Global
response to Afghan disaster
Days ago Afghanistan’s three eastern provinces were jolted by a devastating earthquake, which badly destroyed thousands of houses, government buildings and damaged road infrastructure in the region. According to the statistics shared by the Afghan government, the earthquake killed about 1150 people and injured more than 1600 Afghans, while an unprecedented blow completely destroyed more than 3,000 houses and another 10,000 homes were damaged partially.
The recent disaster has multiplied the problems and added to the worries of the Taliban government, which is still unrecognized by the entire world and already battling with multiple issues including financial and economic upheavals, a countrywide hunger crisis and armed insurgencies in some parts of the country. Afghan authorities are repeatedly making calls for international aid and promising not to interfere in the work of international efforts to provide relief to those affected by the temblor.
The Afghan nation has struck another distress in the shape of a deadly earthquake, while an ill-organized and poorly resourced Afghan government is incompetent to mitigate the effects. The world should be sensitized about the gravity of the situation, it is hoped that the global community will come forward to help the miserable people of Afghanistan, keeping aside all political differences with the Taliban, because humanity is above all prejudices, politics and rivalries in the world.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
LG elections divide already divided
I have been passing through an anguish over the news reports of violence that took place during the recently-held LG elections in the 14 districts of Sindh. The elections not only conspicuously divided our society but also turned out to be ‘deadly’ as it claimed three lives and injured many.
The masses launched scathing verbal and physical attacks against one another and resorted to violence over a trifling argument. A glaring example of this is our small town, Gaji Khuhawar located in district Qambar-Shahdadkot, where a brawl turned into a clash at a ward, leaving many injured, including women.
What is more painful is that the poor masses, despite having matrimonial connections and close friendships, turn arch-rivals during the days of elections and continue to be exploited by the members of political parties, including feudal and landlords for their vested interests. It is time the masses needed to show restraint and take a while to introspect to avoid further wrangling.
ALI ASGHAR KHUHAWAR
Karachi
Humanity
When we say humanity, we can look at it from a lot of different perspectives. One of the most common ways of understanding is that it is a value of kindness and compassion towards other beings. If you look back at history, you will find many acts of cruelty by humans but at the same time, there are also numerous acts of humanity. An essay on humanity will take us through its meaning and importance. The world we live in today is divided by borders but the reach we can have is limitless. We are lucky enough to have the freedom to travel anywhere and experience anything we wish for. A lot of nations fight constantly to acquire land which results in the loss of many innocent lives.
Similarly, other humanitarian crisis like the ones in Yemen, Syria, Myanmar and more costs the lives of more than millions of people. The situation is not resolving anytime soon, thus we need humanity for this. Most importantly, humanity does not just limit to humans but also caring for the environment and every living being. We must all come together to show true humanity and help out other humans, animals and our environment to heal and prosper.
NABA SAEED
Kallar Syedan, Rawalpindi
Condemnable
The BJP expelled its leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal over their hateful remarks against the Last Prophet (PBUH). The decision came after their ignorant and blasphemous remarks upset the Gulf countries and triggered communal tension in several parts of India.
Political leaders need to think twice before spewing hate against any community. It is their responsibility to ensure that their words are not hurting the religious sentiments of people.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Sportsmanship
The ongoing downfall of the greatest batter Virat Kholi is reprimanded by every other cricketer and being criticised for not showing up his performance when his team needed. Many of the retired cricketers attributed decline of Kholi because of his ego and attitude. Known best for posting century in every other game, the decline caused him not scoring a ton for previous three years in 100 games including IPL.
Whilst his decline, Pakistan Captain Babar Azam came forward backing Kholi in a viral tweet of which Kholi responded with a gratitude and best wishes. The tweets between rival nation players is lauded by the cricketers and fans. Moreover, a bilateral series must be scheduled between the two nations which further promotes the sportsman sensation among the two nations.
A KARIM BUGTI
Sukkur
