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.
Threats to government officials
Pakistan is passing through a political disarray and economic uncertainty over the past few months, while the political battle between the coalition government and PTI has reached its peak and state institutions have become a sandwich between the two groups. While the PTI Chairman threatened two senior Police officers and a civil judge of grave consequences.
In fact, the Police, Judiciary, Health Department and Local Bodies are state institutions, while maintaining law and order and performing their routine job as per the law is their fundamental duty. Any individual or a party having concerns about their conduct can use the proper procedure to get justice instead of restricting government jobs, issuance of threats, intimidation and blackmailing public servants.
Legally, persuading public servants and restricting the functioning of government institutions is unlawful and punishable under the Constitution of the country which the PTI leadership claims as its political right. In fact, no individual or a political party has the right to violate the law under pretext of public support and delusion of populism.
It is advisable for all influential to abandon their egoistic doctrines, consult their legal experts before undertaking political expeditions and respect the law of the land, otherwise, time is the best judge and the public verdict will be fatal for their politics. Respect and submission by any person before law is the behaviour not narrative which endorses the supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
Acaricides
in cattle and buffalo
Ticks are the second most important vectors causing diseases which affect human beings and animals worldwide. R microplus ticks specie are responsible for the transmission of anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and theileriosis in animals. The socio-economic and ecological conditions of different regions and the emergence of vectors are responsible for the resistance status in main localities.
The Deltamethrin and Trichlorfon are used in ticks control programs. The frequent use of these chemicals exert a strong pressure on ticks to acquire resistance. The early detection of resistance in field ticks population can help plan appropriate tick control program and strategies regarding tick borne diseases. The problem is that scarce data is available in Pakistan. The main focus of this study was to conclude the resistance of Trichlorfon and Deltamethrin drugs against ticks.
Tick samples were collected from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, from the two ecological zones and were transported to the entomology laboratory Department of Parasitology (UVAS Lahore). The Ticks were identified on the basis of their morphological characteristics using standard keys. After identification of R. microplus ticks in order to check the in vitro acaricides resistance status in ticks, the Eggs Hatchability and Adult Immersion test recommended by FAO was performed.
Based on the findings of this study, the isolated Rhipicephalus microplus was found to be more resistant to the widely used acaricide i.e., trichlorfon than deltamethrin. Phylogenetic tree was constructed belonging to both zones after in vitro study to assess the mutational analysis of the Acetylcholinesterase gene of Rhipicephalus microplus against trichlorfon drug. 3 and 4 samples from zone-I and zone-II, were identified and mutated while the remaining samples were found non-mutated. A PCR product of 372bp was obtained which determined the resistance.
MUHAMMAD QASIM
Lahore
Some unanswered questions
ECP had announced Prohibited Funding case against PTI on August 2,2022. The ECP had reserved judgment in the case on 21 June 2022. But what the ECP was doing during its three hours long full-fledged meeting on 1 August 2022? Date for announcing the reserved verdict could simply be announced by ECP spokesman.
ECP has since announced its verdict against PTI in Prohibited Funding case and taking up all; allied and other cases against PTI rather in a somewhat hurried manner without acceding to requests from the lawyers for giving adequate time to prepare their defence. How come, please? So far, there is no word as to when similar cases against PPP, PML(N), JUI(F) and other political parties represented in Parliament are to be decided and announced, please.
A large number of national, regional and regional political parties are registered with the ECP. But hardly less than two dozen of them participate in the general elections as and when these are held. Why do not the ECP fix a period of at least five years for revising the registered parties list, deleting names of those parties which are idle for years together as the country needs a minimum number of registered parties which are actively participating in the general elections as such?
Under the Election Laws of Pakistan, can a political figure hold two top offices in two political parties? Former President Asif Ali Zardari is the Co-Chairman of PPP and calling the shots though his son Bilawal is the Chairman of the party. Asif Ali Zardari is also the President/Chairman of the PPP Parliamentarians. How come, please?
Kanwar Dilshad, who had retired some years back as the ECP Secretary but is still actively defending, promoting and projecting ECP and the Chief Election Commissioner through his articles may like to throw some light on these unanswered questions, please.
M Z RIFAT
Lahore
