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.
US-Iran crisis
Funeral processions to honour Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander who was assassinated last week in an air raid by the United States in Baghdad, are underway in Iran. Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds military force and one of the most powerful figures in the Islamic Republic, was killed early Friday in an airstrike in Baghdad. Thousands of people have mourned him in both Iraq and Iran. The Iranian government says it will no longer abide by key terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, lifting restrictions on centrifuges, uranium enrichment and more. President Trump pulled the US out of the deal in 2018.
The move by the US has drawn condemnation from international leaders and officials who fear that tension in the region could escalate drastically. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei warned that “a harsh retaliation is waiting”. US President Donald Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacked US interests. In this backdrop, Pakistan has reaffirmed its resolve not to become a party to any conflict in the region and renewed its offer for mediating in the Middle East crisis.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi renewed the call on the parties concerned to abide by the United Nations Charter and principles of international law to settle differences through peaceful means. He also reaffirmed that Pakistan would neither let its soil be not used against any other state nor become part of any regional conflict. Earlier, army spokesman and DG, ISPR, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, declared in categorical terms that Pakistan would not allow its soil to be used against anyone and would continue to play its role in establishing durable peace in the region.
AFIA AMBREEN
Rawalpindi
Muslims of India
India is currently in a deep constitutional crisis. Fascist and fundamentalist elements are on the rise. The internet is being shut down repeatedly throughout distinct parts of the country to quell protests. Universities are being stormed, students beaten and thousands arrested. At the centre of all this controversy is an Act that was recently passed by Indian Parliament.
The government claims the intentions of the Act are to grant citizenship to undocumented immigrants to protect “persecuted religious minorities” from the countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The law, however, does not grant citizenship to all the undocumented immigrants who have crossed over from these three countries. It specifically mentions six religions; members of whom will get citizenship. And in doing so the government leaves a huge chunk of people behind: Muslims.
India’s Hindu-Muslim divisions became exceedingly worse after the British left in 1947. India was divided into two countries: one with a Hindu majority and another with a Muslim majority (Pakistan). Millions of residents from both areas fled their homes to other countries in light of fear of persecution and riots that ended up leaving two million dead. In 1971, East Pakistan (Bangladesh) fought for its own freedom and in doing so, millions fled to India. The Indian government now claims that it has not included Muslims in this new act because the Home Minister is of the opinion that Muslims cannot be persecuted in an Islamic State. So what happens to Muslim undocumented immigrants you ask? According to an article published in scroll in the federal government of India ordered state governments to build detention camps in all major cities last July. One does not need to be a whiz kid to put two and two together.
OWAIS ABID
Via email
Gas load-shedding
The winter season for the last 10 years is torturous in our area since gas load shedding starts at six o’clock in the morning till one o’clock in the afternoon. During this time, most residents of the vicinity receive no natural gas whatsoever. Previously there had been short periods of load shedding during the day lasting one or two hours and hence cooking and other necessary chores that required natural gas would be completed. But last year the supply deteriorated.
Now we have absolutely zero gas supply in the area from six o’clock in the morning and it continues till late night. However, GHQ and other government departments enjoy full gas pressure. The elected MNA hasn’t raised his voice regarding the issue in the National Assembly or any other relevant forum whatsoever. The SNGPL and the government should take action on the acute shortage of gas in our locality
OWAIS ABID
Rawalpindi
Renewed possible hopes
With the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, there is a sense of hope alongside a lingering inner frustration among the masses of Pakistan due to the transition of similar issues into a new year. There is no denying the fact that the major problems of Pakistan are not new, they have been around for decades. Since the inception of Pakistan neither military nor civilian governments have addressed the chronic flows and deficiencies which are deeply rooted in our society. As a result, the situation has gone from bad to worse and these deeply-embedded problems persist every year.the incumbent regime had pledged to change the way the country had been previously governed for the better. Now with standing these huge commitments and promises, this government has sought more in loans from foreign states and organizations, than any other previous reneging on its own vision.
Consequently, the people now realize that no single political party or military regime has satisfied their demands or improve their lives. While the incumbent government still has much time to reinvigorate its promises by implementing its manifesto in its true essence only by ensuring the public welfare across the country can the government regain the trust of public. One hopes that a new year brings betterment for the downtrodden and deprived masses of our under-developed country.
MUHAMMAD HAIDER
Karachi
Soleimani’s killing
I would rather call this decision of US President Donald Trump to kill Qasem Soleimani pretty much a ‘political opportunism’ than ‘foolish’, because US presidential elections are not too far. Ahead of the November US presidential elections, Trump, who is already impeached by the House of Representatives, gets to demonstrate his strength in the face of successive failures of his foreign policy initiatives. However, his political opportunism will not only have dire consequences in the Middle East, but the ramifications and repercussions of ‘something gigantic in the form of WW3’ may engulf the entire planet as Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hasan Rouhani have vowed ‘retaliation’.
While some European allies of US are justifying this act of terrorism—which is a grave violation of the territorial sovereignty of Iraq—saying that the assassinated head of Quds Force was responsible for undertaking operations throughout the Middle East, they should not be myopic of the history of US terrorism against Iran: In 1953, US overthrew a democratically elected Prime Minister Mossaddegh; supported Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war; Shot down Iranian Airliner Flight 655 in 1988; breached the JCPOA agreement by a unilateral withdrawal and crippled economy with sanctions in the form of ‘maximum pressure campaign’; beleaguered Iran with dozens of military bases; and now assassination of the second most-influential personality of Iran.
While a dangerous escalation layer is most likely to be followed in the wake of this incident, the major world powers are swiftly needed to intervene and render their struggle to de-escalate the situation and diffuse the soaring tension to prevent an unimaginable conflagration.
ZAHID ALI ZOHRI
Gilgit-Baltistan
Time is precious
“Time is not a single moment in life that we can afford to lose.” Time is the most significant factor in life. Understanding it’s a value and keeping pace with it is very important. Moving ahead with time is a sign of progress and staginess is death. Each and every fraction of the time is important.
Time management means managing time effectively and utilizing it to the fullest possible extent. Time keeps on running like a wheel. We cannot store it, stop it and it is non-replaceable. It does not wait for anybody. We cannot take back our words, we cannot stick back a plucked flower. Similarly, time cannot be reversed.
If one fails to recognize the value of time, he has to face several consequences. Every second of life is important. If students spend their time only in playing or doing unnecessary work, they may fail in examination. Thus, one who makes proper utilization of time can indeed succeed. Thus, it is very important to divide time for every important work. It is only way to success. Time is money, don’t waste it.
ZARAJAMEEL
Rawalpindi
Fighting back over India’s constitution
I praise the demonstrators in India who are committed to protecting the post-colonial constitution. The protests that erupted throughout India about the changes in citizenship enshrined in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act are heart-warming because they tell us that Indian democracy is alive and good in its supporters. This constitution was carefully discussed and produced in the Constituent Assembly for a period of three years when his makers, trained in the art of nationalist resistance, controlled the colonial state in an extraordinary exercise of moral and political legitimacy that exposed the nature of British colonialism.
The post-colonial state of India that emerged in 1947, despite the bloody internal conflict at its birth, did so deliver on its promise to a certain level to its citizens of “a sovereign, socialist and democratic republic” with justice, freedom and equality for all for the next 70 years. The constitutional impasse in which India is today is the result of a hasty and motivated act that goes against the vision of this great and diverse nation and its remarkable constitution.
FASIH IQBAL
Rawalpindi