webinar.

Chairman Water Environment Forum and former Parliamentarian Mr. Nisar Memon; Mr. Raffaello Pantucci – Visiting Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute; Journalist and TV show host at Dawn News Mr. Zarrar Khuhro; and Dr. Farzana Bari, former Director at the Gender Studies Department, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad were the distinguished speakers for this webinar.

The first speaker of the webinar was Mr. Nisar Memon. He discussed the current and future possible environmental scenario, posing a question regarding our current standing in the realm of the environment. He stated that Pakistan has various policies on climate change, environment and forestry. He added that it is high time to reboot the system towards progress and development by using hi-tech practices, which would be highly effective in understanding the nexus of water, environment and food shortages. Therefore, it is pertinent to use resources to establish institutions for dealing with issues concerning environment and food security. The public health system in Pakistan is very weak. So, when this pandemic ends, we need new or upgraded health systems to fight such calamities in future. While proposing recommendations, Mr. Memon highlighted the need of databases for data-driven decisions. Moreover, he added that technology should be optimally utilized for transformation towards e-governance and online education.

Mr. Raffaello Pantucci’s talk was focused on the impact of future implications of COVID-19 on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While talking about BRI, he said that the Initiative has been affected because China was busy fighting the Coronavirus within its borders. He argued that the entire set of projects have been quite ambitious and that the country will have to slow down. On China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Mr. Pantucci said that some projects might get dropped while others renegotiated. It is because of the fact that more focus is and will be on the health sector in the future. Meanwhile, movements of goods and people will also be affected.

The speaker stated that with COVID-19 there has been an increase in Chinese nationalism, as China proclaims that it was not responsible for the spread of the virus. However, one thing is certain that the BRI will continue as it was signalled from China. While concluding he said that the new narrative would also emerge from this crisis in terms of health-care. He was of the opinion that Chinese medical diplomacy can be viewed through the prism of Health Silk Road.

Dr. Farzana Bari focused her talk on analysing gendered paradigms in a COVID-19 world. She delineated that the current pandemic is not gender-neutral. Women in this situation are being disregarded. Discouraging health-care aspect for women is very much central to the situation. Women face many problems as a large percentage of the health sector work force particularly in Pakistan constitutes of them. Putting them at an even greater risk.

Likewise, there is also a growing trend and an increased global spike in domestic violence during such times. In such a scenario, these women have become more vulnerable with their abusers. Reproductive and sexual health services are also overlooked due to health funds shifting towards the pandemic. Consequently, the mortality rate is expected to further rise.

With regards to the government’s policy, Dr. Bari said that the pandemic has affected women who are part of the informal economy most, while the government is more focused towards the formal economy where women are in minority. Therefore, there is gender blindness in adoption of such policies. She concluded by saying that a gender perspective must be added into policymaking. She also asked for gender-sensitive data from the government. Dr. Farzana said that men can also deal with gender blindness and other relatable aspects of various policies if they are gender sensitised. Women must also be provided opportunities towards digital learning so that they can be at par with their male counterparts.

The final speaker of the session Mr. Zarrar Khuhro addressed the audience with respect to whether COVID-19 would act as an accelerator for authoritarianism and fascism. He said that China is using nationalism to replace communism. He opined that in these times, socio-economic asymmetries should also be considered. The virus indeed has shaped the class attitude. The US started by referring to it as a Chinese virus, they also called it the Wuhan virus and now it is being called the Kung-flu which is very racist.

He opined that there is an increase in racial abuse in the US and Europe. This pandemic is also being used as a hate tool against the minorities; India here serves as the best example. More so, there is also a case of weaponization of fake news on social media as far as the pandemic is concerned and unfortunately that news is also being picked up by the mainstream media.

While talking about international and regional organisations, Mr. Khuhro stated that these organisations have failed in fighting against the virus. Lastly, he suggested that this pandemic will leave us with a darker world where the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already estimated the world’s worst global recession, relating it to the Great Depression which accelerated fascism and which ultimately resulted in the second world war. What we really have to see is how this time the world would move on keeping the historical trend in mind.

Following speakers’ remarks, the attendees were encouraged to ask questions. One participant asked whether increased state surveillance is being legitimised under the garb of public health monitoring. Mr. Zarrar replied by agreeing with regards to surveillance. He said that it will not only be expanded but soon it will be welcomed as well. This is being seen by us already. China has been doing it, and now they also have a QR code for health profiling. We know that it is a global public health emergency. So, in exceptional times, exceptional steps need to be taken, and once a step is taken, there is no going back. We have also seen this during the Global War on Terror where massive powers were being used and abused by states under the garb of national security. In other words, no one ever gives up power, and that is how it will be.

Another participant asked what kind of health-care or a safe environment is being provided to women who are either pandemic victims or require health-care including maternity and child-care? Dr. Bari responded by saying that I have not seen any data but probably the government might have such information. Therefore, it is important to have that data related to gender as well as age. As far as health-care or the environment is concerned, it can only be debated once the data is shared. Other than these, majority of the services have come to a halt especially reproductive health services. Therefore, women’s health will suffer more because the reproductive health and contraceptive services are not available. Consequently, maternal mortality rate will further rise.

While concluding the fourth webinar session, Mr. Khalid said that there are many takeaways from this discussion that can be at the individual level, entity level, home unit level, national level or at the global level. The issue of data has become more important in order to understand the on-ground situation. Technology would continue to play a role in the future. He concluded by appreciating the CSCR for taking the initiative of conducting this webinar and proposed the generation of a report containing ideas accumulated during this webinar from a policy perspective.