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.
Trafficked beggars
The increasing prevalence of professional beggar gangs originating from Pakistan and wreaking havoc on the streets of foreign countries is not just a matter of concern, it’s a crisis that demands immediate government action. This problem not only tarnishes Pakistan’s global image. A shocking 90% of professional beggars arrested in the Middle Eastern countries are of Pakistani origin, engendering an urgent need for the government to step in and address this issue comprehensively.
The Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis presented a disheartening picture of the situation. He revealed that beggars, often leaving Pakistan in large groups, exploit Umrah and visit visas to beg from pilgrims abroad. Prisons in countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia are now accommodating a significant number of Pakistani beggars, further damaging the reputation of overseas Pakistanis and raising concerns about human trafficking.
This crisis also threatens the trustworthiness of Pakistanis abroad, leading to a surge in deportations. Iraq and Saudi Arabia have lodged complaints about receiving criminals from Pakistan, painting a grim picture of the nation’s image abroad. It is high time to tackle this issue head-on and restore the trust and credibility of Pakistanis overseas.
Another aspect that demands immediate attention is the underrepresentation of skilled Pakistani labour abroad. Pakistan lags far behind neighbouring countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in sending skilled professionals to countries like Japan. While Japan welcomes skilled workers, Pakistan has only dispatched a meagre 200 individuals, showcasing a significant missed opportunity.
Pakistan has a substantial pool of skilled labour, including engineers, doctors, nurses, IT experts and those in the paramedical and pharmaceutical sectors. To address this multifaceted crisis, the government should establish mechanisms to facilitate the deployment of skilled professionals abroad, fostering collaborations with foreign nations to boost remittances. Pakistan is in dire need of foreign remittance for the revival of its staggering economy.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
Chat GPT’s pitfalls
A chatbot that converses with humans is called Chat GPT. This chatbot is based on artificial intelligence, unlike all the others we have seen so far, which are often amusing. The Transformer generator pre-trainer, which was introduced on November 30, 2022, also goes by that name.
The software developed by Open AI, a firm that launched Chat GPT, uses deep learning techniques. Because Chat GPT is designed by humans, including the language that is programmed in it, it constantly learns how to interact with people and how to reply to them thanks to its deep learning algorithms. Chat GPT also learns a lot about how people connect with one another and behave. For us, language carries emotion. Although we use language to express our emotions, it is not emotionally based. How can we develop an emotional bond with software that was installed using technologies? We can look at it and learn a lot from it, but we are unable to communicate with the software in any way, including sharing our thoughts or feelings.
Therefore, there is no justification for claiming that Chat GPT issues errors or alerts similar to a trigger warning in the majority of cases. Graphic violence, hate speech, politics and conspiracy theories are just a few examples of the kind of queries that Chat GPT will not address. If you refuse, it will also mention its ethical guidelines and make a suggestion of topic change. In addition to this, Chat GPT displays mistakes. Although it is a sophisticated instrument, it is not always accurate in its answers. It frequently returns erroneous, incomplete, or incorrect information depending on the questions you ask. Results revealed that 259 (52%), or 512 questions, had wrong answers.
Furthermore, a staggering 77% of the responses were lengthy. When this software first came out, it was very helpful for many people because it made finding good to excellent content for blogs and articles very simple. However, a lot of the information on Chat GPT turned out to be false and caused Chat GPT to lose its credibility among users. So, while we can utilize Chat GPT for minor tasks like short articles, blogs, essay content, or learning how to brew the best tea in the world, it is unable to engage emotionally with us because it frequently displays errors and triggers warnings.
SABAHAT HASAN
Karachi
Flood-affected people
After a year later, Pakistan is stilling staggering with devastating flood impact of 2022. Many parts of the country like major highways, roads, dams are still not repaired to be risky for transportation. While floodwater has subside, the flood have far-reaching implications for millions who are still facing several challenges in their daily lives. Entire town of Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remain disconnected from the rest of the country as roads are covered with a lot of waste and are unsafe for travelling.
Thousands of educational institutions were demolished during the flood that pushes millions of children out of education. The land which were utilize for agriculture and livestock went damaged and workers continue to struggle to get back on their feet. Country has suffered from economic losses of $30 billion. Recently the UN Secretary General urged the international community to support Pakistan and the appeal was about 69% funded. Therefore, Pakistani authorities must meditate their role and responsibility and ensure that the effected individual receive the full assistance. The government must be concern enough about the misuse of funds exist.
ZAIMAL ARIF LAL
Karachi
Box letter
Anti-trafficking initiatives
Smuggling severely impacts the national economy, draining government finances, with Afghan transit trade at its core. To combat illegal entry, a crucial move has been made by imposing a 10% processing fee on Afghan Transit Trade Agreement imports. This decision’s aim is clear: to curtail smuggling and collect regular taxes. The Customs Department announced that goods entering Afghanistan through Pakistan now require a 10% upfront fee during declaration. Items affected include confectionery, chocolates, machinery, blankets, textiles and garments. Some items destined for Afghanistan find their way back to Pakistan, evading taxes. The processing fee is expected to shift this practice, enhancing government revenues if implemented diligently. Despite growing demand, this fee is likely to deter illicit trade, while Afghanistan enjoys tax exemptions on Pakistani goods.
SHARATOON FAZAL
Via email
