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Time to step back & reflect
Nobody wins if Pakistan loses. Those who have chosen to live and die in this country, holding no other immigration status in any foreign nation, are worried at the growing intolerance and frequent violations of constitutional limits placed on individuals and powerful stakeholders. Rule of law means supremacy of the constitution.
I plead to all those who matter, to stand back and reflect for the sake of posterity and future of 220 million Pakistanis. We owe a lot of debt to our Founding Fathers who provided us a country where we can live and breathe like free citizens of a sovereign state, unlike Muslims who suffer and are persecuted continuously by Hindutva mindset in India. Even Pakistan origin expatriates who have chosen to adopt foreign nationalities will suffer if Pakistan is weakened.
The unfortunate 1971 debacle should have been enough to wake up and recollect the collective follies committed by us. Yet we faulted once again by involving this country in a proxy war during Zia junta. Earlier Iskandar Mirza and Ayub Khan wavered from Jinnah’s vision. He banned all political parties in a country created through a political struggle waged by politicians with integrity and commitment, led by Quaid-e-Azam, Allama Iqbal and many others who did not succumb to temptations of land and titles, unlike others who chose to win favors from British Raj.
MAJ laid down his vision for drafting a constitution on which foundations of the modern democratic welfare state was to be built in his address to the First Constituent on 11 August 1947. He elaborated on the role of paid civil and uniformed servants of the state while addressing officers at Staff College Quetta on 14 June 1948. It is time to wake up to the dangers we face.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
BRT and the public
BRT, a multi-billion project has once more been in chaos. The fears of fire ignition owing to technical faults have obliged the government halt the continuity of buses and look over the misery. Notwithstanding, the stoppage has perturbed the travelling-comfort level of all the commuters, students being the particulars. The deadline for its refunctioning, 25 October is expected to resume the service.
More delays would do harm to the transparency already at suspicion and cause further aches and pains for the public. The project was specifically observed to serve the university and college pupils which has brought an unprecedented ease in their access to less expensive and efficient transportation. The concerned authorities must overcome this mishandling as soon as possible to keep the interruptions away and ensure the vehicles becoming re-operational.
FARHAT ULLAH
Peshawar
Causes
to give to
One should donate seeds to farmers so that they can grow more crops, adopt an orphaned child so that his/her future may be secure, feed a hungry person, help a handicapped person, donate to a village school library, to an old age home, or an orphanage. Schools in several villages have no shelter but temples have marble floors.
When asked to donate Rs 200 to a school, people ask hundreds of questions but thousands of rupees are donated to a temple without asking questions. How will we become a superpower in the real sense? We call ourselves an agriculturist nation while our farmers commit suicide in almost every state of the country because they have nothing to eat and cannot repay the loans they have taken.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Over thinking breeds hypertension
Mentally strong people don’t pay attention to the things which can neither be controlled nor be changed. They always work on the things which are in their reach. They are fact-oriented when it comes to dealing with circumstances. As Wasif Ali Wasif said: “Things which can keep going without you after you die are better be left going without you while you are alive.”
Mentally strong people focus on things which can produce results when input and efforts are put into them. They don’t criticise those things or people that they have no control on. They don’t nurture such desires and wishes inside them which are unrealistic and cannot be achieved. They don’t curse the things which they have no concern with them. They accept unchangeable things and people as they are.
SAFEER HUSSAIN MAHOTO
Karachi
End dangerous politics
The upcoming election in the USA has been the hottest topic now. Both BBC and CNN have been constantly focusing on the American election making the most of it. The US President Donald Trump and his opponent Joe Biden have been into vigorous electioneering and debates that have now opened doors to various political facets. What strike me the most are those ongoing heated arguments and politics turning dangerous is what really concerns me [I have been watching all on TV] very much.
Right now politics in the US that has been the hub of interesting historical events and home to big political personalities should be protected from certain negative, dangerous aspects. Wherever, I am going – places like Bangalore, Mumbai and my native areas like, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, I have been observing Trump’s movement and speech.
Trump has been good at dealing with crises through his energetic speech and bold steps. Put aside previous political conundrums, the world media and people now have active roles like never before in order to prevent geopolitics turning hostile and dangerous – making good use of their rights and privileges. Most importantly, such dangerous politics should not be allowed to swallow the growth of countries like America and that of big continents like Asia for the sake of improved and beautiful, new world order.
P SENTHIL S DURAI
Mumbai
