Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Ignoring print media not advisable
Lately there has been growing trend both in the public sector and the private sector people to give preference to the electronic media as more and more TV channels are being launched over the print media. This is not advisable at all and this scribe may even dare to say this is quite foolish thing to do without caring plus and minus points of both.
There is hell of a difference in the impact which the print and the electronic media have on the readers and viewers across the country. The impact of the print media is lasting and accessible as and when a newspaper reader has got spare time to go through the editorials and columns after having read news in the morning. As compared to this, TV channels’ impact is just short lived and for a few minutes at the most. How many people have access to TV channels as compared to newspapers?
Furthermore, PTI and its federal government have a host of media advisors whose performance leaves much to be desired to say the least. They are more attracted to TV channels because their faces also appear on screens. And next day, there is not a single word in the newspapers. They are rendering no service whatsoever either to the party or to federal government.
PTI had completed its two years in power last month. Was any booklet compiled to provide facts and figures and highlighting achievements of the federal government? There was none. The other day, PM Imran Khan granted two hours long interview to a private TV channel. The media advisors did not bother to provide a comprehensive story to the newspapers. Why PM is not advised to grant such interviews to leading Urdu and English newspapers?
M Z RIFAT
Lahore
Karachi mired
The city of lights has now become mired in water, mud and slush. The death is taking its toll in Karachi and masses are left at the mercy of nobody. There appears to be no administration anywhere, even the community welfare organizations are stuck hard and unable to provide sufficient help to people badly affected by torrential rain and its aftermath. The inertia of local as well as Sindh Government proved detrimental for residents. Is there any saviour for Karachiites?
IFTIKHAR MIRZA
Islamabad
Monsoon
rains and electrocutions
Just a week ago, a woman in my locality was electrocuted while turning on a water motor in her house. What was the cause of electrocution? Standing barefoot in a puddle of water, while trying to turn on the electricity switch.
Did she not know how dangerous water and electricity are together and the precaution that needs to be followed? Or do we just like to flout basic safety precautions? I was glad to see an ad on TV that addresses the issue of electrical safety inside the house. It certainly used a strong emotional appeal to drive home the message that naked wires and use of electrical equipment in the presence of water are dangerous! Perhaps shock therapy is exactly what is needed to shake people out of their inertia so that they start taking ownership of their own and their loved ones safety. Perhaps this is the only way we will be able to stop the tragedies that occur inside homes with every rain.
GULSHAN NAZ
Karachi
Bags instead
of tools
According to Wikipedia, “Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful.” Knowing the consequences of child labour, UNICEF declared 12 June as “World Day Against Child Labour” Still, in our country child labour is quite common. Children, who are the future of Pakistan, are holding tools instead of bags.
According to a survey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Statistics and the National Child Labour, approximately 19 million children below 14 years of age are working as child labourer in Pakistan due to poverty. They are deprived of their due rights along with education. If our youth is going to be uneducated and engaged in work, how will the country progress? The government must make sure that every child must be a student rather than a labour.
AFROZ MJ
Turbat
LG performance
This refers to the performance of local electives in the local bodies in the provincial governments. They have completed their tenure with no tangible results. The city infrastructure before and after their ascendancy is intact rather it has become hilarious. Their loose management has counted an abundant loss to the revenue. Now, it is a pertinent time to evaluate the performance of the local electable persons in the LG.
Hence, the local bodies of Sindh have expired. What these institutions have given to Sindh in the last four years should be assessed. The Sindh government should expose every local body to the budget of Sindh in the last four years and the intermediaries of their performance in Sindh. The report should also inform the public about how many employees are currently in these local bodies in such a way that the public is aware that such a budget and so practical is why municipal services in Sindh are in a disastrous state.
The streets, roads and drains of any city of Sindh are not in good shape; Municipal services are fundamental in the life of people because the public has to get basic services through these institutions. If the budgets of these basic services institutes run the costs of the assemblies and party office bearers, pay the loyalist hired employees, and the oil and repairs of the Sahib’s vehicles, then it will be the province that is seen in Sindh. To the general public, democracy does not mean the Act and amendments passed in the assemblies, but rather the basic provisions of everyday living.
Depriving the public of these facilities is the worst of the basic concepts of democracy and despair. The incompetent management always deduce the failure to the system. The weak performance of LG is clearly seen to even by a layman sight. The city is reflecting the gloomy picture when any unforeseen natural or man-made disaster comes in our way.
FEROZ SAMO
Larkana
