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.
Pakistan’s timber mafia
Pakistan’s timber gangs operate freely in many parts of the country, profiting from illegal logging often with the backing of local officials and that poses a big problem for fledgling efforts to stem deforestation. Pakistan’s timber mafia is made up of organized gangs that cut trees from state-owned forests and sell them illegally, often working at night.
Some 43,000 hectares of forest are cleared annually in Pakistan, which has the highest deforestation rate in Asia, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Each of Pakistan’s five provinces has its own forest laws, intended to regulate forest conservation and timber harvesting according to local needs.
But these are routinely ignored – often with the convenience of rural politicians, some of them encourage their constituents to clear forest, sell the wood and turn the land into profitable plots for construction. Therefore, all the responsible institutions are requested to take action against timber mafia.
MUHAMMAD IDREES
Charsadda
Migration of citizens
It’s extremely disheartening to keep on witnessing negative sentiments and lack of concerns by the Zimbabwean government about citizens who are continuously leaving Zimbabwe in search of better economic conditions in other foreign countries particularly South Africa. As we observe migration day, it is worthy reflecting on why the corrupt Zimbabwean government is hoping South Africa will renew special work permits for Zimbabweans. The Zimbabwean government should be ashamed that it has failed an estimated six million Zimbabweans who are scattered in South Africa.
If the Zimbabwean government can manage the country, Zimbabweans in South Africa will not be begging for the special work permits in the first instance. This shocking scale of migration regarding Zimbabweans was created by mismanagement of the country by ZANU PF government. The world should put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to sort out the economic mess they have created and stop the migration patterns which are threatening the Southern African region particularly South Africa.
TSITSI MUTANDIRO
Feltham
Trickle down norms
Believe or not in our society almost 90% women spend their evenings watching TV serials and other family shows. Children are induced to watch the same as they don’t have options, rather to spend their time on mobile/tabs playing games or increasing the viewership of Youtube.
I still remember the time of my childhood when we spend most our time playing with marble balls, cricket, football, kiting and other physical activities which keep us engaged in healthy routine, every new day comes with surprise. The local street fun chasing each other in neighbourhood, street fights and many more but the day ends with the wish to re-join again with same spirit. Learned a lot, the joint families the care we use to have for each other and social norms which was rich at that time. Unfortunately, our children will miss all this, they won’t be able feel the gist of making kite threads and many more things which we use to do easily, they would take time to learn those. The technology is proficient and very useful, but it derails our social/societal systems. Every picture has two sides but we only see its appearance, same is the case with the use of technology whether Information Technology, television or any other.
The television is bit open to share, every one wants to see the clear picture pertaining to individuals, families or societies. I still remember the rise of television, formerly we use to wait for a drama serial for a week to watch on National Television and the dramas used to be the masterpiece of that time. The National Television was aimed to contribute for the society’s interest with common efforts, news, child plays cartoons, drama serials and many more, may be at that time the things were not that advance but they were leading the gentry with good content.
BABAR JAFFAR
Quetta
Tendency to deforestation
When the huge number of forests are diminished with the timberland areas being dwindled — deforestation breeds with the flow of detrimental and baleful repercussions. Deforestation has wrecked havoc significantly with Mother Nature—caused gigantic loss we unable to recuperate from it and created environmental degradation in Pakistan. The country’s forest cover has declined to less than four per cent in recent years. Even this is fast disappearing owing to the continued chopping of trees.
For a propitious and well-balanced ambiance and sound economy approximately 25% of land area be under forest. Deforestation is a ravaging process and demeanour which attacks—balefully and adversely— on country’s environments and stable economy. Deforestation has raised clouds of issues like erratic weather patterns, rising temperatures, glacial melting and heat waves. The transmission of green house gases mainly carbon in the environment is rapidly aggrandizing with horrendous pace because of the alarming and frightening extent of deforestation.
Thence, a creepy and crying need is required for initiating far-reaching and deep awareness and environment shelter campaigns. The state and public must work in tandem to curb and ban this ghastly and sordid act—nibbling away Pakistan like a lethal termite. Both the provincial and central governments—setting their political differences aside, should come up with an environment-amicable policies and san strategies and help ease plantation campaigns while the public and other stakeholders, too should contribute to participate in these campaigns with great fervour and zeal given the catastrophic ramifications of deforestation.
USAMA MUGHAL
Kandhkot, Sindh
