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.
Action for needy people
It goes without explaining that Pakistan witnessed the most climate disasters in the form of heatwaves, floods, glacier melting, and droughts. It is a fact that winter brings many challenges for the citizens who have been affected by flash floods as they are homeless to protect themselves during the cold nights of winter season.
Due to flash floods people have lost their complete income whose homes and farms were washed away by recent heavy rainfall. According to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment, Pakistan further needs $16.3 billion for the post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction process. The intensity of the negative impacts of climate change is accelerating with every passing year. Therefore, the government must take action to help flood-affectees so that they should be comfortable a little bit.
ZAINAB ISLAM
Karachi
Legalise betting
India should go ahead and legalise betting. It will have a positive impact on the nation’s tourism. Travellers from all over the world will undoubtedly come to Indian casinos if gambling is permitted. It will also boost the nation’s economy and create jobs. If gambling is regulated, scams and frauds will also decrease in number.
The bookies will also be bound by law to pay the people who took part in the betting and there would be a safeguard against the cheating that happens when powerful people lose and refuse to pay the ones they owe money to.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Time to
care about mother earth
I am sorry to hear news of an earthquake that has hit western Nepal, killing at least six people. And the earthquake was also felt in northern parts of India like New Delhi. First up, the whole bunch of news reports must be taken seriously. Well, this is not something that will pass by like anything. But we should pay attention to such natural disasters as earthquakes instead. Practically speaking, we have miles to go in matters of tackling earthquakes.
Plus, the international community has been grappling with other bigger issues like climate change and droughts to mention a few. True, issues like climate change crises have been gaining global attention now. Way to go indeed! At the same time, the occurrence of earthquakes worldwide has only stressed the urgent need for tackling them head-to-head.
To begin with, fields like seismology should be researched and studied thoroughly. Furthermore, time has come to churn out a lot more seismologists from across the world so as to be able to brush up on the nitty-gritty of earthquakes. As a matter of fact, humanity has been in existence on the planet almost from the period of Homo sapiens. The inference from this statement is that human activities have been impacting Mother Earth one way or another right up till date.
Truly speaking, the over-exploitation of natural sources will usually cause ripple effects across the board. Incidentally, my native areas like Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu have been tucked in the midst of natural resources like rivers, seas, mountains and big green trees, not to mention farmlands. Fortunately, these areas have still been home to such natural resources thanks to appropriate use of sources. Remember, the 2004 deadly tsunami and the trails of destruction have been fresh in mind even now. All things considered, the Himalayan nations like Nepal, Pakistan and India, and other Asian coastal countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives and Indonesia should be roped in altogether probably as part of large-scale natural disaster management.
P SENTHIL S DURAI
Maharashtra, India
Elections in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) recently introduced laws to charge huge amounts of money for political parties to access the voters’ rolls. They are also charging a fortune for presidential candidates, Member of Parliament candidates and councillor candidates for the forthcoming 2023 general election. The exorbitant amounts changed by ZEC is insanely too much, unfair and make the playing ground unequal for the candidates. ZEC has disadvantaged the opposition political parties which will struggle to raise the money to access the voters’ rolls.
Opposition political parties can’t raise US$187,000 for a voters’ roll, hence giving ZANU PF a big chance to manipulate voters’ roll and eventually rig the 2023 election. ZEC has gazetted hefty nomination fee to be paid by presidential and parliamentary candidates seeking to contest the 2023 presidential elections.
Presidential candidates must pay US$20,000 up from US$1,000 in 2018 election, to qualify to run in 2023. Aspiring MPs are required to pay US$1,000 up from US$50 in 2018. This is excessive, undemocratic and unconstitutional. Free and fair elections start from being a candidate and must be affordable to an ordinary politician.
The amounts charged will shrink the political space and stop ordinary Zimbabweans from participating in elections. ZEC is attacking the right to make political choices freely by shrinking the players in the contest to the advantage of corrupt ZANU PF. Can the international community help Zimbabweans put pressure on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government and the captured ZEC so that the 2023 election in Zimbabwe are held in a democratic way?
The vote of Zimbabweans should not be stolen again by beleaguered President Emmerson Mnangagwa and ZANU PF political party. Zimbabweans cannot leave Zimbabwe in 2023 after another election rigging in their numbers heading to foreign countries such as South Africa and also by crossing Limpopo River with infested crocodiles because of rigged elections. All the Southern African countries have their public resources stretched beyond repair by being swamped by Zimbabweans in the last two decades.
JOSEPH JABANGWE
London
Quetta Gladiators auctioning
I’m reaching out on behalf of Quetta Gladiators and HashPotato. I have a story that would be perfect for your publication. Headline: Quetta Gladiators partners with HashPotato to auction a digital collectible for flood victims in Pakistan.
Here’s a little more information about the story: This initiative aims to be Pakistan’s biggest flood relief campaign using the power of Web3. The auction winner will get a lot of perks including a physical cricket bat signed by 16 players including Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shahid Afridi. All proceeds of this auction will go to the flood victims in Pakistan.
SYEDA MAHNOOR HAIDER
Via email
