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.
Emperor wears no clothes
Individuals seeking sensitive elected or paid public offices (PM/President/CM etc), where decisions impact destiny and fate of millions of citizens must be judged on a higher moral and ethical pedestal, than that applicable to common citizens. Ever since 1956, Pakistan created through a democratic political struggle, led by men of intellect and integrity like MAJ, Allama Iqbal etc, has suffered when Jinnah’s vision for a modern democratic welfare state with a constitution as supreme law, was derailed by ambitious adventurers like Iskandar Mirza, Yahya etc.
The Rule of Law was replaced by individuals who considered themselves above law and not accountable for violating established morals and ethics. The recent controversies and conflicts of interests involving former PMs and paid elite have tarnished their image. Nobody is indispensable. If Pakistan has to survive, this can no longer be tolerated.
In the USA where consensual relations between consenting adults is legal, they scrutinize personal lives of those seeking public office. In 1988 Senator Gary Warren Hart, front running Democratic presidential nominee was dropped amidst revelations of extramarital affairs. In democratic societies, the right for privacy is considered a privilege of common citizens, but not a right of those seeking elected/paid public offices. Gone are the days when kings and monarchs like Henry V111 could live in depravity and get away. These days private lives of royals in constitutional monarchies are subjected to public scrutiny and censure.
Prince Edward, Duke of York, younger brother of King Charles and second son of the late Queen, lost royal privileges and resigned from public/honorary military roles, for being associated with Jeffrey Epstein. He was allegedly having sexual relations with a 17-year old girl Giuffre in 2014. Although the suit was settled out of court in New York Court in February 2022, yet Prince Andrew could not escape censure.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Price of grave
The sky high inflation has not only made the life of many people difficult and miserable to live but it has become hard to die as well, as poor man such as daily wager neither can afford medical treatment in private hospitals being the expensive one and going to government hospitals is time taking as there is always found great rush and patients are not properly attended as well.
Moreover, if a poor man dies, his family cannot afford to buy a grave for him to bury him as the prices of graves have gone out of reach of poor man to buy it and resultantly somebody has to afford this expense on humanitarian grounds. In metropolis, prices of graves have become very high and graves are being sold out in slums of the city amounting to Rs. 13,000/- to 15,000/- approximately and how expensive these graves would be in graveyards which are not situated in slums. We should at least control the prices of graves so that poor families can afford grave charges easily.
FAISAL ANSAR
Karachi
Football
World Cup
Argentina prevailed despite Mbappe’s Herculean effort to match Pele as the only player to win back-to-back World Cup titles. But the youngster, who won the Golden Boot for his eight goals in the tournament, did create history by becoming only the second man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Messi might have won the prize fight against his rival but with his stunning performance in the final, Mbappe has shown that he is set to become the brightest star in international football in the years to come. It was a memorable World Cup and not just for Argentina.
Hosts Qatar became the first Arab nation to stage what is known as the greatest show on earth and made sure that this will be remembered as one of the best football world cups in history. Besides making marvelous arrangements for World Cup, Qatar propagated Islam in a soft and befitting manner.
However, the biggest fairytale story of the 2022 World Cup, apart from Messi finally getting crowned as a world champion, was the incredible run of victories by Morocco. Walid Regragui´s men became the first African team to reach the semi-finals beating the likes of Belgium, Spain and Portugal in the process.
Asian champions Qatar might have flopped miserably becoming only the second host country to fall at the first hurdle but overall it was a good World Cup for the host continent with Japan and South Korea making it to the last-16. But all these facts will become footnotes as history remembers this World Cup as Messi’s Cup of Joy!
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
