WHY is it that in Pakistan nothing good is allowed to quietly carry on? Why must a worthy practice be turned into a circus that ends up negating the value of the deed itself? Charitable organisations have for many years been matching up abandoned babies with prospective guardians, thus giving the infants a chance for a rosier future. Given that regulatory mechanisms are present in Pakistan’s guardianship laws, this system is entirely laudable in a country where far too many children end up on their own on the streets. Handing over infants to their foster parents has always been done quietly and without fanfare, which is the way it should be.

But a few weeks ago, a religious personality and television host had turned this procedure into a spectacle for his TV audiences. This stirred up a storm of criticism because of the affront his action presented to human dignity — both of the infant and his new guardians. In a single gesture, he had commodified human life. Now, a charity Karachi-based organisation has followed this example by handing over an infant to a couple in the full glare of press cameras. Can we plead for sanity to prevail? The placement of foundlings with foster parents may be an act of gain for the new family, but it is also one of loss — for the child whose links to his biological parents have been severed, and for the adults in a country where, overwhelmingly, couples only adopt if they are unable to conceive. Turning such an intensely private moment into currency for ratings and reputation is simply appalling. The example to be followed instead is that of Edhi Foundation, which has always resisted the base impulse to invite public applause for its charitable work.