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.
Justice delayed
On the 20th of June, the dark clouds appeared over Mansoura, a place in Eygpt when a young student, Nayera Ashraf, was stabbed to death on a busy road outside her college gate. Refusing a marriage proposal by the assailant, Mohamed Adel, brought her to this ill fate. The heart-wrenching CCTV footage of the brutal crime became instantly viral on social media which ultimately created outrage globally. However, this case has been expedited with rapid advancements every month, including the handing over of the death sentence to the defendant after the consultation with Egypt’s grand mufti, by the Al Mansoura court.
Moreover recently, the court has announced the death sentence by hanging and that punishment is to be aired live on television channels in order to deter the public from further femicide cases. According to the court, all the statements are per Shariah, and even though there are days till the final verdict with the possibility of appeal, the final end of this case is obvious resulting in justice to the departed soul.
The higher courts seem to show a frivolous attitude by delaying legal proceedings, giving new hearings despite the shreds of evidence, CCTV footage, witnesses and so much more, thus, giving an image of this case slowly getting buried in the past with no justice served just like previous forgotten innumerable femicide, homicide, sexual assault, manslaughter cases. The result? More similar incidents are emerging in society, such as the recent Sania Khan incident in which the victim was gunned down by her ex-husband. When justice is being delayed and cases easily turn into graves, then how can such heinous crimes be stopped in our society? The assassins, murderers and homicides roam around freely. Therefore, the question is: are the women safe? the children? Are we all safe not knowing the one next to us can turn out to be a brutal murderer? It is time to wake up to give justice and punish those involved for the safety of us and our children.
KINANAH SHAHBAZ
Islamabad
Imported inflation
World is a global village and any change in the one country’s economy will have a ripple effect on others. Therefore, they must take care of each other for their mutual interest. But unfortunately, in the race of becoming more powerful we neglect our mutual interest and focus on individual interests as a result every economy specially developing economy like Pakistan suffers a lot. In late 2019, COVID-19 started affecting the world economy and shook the whole world. By the grace of the AA, it did not affect the economy of Pakistan like other economies but being a part of the global economy it cast an impact on Pak economy. After successful recovery from this pandemic, the world is facing another crisis of oil prices in the international market due to Russia and Ukraine war.
Since Pakistan is oil importing country, we have to suffer a lot due to international sanctions on Russia, the biggest producer of oil and as a counterattack Russia stopped oil supplies to European countries to put pressure on international bodies for uplifting sanctions. On the other hand, Ukraine exports wheat and palm oil, due to massive war wheat and palm oil tended short in international market which resulted in increase of their prices and adversely affected the cost of daily consumable products.
Currently, Pakistan is facing running inflation with the annual rate of 24.9% in July 2022 and being an import dependent economy, it has no control over inflation. The oil is the dominant factor that affects every product.
Latest survey shows that 81% Pakistanis have lowered their lifestyle due to inflation. Therefore, Government should take emergency actions to use alternative energy sources and take corrective measures to reduce dependence on others. It can be done by reducing imports and increasing exports, that will help them in minimizing inflation effects on the people of Pakistan.
JAHANZAIB ASHIQ SATTI
Islamabad
Dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride’s family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry is a crime, and you can’t justify it by saying that it’s a gift from the parents to the daughter. No, it’s not a gift. It’s the societal pressure that makes the parents shape it in the form of a gift.
It’s heart-wrenching that the parents who have given their piece of heart and trusted others that they will take care of their daughter simply degrade them by saying that they haven’t given anything to their daughter which is complete nonsense. They have given their daughter the most expensive thing in the form of education.
They have given them a sense of right and wrong, how to behave with others, and behave mannerly in every situation regardless of whatever anyone is saying. It’s not only useful for their daughter but also the entire family. It is said that: “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.”
LAIBA KAUSAR
Lahore
