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.
Covid may kill PDM politically
Fazlur Rehman of JUI, Zardari of PPP, Maryam Nawaz of PML-N, Asfandyar of ANP, Mehmood Achakzai of PKMAP and six other opposition parties forming the PDM are the most seasoned and experienced politicians of our country. But, together they have made a serious political blunder by continuing adamantly holding public gatherings at the cost of life of the general public amid the vast and widespread of deadly Coronavirus. This is something which they shouldn’t have insisted upon only in defiance of the government. Somebody in the PDM should tell them that Coronavirus is neither political nor PTI’s. It is threat to life of anyone who catches it. It attacks lethally at gatherings and inflicts heavy casualties like it did in Italy and Iran.
Please do not accept SOPs issued by the government because it is against your political ego, but kindly understand the common sense that it directly relates to the life of innocent people. Their gathering in large numbers, at your call, for your vested interests, will put their life at risk of death as the resurge of Coronavirus is already playing havoc due to mishandlings by the government. This is like going insane to fulfilling venomous objectives. Playing with people’s life is a deliberate attempt to obliterate masses – for the sake of no return. If PDM continues to doing so, and the cases of Coronavirus contract increase manifold, the public sentiment will vote against them, which will obviously be a political death of PDM. Please, stop it.
MOHSIN HASAN
Nowshera
Catching India ‘Red-Hand’
India’s ‘terror-confidence’ has reached a point where now it has come in open from what the agencies have been calling covert. The enemy is now threatening openly through media giving deadlines like “see what happens in 15 days in Balochistan”. Indian media is raising day and night hue and cry against Pakistan under a well-directed plan. A similar kind of response is not being given by the Pakistani media. However, our security forces are thankfully exposing India ‘red-handed’.
By unveiling the dossier containing “irrefutable evidence” of India sponsoring terrorism by the Foreign Minister and DG ISPR our security forces have not only showed to the world the true face of India, but also have acted pre-emptively and neutralized a major terrorist network during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur tribal district. The network was coordinating terrorist activities in various areas of Pakistan and received direct orders from their RAW-sponsored leadership from across the border. Our security forces need to display similar kind of more proactive vigilance to safeguard the motherland. It is my humble request to our media stalwarts to kindly shun differences of your own and concentrate on the common threat from the enemy.
FAROOQ ALAY
Islamabad
Poverty in Pakistan
Poverty is a curse. It is a major issue in Pakistan, a poor and underdeveloped country. Most of its population lives in adverse circumstances. Some reports reveal that more than 40% population of Pakistan lives below the poverty line. The rising poverty is the result of poor governance and slow economic growth. A large number of people in our country do not have a proper place to live in. This miserable condition has given birth to an increase in beggars.
Today, Pakistan is facing a lot of problems. The major problem in the country is poverty which is a major cause of crimes and social disorder. Diseases are very common in poor people living due to poverty because they lack the resources to maintain a healthy living environment. Sometimes these diseases can be minor, but at others they can be life-threatening. In general, people living in poverty cannot afford appropriate medicines to get themselves treated. I would like to request the concerned authorities to take measures which can lead to the eradication of poverty.
AROOJ MASOOD
Rawalpindi
Death of books
Books are the food of mind, oxygen of heart and beauty of soul. Books broaden our perspective and widen our chest with insurmountable blocks of wisdom and intelligence. Books are considered the heritage of a society. Indeed, life is empty and colourless without books. It’s not been so long that books were thought to be pivotal source of changing mindset and seeing the world from other sides. People used to read them in such a way that they became unconscious of their surrounding, embroiled in the charms of their message. It was a hobby and habit of all to read books at their leisure.
But now, we have lost the significance of book reading and pushed the sagacity to walls. Dolefully, the habit of book reading has been seized from our youths who are the future of our nation. Technology and mobile phones have crippled their wings and stripped their hands to pick up a book and read for comfort, delight and updates. Resultantly, we are unaware about historical figures, prominent authors and dynamic cultures which provide us insight and sapience. To inculcate the habit of book reading among youth, we should promote the culture of libraries and curtail the use of technology.
YAHYA CHACHAR
Sukkur
Jan is right time for reopening schools, colleges
This is not the right time for reopening of schools and colleges. Life is more precious than the academic school and college year of students. Perhaps, January is the right time once the winter is at its peak. No parent would like to take the risk of sending their son/daughter to school/college at this point of time when the Covid-19 virus has still not died down. Also, only those schools and colleges which are outside the containment zones should be allowed to operate.
Students, teachers and employees living in the present containment zones should not be allowed inside the campuses. Employees who are at high risk, including elderly people, pregnant mothers, people having diseases should also not be allowed inside the school or college campus. This is for our own safety because like leprosy and tuberculosis, the Covid-19 pandemic is here to stay forever. We have to get used to it.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Improving taxes
In our country of 220 million people, only 1.2 million file income tax returns. The whelming majority of people earning a huge amount of income do not pay tax to their own state. The Federal Board of Revenue FBR has no choice except issuing notices. Avoiding tax payment causes a big loss to the country, therefore, we should need to pay attention on paying taxes.
The government should take action against the big tax-dodgers with all legality. Income tax is the only equitable tax, as it encumbers people according to their capacity to pay. In progressive countries, income tax constitutes more than 76pc of total tax revenue collected.
NITASHA FAROOQ
Rawalpindi
