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.
Lockdown and vaccination
Lockdown and vaccination is not the ultimate solution to stop the spread of Coronavirus.
The only solution is to drink hot water three to four times a day, inhale steam at least two times a day, wear a mask whenever you step out, keep social distance and avoid crowds.
If you are already suffering from ailments like high BP, diabetes and asthma, then you should be more careful.
Don’t rush to the hospital even if you are positive and asymptomatic. The only solution is to quarantine yourself.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Govt should review 18th Amendment
Government should review 18th amendment. Pakistan is a federation. Weak centre, strong provinces is closer to the idea of a confederation. Federal Govt must have more powers like in the United States, Turkey and India.
Nations make mistakes, can always be rectified. Moreover, PPP was trying to pressurize the sitting government to evade accountability drive.
“Even if the government or anybody else starts talking about amending or repealing the 18th amendment, why is it unacceptable for PPP? Can Parliament not make changes to it? It’s nonsense to not let anybody comment on the Constitution which is subject to change according to changing socio-political realities.
18th Amendment is a reality. Also a reality that it was done in haste without due diligence.
Reversing it is not the solution, streamlining and improving it to serve its core purpose is a better way forward.
Furthermore, Yasmeen Ali, an academic and political analyst, believes that “The 18th Amendment has created a governance gap; where it has removed the Federal umbrella, funnelling finances to provinces without check and accountability.
The “Fake Accounts Case” in Sindh, if proved, will reflect the weakness of the federation, but not necessarily at the cost of strengthening the provinces.
SARFRAZ SOOMRO
Sukkur
A death hole
Two days ago, a child of class two, Ayan Ali, fell into and died in an open drainage hole in Shikarpur.
When his dead body brought to his home, his parents mourned and screamed at his sudden death.
And in Larkana, while playing a game, a boy, Fahad Rind, aged 9, met with the same fate and fell into the same hole and died.
As there are many open drainage holes in the streets and main roads which cause accidents, traffic jams and deaths as well in our cities, no step is taken by the concerned authorities to at least put covers to the open drainage holes.
The Municipal Administration springs into action from the state of its deep slumber when such horrifying occurrences take place.
Rife corruption and maladministration have destroyed better governance in our cities. The concerned authorities are requested to take immediate action against those who are responsible for these recurring incidents and lid all open drainage holes.
RIAZ AHMAD SOOMRO
Shikarpur
COVID-19 third wave
Covid-19 has changed the very course of human lives. With the third wave taking its toll on the entire world with God knows how many variants of this pesky virus, what amazes me is the degree of human adaptability.
People have died, people have gotten irreparable health damages, people have had to bury loved ones and yet here we all are, still trying to tread on.
It is the same Italy where people actually resorted to dumping their loved ones’ corpses out of their homes when their healthcare had crumbled under the pressure of this pandemic which ultimately popularized togetherness by going on their balconies to sing songs in unison; epitome of human resistance.
With work, education and training now being performed virtually, it further depicts how resistant mankind is because if it weren’t for the pandemic, we couldn’t even allow ourselves to fathom; let alone believe that we can achieve all of our daily activities behind a digital screen.
The era of smart gadgets has transformed from a metaphor to a more literal personification.
This sheer and somewhat incredible human resistance, persistence and the will to keep going on is perhaps why we all are still within reach of our sanity, albeit on the very brink of it.
It gives us hope that someday we will get back to the old normal and remember this new normal as the dreaded old normal.
Till then, we must quarantine, maintain social distancing, wear masks and sanitize and resistance would have to suffice.
AAMNA KHAN
Islamabad
