Capitalism and Pakistan’s Climate Crisis
Floods and other ecological disasters are not purely “natural”; they are deeply tied to the capitalist system. In capitalism, production and the so-called “free market” do not exist to meet social or human needs, but to generate endless profit. For the sake of profit, it is considered acceptable to cut down forests, seize land, promote racism or even genocide, use religion or liberalism as tools, or wage wars at home and abroad. From the perspective of capital, all of this is justified.
In Pakistan too, environmental destruction is driven by this relentless pursuit of profit. From the spread of housing societies to the corruption of the timber mafia, the environment is sacrificed to the greed of a few. This process displaces thousands of people, as their land is taken for real estate projects. A stark example is Bahria Town Karachi, which demolished villages and grabbed land. Politicians, generals, and bureaucrats are at the forefront of this process, ensuring that genuine national interests—linked to environmental protection—are pushed aside. Ironically, even bitter political rivals like Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif supported the same RUDA project. Real estate has now become the “real state,” guarded by the state institutions.
The insatiable hunger for profit also laid the foundation of Western imperialism, through which the West established global dominance. Colonized nations, meanwhile, were left far behind in the 18th and 19th centuries due to this exploitation. This same greed produced two World Wars that killed millions. Even today, competition over minerals and technology is pushing the world toward another devastating conflict.
The American scholar John Bellamy Foster compared capitalism to a treadmill machine: you must keep running just to stay in place. Planning is almost impossible in such a system because the lure of profit undermines every effort. Climate change, which has intensified rains and floods, is also tied to this system. Capitalism relied heavily on fossil fuels, laying the foundations of today’s climate crisis. The tragedy is that countries like Pakistan, which contributed little to climate change, are among the worst affected. This is what many call “climate imperialism”—a new face of empire where Western development models, multinational corporations, and local elites have created ecological imbalance. The burden, however, falls on ordinary people.
To separate the environmental crisis from capitalism is like treating cancer with a painkiller. Despite all the destruction, capital still looks for new opportunities to expand. Corporate farming in Punjab and Sindh, mineral exploitation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and “green tourism” in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are just new forms of the same plunder. Globally, the U.S. and its allies remain eager to continue exploiting regions like ours, as they have done for three centuries.
The solution is clear. This economic system is a system of destruction. Instead, we need planned development of cities and villages, free from the influence of the military and land mafias. Production must focus on meeting human and social needs, not enriching a handful of elites. Environmental protection should be central to this planning. Rather than relying on Western or IMF recipes for “development,” Pakistan must demand accountability for 300 years of exploitation and craft an independent economic and foreign policy. Only then can we begin moving beyond capitalism toward socialism. If society is to survive, such an alternative has become unavoidable.
This article was originally written and published in Urdu on Dr. Ammar’s social media wall. The current version has been transcribed and translated into English.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, policies, or official position of The Spine Times.
Dr.Ammar Ali Jan
The writer is a Pakistani historian, academic, and political organizer. He is the founder and general secretary of the Haqooq-e-Khalq Party and a member of the Progressive International.
