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.
Flood relief effort
The alarming floods have wreaked havoc across one-third of the country. With over 30 million people, who have been affected by the recent floods, the situation is not getting any better for them. Casualties are reported daily and there are also reports of diseases, food shortage and malnourishment amongst kids who are living in the open. Cases of dengue and malaria have also exacerbated the situation.
Areas, especially in interior Sindh, are painting a bleak picture. I went on a humanitarian mission to distribute supplies gathered by a bunch of friends and family members. Witnessing it from a first-person’s account, flood waters, although have started to recede, basis communications and infrastructure has been wiped off, making it very difficult to reach out to all those who are stuck in eight to nine-foot of water.
During this crisis, it is imperative that we, as a nation, should come together and lend a helping hand to the flood affectees. Nowadays, you can donate easily through online and mobile banking platforms and apps such as HBL, UBL, JazzCash and especially Easypaisa, on which there are numerous charity organizations available that are working on ground for flood relief activities. This effort is not short-term and requires continuous support from all Pakistanis to donate generously to this cause for rescue, relief and then rehabilitation. This is an appeal for everyone to not stop, and keep donating generously.
M ALAMGIR KHAN
Islamabad
Missing children
Lahore’s communities blame the police for not doing enough about the apparent rise in kidnapping cases but authorities contest the locals’ version of why their children are missing. Umair’s parents had been frantically searching for their son a few weeks ago when his body was discovered in a sack placed in a drain. It had only been a week since the eight-year-old had gone missing. The youngest in his family, Umair was, according to his father, more ambitious than his three other siblings.
Umair was one of 11 children that have recently gone missing from Badami Bagh (the police have shared images on Sunday last that three of those missing children have since returned).Parents residing in the area apparently live in a state of perpetual fear and outrage; there have been reportedly many protests by Badami Bagh residents outside police stations and there is tension between the local community and the authorities.
M ZAID LAGHARI
Karachi
Abandoned mental health
Zimbabweans have not celebrated mental health day because of the appalling healthcare system which has let down many people affected by mental health. The Zimbabwean Government has failed to prioritise healthcare and this is driving many Zimbabweans into South Africa Limpopo province to seek medical care there. Depression, anxiety and extreme poverty are the main drivers of mental health
It appears President Mnangagwa has lost his mental capacity to see the dilapidated healthcare system in Zimbabwe which has caused many people to either die at home or invade other countries in search of better hospitals and medical treatments.
He should tender his resignation or risk being ousted for his catalogue of failures regarding economy, healthcare, human rights and infrastructural development. Zimbabweans cannot rely on neighbouring countries for treatment of mental health because this strains the healthcare systems of neighbouring countries which have been incapacitated by Covid 19.
CHARITY SHONHAI
Harare
Pasni craves for education
Pasni is an important area of Gwadar which is largely deprived of basic amenities of life. However, education is instrumental for the progress of any society but unfortunately, the youth of Pasni are craving for the right to education for years. Its local politicians and education officers have shown least interest in terms of equipping its youths of quality education. Owing to this, the future of its youths is at grave risk.
It is very puzzling to state that the provincial and federal governments are merely focusing on the beauty of Gwadar under the auspices of CPEC while all its youths need the right to education but this very right is being neglected deliberately at the expense of future of thousands of youths. Therefore, I request both provincial and federal governments to invest money on revamping education system instead of wasting resources on hollow beauty which has nothing to do with the future of its youth.
NAJEEB NASEEM
Turbat Malikabad
