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.
Empowering BOI
Recently, key foreign investors, especially in the real estate sector, called for the Board of Investment’s empowerment and creating a one window facilitation for investors so that they can go through the whole approval and other process in a better way that will not only save their time but will also serve the purpose of transparency in government processes.
Pakistan’s real estate market is quite a lucrative market for domestic as well as international investors and we have seen that many key foreign players have entered the real estate industry of Pakistan to bring new projects of international standard.
But the question is how the state is facilitating the real estate industry. Construction package from the Prime Minister is, no doubt, a key milestone but there is a lot more work to be done. Board of Investment needs to come up with better policies and should do all communication with all the relevant govt bodies such as NHA, RDA, CDA, SNGPL, etc because it was quite difficult for foreign investors to understand where they needed to go and what to do.
Protecting the investors in the country should be the priority for the leadership as this is the only way to keep the momentum going and the economy can be revived. Real estate is one of the safest investments for Overseas Pakistanis but lack of laws and their implementation to protect the foreign investment is a major hindrance to boost the investment.
FAIZAN YASIN
Islamabad
Killing of Hazara community
Every age has its own type of war that adopts itself to the prevailing environment. With this present age war is hybrid warfare that is waged against Pakistan by opponent – India, whose targets are indiscriminate, be it the students of Army Public School (APS), members of Ismaeli community, religious scholars like Amjad Sabri or Maulana Adil or the same Hazara community. Attacks against the Hazara community are only carried to create unrest in the country, disturb the religious harmony, create the sense of the insecurity and overall to sabotage the economic activity in the area that is happening under the umbrella of CPEC. Recent attack against the Hazara community may be termed as the intelligence failure, however, targets like these are easy to attack but again it is the full responsibility of the State to have a strict vigil on such type of incidents.
AAMIR KHAN WAGAN
Larkana
Target killing continues
On 03 January, a painful tragedy took place in Mach district of Balochistan when unidentified gunmen kidnapped 11 coal miners belonging to the Hazara community and slaughtered them in nearby mountains. The IS has claimed responsibility for the barbarous attack. The Hazara community of Balochistan has long been prosecuted for their belief .Over the last two decades, they have continuously been falling victim to the targeted attacks. Mach incident is latest in a long series of such brutal targeted attacks. In April last year, a suicide bomber had killed 18 people in a marketplace, half of whom were Hazaras. In 2013, three bombings had left more than 200 people dead in Hazara neighbourhood in Quetta. In Jan 2020, a suicide bomber had targeted a snooker club frequented by Hazaras in Quetta.
Unfortunately, the Hazara community has no other option but to stage a peaceful sit-in in a bid to attract the attention of the government towards their plight. This time too, they have been staging a sit-in for the last one week under freezing temperature, and have refused to bury their dead unless justice is done to them. They call upon the government to immediately arrest those involved in the Mach incident and take a serious steps to stop their killing and ensure their rights as citizens of Pakistan. It is about time the government and law enforcers take strict steps to ensure life security to the Hazaras.
ANILA AYAZ
Karachi
Don’t call blackmailer!
Today after watching a irresponsible statement by Prime Minister of Pakistan I remembered mass shooting attack of Christchurch which happened on 15 March 2019 in New Zealand in which 50 innocent were shot in mosque during Friday Prayer. A day after the attack, Jacinda visited (Prime Minister of New Zealand) went to Christchurch and met with members of the grieved families and Muslim community.
Dressed in black and wearing a Muslim-style headscarf known as a Hijab, she tearfully told them that the whole country was “united in grief.” It was not just her dress that won her more fans abroad. Many people also praised her pledge to cover the funeral costs of all 50 victims and offer of financial assistance to the families. But here in Pakistan after 6 days of incident a Prime Minister instead of visiting Hazara community, saying blackmailers to them. He would not use such words for them. I appreciate Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Mariam Nawaz for their visit and condolence. I request PM and Army Chief to visit Hazara people and accept their demands for justice.
ANTHONY SAHOTRA
Larkana
Hindu temple
Kudos to Pakistan Supreme Court for ordering reconstruction of a century old Hindu temple that was vandalised in KP. Also it has instructed the authorities to recover the money for restoration from the attackers.
This is called sense of justice which the whole world is required to learn from this sane humanitarian verdict of the Pakistan Supreme Court. Indeed Pakistan Supreme Court has transmitted a brilliant message across the world by according supreme place to truth sanity equality neutrality and communal brotherhood.
KAJAL CHATTERJEE
India
