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.
Right to self-determination day
The inured people of the IIOJK observed the Right to self-determination day on 05 Jan 2022 … the right that was promised to them by the UN on 05 January 1949. Unfortunately, to the utter dismay of the brazenly persecuted people of occupied territory, the UN hasn’t fulfilled this promise it had made to them over seven decades ago.
Pakistan has always stood by the people of IIOJK in their legitimate struggle for right to self-determination. Since the past over seven decades, it has provided unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support to them. It will continue to do so, till the UN grants them the right to choose their own destiny.
Pakistan must seek resolution of the long-pending Kashmir issue through the UN Resolution of 1949 that emphasises resolution of the Kashmir problem through grant of right to self-determination to the browbeaten people of Kashmir. It mustn’t let go an opportunity to expose India’s highhandedness and commission of unparalleled atrocities in the occupied territory. It must proactively and forcefully raise the Kashmir issue at all international forums.
Pakistan must launch a robust diplomatic offensive; knock the doors of the United Nations and the powers that be to resolve this long-pending issue expeditiously. Every possible endeavour should be made to mobilise strong world support in favour of the subjugated people of occupied Kashmir.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
Violence
at IIUI
International Islamic University Islamabad is an educational hub of the country and the Muslim world with around thirty thousand male and female students belonging to the different corners of Pakistan and other countries.
Despite an international prestige in education, the recent unfortunate incidents of the clashes between student bodies have highly damaged the reputation of the institution. On Monday, during a peaceful protest walk of a few student bodies, the clash took place that left more than eight students seriously injured.
Earlier in 2019, a violent clash between two rival student groups erupted during an educational expo which resulted in the death of one student and at least sixteen seriously injured. Such incidents have become an obstacle to maintaining the learning and peaceful environment at the university.
Hence it is high time for the university management to take serious steps in the best interest of students and maintain a peaceful and education-friendly environment at the university.
SHAHZEB ALI
Islamabad
IK can’t blame rigging
Would PTI learn lessons from KP local body elections and change its strategy for the next phase? Is the PTI top leadership shedding light on the reasons behind ruling PTI’s failure in the first phase of the local government elections in KP?
Internal strife among PTI local stakeholders was one of the core reasons behind the setback suffered by the party in the province. Very unwisely the PTI contested elections against the PTI in the province. The PTI should have won elections in 14 districts had this not been the case.
Will PTI leadership focus on party discipline and activate the lower cadre of the party? It is an admitted fact that PTI leadership could not understand the ground reality in the province and activate its workers quite timely. PTI is the most popular political party in KP.
The outcome of local body elections in KP reflects the overall unsatisfactory performance of the PTI. The incidents of violence during the elections are alarmingly notable. The party’s discipline needs to be maintained at all costs in the next elections. All the Opposition parties have come up with surprising success. The opposition parties are celebrating their victories after the ruling PTI failed to retain its popularity during the first phase of the local government elections.
Defeat of ruling PTI in second phase of local body elections in KP will be an obvious and clear referendum against Imran Khan and his cabinet well before next parliamentary elections.
The PTI has lost elections in its stronghold KP despite being in power since 2014 while the PTI has been ruling Punjab, the stronghold of the PML-N since 2018. Here in Punjab PML-N will clean sweep the local body elections with a convincing margin no matter whether voting is done on EVM or paper ballots. In each case, PTI Khan can’t blame rigging.
NAVEED AMAN KHAN
Islamabad
Social media addiction
The sad incident of unwilling killing of an innocent pedestrian by TikTokers caused Goosebumps as it was not really a sight for sore eyes. How irresponsible we have been in a bid to attain cheap fame on the cost of risking innocent lives. The free and fearless exhibition of arms/ammunition must be banned, especially when it’s done by under-aged.
The police investigation revealed that the guys were having unlicensed arms. In addition to this, they are minors who should not be given such harmful weapons in any case. Parents should see into it with hard hands to overcome such happenings. The social media stardom has caused a kind of mental illness and mental imbalance in youngsters which has completely obsessed them only for coming in the limelight.
In this race of getting followers and subscribers they become like bear with sore head and can go to any idiotic publicity stunt risking theirs as well as others lives. They are often caught up in such irresolute actions which cause innumerable & irredeemable circumstances for others with or around them.
These youngsters often become itinerants and ambulant to record their futile films and vandalized videos to post on social media forums for getting cheap applause by their viewers. All these stunts are done on the cost of their studies. Such things should not be done in that perspective. Recreation and excursions are never important if they risk future.
The parents should ponder over this grave issue as they can save their children from this social media addiction and can track them right on the path of their future. The government should see into such growing tendency of fake pomp and show in our youth, which they believe can be obtained by displaying arms and ammunition on social media forums.
SAJJAD CHEEHANI
Agra, Sindh
