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Smuggled fuel
I have come to know that smuggling of petrol and diesel from Iran is increasing. According to one estimate, 20% of the diesel used in Pakistan is smuggled from Iran. It can well be imagined how much the Government of Pakistan is losing in sales tax, levies and custom duties every year because of this practice. I am sure the losses run into billions of rupees.
Availability of cheap fuel from smuggled sources also hurts Pakistan’s oil sellers as well as the refineries. Smuggled Iranian diesel is of low quality and that is why it is cheap. It has high percentage of sulphur and other additives. When it is smuggled into Pakistan, it pollutes the underground tanks of the fuel pumps when it mixes with better quality local fuel. The dealers are attracted by the low-priced Iranian fuel so they prefer buying it and do not buy from local refineries. Smuggled fuel has even forced a major OMC to close many of its pumps in Balochistan where this low-quality fuel was commonly available.
The roots of fuel smuggling between the borders of Balochistan and Iran can be traced to the poor socio-economic conditions existing in Pakistan’s most backward province. If these conditions can be improved and the people of Balochistan are given the opportunity to earn a respectable livelihood in their own province, smuggling will be discouraged. I think the government should pay urgent attention to this factor.
ROHAIL HASSAN
Karachi
English language is not the sign
of dignity
Language is a vital tool for communication. It is not only a means of communicating thoughts and ideas, but it builds friendships, economic relationships and cultural ties. But the way English language is supplanting over others languages of the world because it becomes imperative either compulsion to the norms of global linguistics.
Nowadays, in subcontinent, English is widely taught in the entire region as its rising significance in the education system of such countries where English is even important than their own national languages, which depicts why the young generation seeks to speak and write in English with a view to proving themselves as an educated citizens. Economic dealings of countries and enhance bilateral cooperation; countries’ diplomats use English to communicate one another.
Unfortunately, in many countries, people are judged by their linguistics skills, which is nothing but a reflection of colonial and outdated mindset of the Great Britain. If someone cannot speak English that does not mean he/she is to be projected an uneducated man/woman of this contemporary society; this futile and bizarre trend must end or else lest the people should lose their own languages owing to this ignorance.
If we take a bird’s eye of India and Pakistan’s civil service exam where English is given utmost importance in probably than any other subject of their syllabus of CSS/IPS exam that decide the future of the aspirant as policy maker of the country is also based on linguistics skills because aspirants consider in both countries that English essay and composition papers are far more tough than any other paper, which depicts that we have not been able to bring concrete reforms in our civil service exam still depending upon the archaic policy of British that makes English language even more important in both countries in order to make a bright future in bureaucracy.
SHAHRAM BHUTTO
Hyderabad
Declining of tourism in Zimbabwe
I feel greatly disturbed to see that the Zimbabwean tourism industry is fast declining because the government created a harsh environment which deters potential visitors from coming to Zimbabwe. The economic hardships in Zimbabwe have stopped many Zimbabweans from visiting tourists’ areas. High unemployment and lack of disposable income are the main factors that are stopping Zimbabweans from visiting the game parks, historical monuments, museums and galleries.
Even though Covid-19 has greatly affected tourism, the government’s failure to manage and govern the country effectively has profoundly contributed to the massive decline of the tourism industry.
Shortage of foreign currency, banks without cash, ATMs are empty and the main airport is not effectively managed. Tourists also fear travelling in Zimbabwe because there is no proper road network, road signs have been vandalised, no road markings, there are huge potholes on the roads, some bridges have collapsed and have not been repaired for months. The awkward mining of coal in an elephant game reserve Hwange and illegal gold panning in Chimanimani game reserve have put off reasonable tourists from thinking about visiting Zimbabwe.
TAPIWA MUSKWE
United Kingdom
Challenges during Covid-19 pandemic
The Coronavirus or Covid-19 has created numerous challenges for people all over the world. The outbreak of the virus was first located to the Wet Markets in Wuhan, China in December 2019. On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared this infection a pandemic. As the virus and its symptoms remained undiagnosed and unclear, the virus spread not only in the neighbouring countries but worldwide causing numerous restrictions and challenges in the daily life of people.
The symptoms of the virus are similar to the common cold and fever (diseases like SARS or MERS), like running nose and respiratory illness, which made it even harder to control the spread and provide the secure means for its treatment. The measures to stay protected from the disease were to self-isolate if mild symptoms occurred, or to admit oneself in Covid-19 hospitals, in case of severe cases, or just by practising social distancing, remaining quarantined and washing hands and staying clean.
With more than 8.60 million confirmed cases globally and more than 3.85 lakhs cases in India, the outrage of this virus is not stopping anytime soon or until a vaccine is not discovered for the treatment. It has also posed a lot of challenges for the people admitted to hospitals for their COVID-19 tests and medication.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
