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.
China and Afghan peace
No doubt people of Afghanistan understand the role China played to help peace dialogue between the US and the Taliban succeed. Peace spoilers are continuously trying to spoil Chinese efforts through disruption in the peace process. However, the Afghans fully understand who stands for peace and prosperity of their nation and who opposes them.
Chinese strength and development model through engagement and connectivity will work best for Afghans. Recent events in Afghanistan however indicate that the spoilers of peace are still active and influential. Initial zeal and expectations of the Afghans from the US-Taliban peace deal has fizzled a bit after the delay in prisoner exchange and expected intra- Afghan talks. Political crisis in Afghanistan has weakened existing Afghan governance and its reputation. Common Afghan views developments with despair as political opponents carelessly play with the peace deal related steps only to undermine life and security of the people.
Proxies are still in action with NDS playing the politics through Afghan Daesh (ISKP) related violence. ISKP mysteriously opted to surrender to Afghan intelligence after having been comprehensively defeated by the Taliban initially in Nangarhar and finally in the Kunar provinces. Ironically, ISKP has accepted responsibility for multiple attacks in Kabul including Gurdwara Attack targeting Sikh community.
ANZA KANWAL
Rawalpindi
Child abuse, silenced by fear
Child abuse is a short term with a horrible meaning. In Pakistan, for the past couple of years, news of child abuse has become a part of everyday news line. And it’s not just about little kids either teenagers, adults and even senior citizens. Child abuse can easily be defined as physical or emotional injury, but it’s actually the injury of a child’s trust, mental health, injury of his beliefs and also can be of his soul… Anyway, these people let out their emotions by abusing little kids. And if these kids are lucky enough to not get killed, they cut themselves, become suicidal, or kill other people. Out of the range of disturbing experiences in our lives, the act of having being sexually abused as a child is surely most traumatic.
Now the point is, that how should we stop this misconstruction in our society? How should we change this concept of fear of talking for our rights? In about 80% of the cases the criminal is living around us but the victim is scared by the criminal because of which they usually feel fear or ashamed of telling what had happened to them. In this regard, sex education should be a part of the early education curriculum so that children can know about their basic rights. Also the government should make law and give hard punishment to the criminals because our children are future of Pakistan…
AQSA AREEJ
Via email
Anti-discrimination committee
Unfortunately, we live in such a society where we all have had the experience of suffering some sort of injustice or discrimination in one way or the other. There is massive injustice, inequality and deep discrimination in this society of ours. Not to speak of other areas, even in employment there is discrimination on the basis of race, sex, province, region, religion, sect, ethnic origin, language, lobbyism, physical disability, etc.
In our public sector organizations, discriminatory practices include bias in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, compensation, retaliation, and various types of harassment. Of course, we have the written constitution and the relevant laws which prohibit discrimination but injustice and discrimination continue.
It is observed that there are certain federal and provincial level organizations where competent, courageous, upright and honest officers never get a single promotion even after the passage of twenty years in the same grade whereas those who are in good books of the authority, they get quick promotions and other perks and privileges.
In this age of injustice and discrimination, we need anti-discrimination committee or agency both at federal and provincial levels to combat discrimination in all its forms and manifestations and erase stereotypes so as to create a just and transparent society like Singapore in this country of ours.
HASHIM ABRO
Islamabad
Students facing problems in online classes
As we know because of Coronavirus, a sorrowful situation has occurred all over the world. Students are tense because of online classes with everyone facing problems and as it has affected businesses, education and daily life dealings. Nowadays, all academic classes are being conducted on internet and students are facing a slow internet problems, light issues, other electronic issues, and class timings or clash of different courses. Students can’t learn easily from online classes, they can’t communicate with teachers properly and that will affect students’ grades.
Medical and engineering students having a lot of problems which raise questions like how can they attend lab classes online. They need to perform some practicals during class, so, how can they perform in online class. Moreover, students learn a tough subject as mathematics from online class which again is a challenge for students. We discuss about this issue everywhere but no one pays attention and we are worried about our career. Government should consider this matter and give semester break. Classes should be suspended until this COVID-19 ends.
MAHNOOR GHAZAL
Islamabad
Disturbance through COVID-19
It’s been decades that world is stressing upon the importance of climate change and earth’s worsening condition. Humans have put the planet’s atmosphere on stake to make development. At this point we are facing two main challenges, a pandemic at hand and the climate crisis. The pandemic of COVID 19, locked down the whole world which resulted in almost no activity at the factories, very limited number of vehicles on roads and left flight operations suspended. When on the one hand it has put people in complicated situation on the other hand it came out very effective for the planet. Reduced carbon emissions from less manufacturing and from vehicles and planes has prominent effects on quality of air throughout the world.
Though we are yet far away to fight the challenge of global warming, yet through this particular situation we can see a ray of hope on the other end of the tunnel, only if we take these conditions as opportunity to overcome the climate crisis. And this can only happen if we make serious efforts to look for the ways to shift our economies to more sustainable and planet-friendly ways where decarbonisation can be promoted. As people are changing their way of life to fight the pandemic, in the similar way one should also change their life style to overcome the climate crisis. Climate change is not only effecting the seasons and geography of the world but is also playing an essential role in spreading the infectious diseases. So, it’s high time that we learn the lesson from the pandemic and work for a green planet, so that we do not move from one crisis to another.
FIDAK ZAHRA
Attock
