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SCO summit 2024
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar congratulated Pakistan on taking the helm of the SCO Council of Heads of Government and assured India’s full cooperation throughout Pakistan’s tenure. This gesture is particularly significant given the tensions between the two nations, making Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan for the SCO summit a notable event – the first by an Indian Foreign Minister in nearly nine years.
Jaishankar became satisfied with the gesture of Pakistan and praised the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and the government for the “hospitality and courtesies” during the SCO summit hosted by Islamabad. Both the Foreign Ministers had a rare meeting at a reception given by PM Shehbaz Sharif for the leaders of SCO countries. Overall SCO became an exceptional experience for Pakistan; however every member encouraged bilateral trust and friendship, enhanced connectivity and sustainable socio-economic development”.
They emphasized the importance of mutual collaboration for regional peace and resolving shared issues. Hosting the SCO reflects Pakistan’s optimistic approach towards its prosperity and the country demonstrated its exceptional performance by hosting the summit peacefully. The people of Pakistan appreciate the presence of all SCO members and are grateful for their acknowledgment of the country’s hospitality. As Jaishankar applauded Pakistan’s hosting and hospitality, I would also like to express hope that we will see the Indian Cricket team participating next year.
AREEBA ALTAF
Larkana
Electricity charges haunt citizens
While the federal government must be appreciated for cancellation of 5 IPP units, a lot more must be done.
Unfortunately, every government, which has been at helm during past two decades, is responsible for failing to regulate guaranteed capacity payment charges to over 100 IPP units, without carrying out an authentic audit of the capacity and capability of the units installed, to produce electricity for which trillions of rupees have been paid to their owners.
Those IPP units that fail to meet their obligations, their PPA agreements can be cancelled for breach of contract. What stopped successive governments from doing so, can either be their complicity, or conflicts of interest. It is time for a technical audit to be carried out across the board of all IPP units which have PPA agreements for capacity payments. There is no justification for any further delay. It is not just ordinary citizens who are suffering, but also our exports, have been hurt, because of exorbitant rise in energy charges, which are highest in the region.
Competitive pricing of goods is essential, if Pakistan intends to boost exports and improve revenues. It will provide the government fiscal space to invest on education, health, provision of basic necessities, and research in science and technology, without which no country can develop and be capable to be self sufficient. Rise in literacy rate, will curtail extremism, which poses a threat to our national security.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Luxury hotels
It is a bitter irony that while we gather in plush, air-conditioned ballrooms to discuss urgent social issues, the voices of those directly affected by these challenges are muffled. The stark contrast between our comfortable surroundings and the harsh realities faced by struggling families creates an emotional distance that undermines our efforts to find real solutions. In such refined and comfortable settings, participants find themselves shielded from the brutal truths they are meant to address.
How can one engage in meaningful discussions about poverty, inequality and social justice when seated in plush chairs, sipping costly lattes and blissfully unaware of the lives of those who endure these hardships daily? These events, largely limited to academics, NGO personnel and bureaucrats, rarely yield any meaningful change. They may produce eloquent reports and glossy brochures, but these seldom reach the grassroots level, where true transformation is fundamental.
Rather than funneling resources into high-profile conferences, we must redirect our focus toward genuine engagement with those affected. It is imperative that we amplify the voices of those grappling with these issues, allowing them to share their experience directly, rather than relying on reports that fail to capture the urgency of their struggle. Take for instance, rural poverty or gender-based violence. These issues demand practical solutions from people who live in the reality of these problems.
Instead of flying in experts from afar to discuss what the poor or marginalized need, why are not NGOs setting up local forums in villages, schools and community centres where these voices can guide the agenda? Why do not we demand accountability from these organizations and insist that resources be spent on community-driven initiatives, where solutions come from those who experience the problems firsthand. The true power for change belongs to the people, not with exclusive hotel seminars. It is high time we focus on real-world solutions, not air-conditioned theories.
SHAHJAHAN MEMON
Islamabad
