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.
Pakistan’s stance in ME
In the context of geopolitics, Pakistan has a strategic location in Asia. Historically, Pakistan’s foreign policy was weak due to political, social and economic instability. During the past four decades, its foreign policy was not good due to malpractice and mismanagement. Therefore, it has gained nothing but only subsistence loss. Pakistan had been exploited by countries in fighting other’s wars; however, it needs smart leadership with respect to putting its own interest afloat. But now its foreign policy is shifting and taking a new shape within the heightening regional conflicts. Diplomatically, Pakistan has played a constructive role in the offer of mediation and de-escalation of the conflicts to bring peace and stability within the region.
It is an incentive of it to take a neutrality stance to not become part of someone’s war because war is in nobody’s interest. Especially, Pakistan has defeated terrorism in the region. Most importantly, Pakistan is now taking immediate steps to prevent conflicts and defuse tensions growing within the region for vested interests.
The present Iran-USA heightened tension due to the air-strike of the USA in Baghdad led to the assassination of senior Iranian Commander Gen Qasem Soleimani, as a result, Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes against US bases in Iraq’s Anbar and Erbil regions. So, Pakistan must be unbiased and offer mediation because to align any side, it would be risky for its own interests. Above all, Pakistan tries to balance the power within the region to counter India. Finally, it would facilitate and ensure dialogue between Afghanistan, Iran and the USA.
SHAHJAHAN SOOMRO
Larkana
Sign language
According to WHO every country’s five per cent population consists of deaf and dumb people. It was estimated that 2.49% of the population is disabled in Pakistan (National policy for persons with disabilities 2002). Of this disabled population 7.40% are deaf and this community deprives from getting basic education as general schools do not teach deaf and dumb students. A few schools impart curriculum in sign language but deaf and dumb kids live in different areas thus unable to go to these selected schools situated far from their houses. Moreover, sign language centres where such people can learn ‘sign language’ are very few thus this community remains deprived from communicating properly in sign language with normal people as well as with each other.
As majority of such people unable to get basic education are usually found working in shops, workshops, factories and labour work or opt to work where less public dealing is involved so that they might not need to speak and listen too often thus earn very nominal money. The government of the day should seriously think over this issue and focus this community. To educate such students a strategy should be designed so that this community might not go unattended and remained deprived from their social and moral rights.
Sign language is such a language that if someone learns it could communicate with deaf and dump citizen of any country as minor differences are found in different signs thus sign language is an international language. Proper attention should be paid to this language so that deaf and dumb people of the country might get basic education and communicate with each other as well as with normal people. Basic signs ought to be learned by normal people as interpreters of sign language are hardly found in our country.
FAISAL ANSAR
Karachi
Reduction in terrorism
Terrorism in Pakistan according to Ministry of Interior, poses a significant threat to the people of Pakistan. The current wave of terrorism is believed to have started in 2000 and peaked in 2009. Since then it has reduced as a result of military operations conducted by the Pakistan Army.
The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) has released a report which states that nearly 31% reduction in terror and counter-terror related fatalities has taken place over the past year. The think-tank said that during the year, a 30.71 per cent drop in fatalities was observed in 2019, down from 980 last year to 679 this year.
This reduction is a great sign for the future of Pakistan. We must appreciate all the stakeholders for controlling law and order situation including police, army and other counter terror department for their sincere and dedicated efforts to reduce terror in Pakistan.
QAISAR ANSAR
Rawalpindi
The scourge of airline crashes
The latest air crash involving Ukraine International Flight 752 [the Boeing 737] has killed over 176 people, sending shockwaves across the world and creating various speculations of possible attacks/plots. As a recap, the ill-fated Boeing 737 had left Tehran’s International Airport and just a few minutes on, the aircraft had caught fire and crashed down to the ground, killing around 176 people aboard.
The international media houses and aviation experts have been contemplating the vast theories of the tragedy as the present tension between the USA and Iran has been growing thick and thicker now. Unfortunately, there have been many unanswered deadly air tragedies the world over to date. Even this Ukraine air tragedy involves a lot of investigative procedures and various governmental agencies to know about the cause of the tragedy.
The lives of the people cannot be taken for granted like this anymore. To begin with, putting an end to these tragedies is the foremost task of the aviation industry. In many areas around the globe like Tuticorin, farmers and fishermen have been taking various precautionary measures to protect their farming/fishing activities from the wrath of Nature – like bamboo shoots/poles to protect the banana crops from the strong winds and motorized fishing boats to venture into rough seas.
Just like that, even a small step will do, resulting in expected outcomes. Big countries like America and big continents like Asia should take possible steps and put in a lot of hard work to make sure that all is not lost in the immense joy of flying given the great technological advances and huge human resources available out there.
P SENTHIL S DURAI
Via email
Karachi, once again showing grim picture
Karachi has once again won the title of being amongst the least livable cities in the world. It was stated in the recent report of Global Liveability Index 2019 which ranked Karachi at 5th place. Apparently, The Economist Intelligence Unit evaluates cities on certain basis like stability, Healthcare, Culture and environment Education, and Infrastructure.
To keep the plot in mind, it proves that the federal and provincial governments both have entirely neglected Karachi, solely meant as an important asset of Pakistan. Although Karachi, the biggest city of Pakistan, pays high taxes whether through direct or indirect ways, it is still undervalued. For how long will our authorities sleep over the eminent conundrums?
ASIF MURAD UMRANI
Karachi
Electric field
One of the fundamental fields in nature, causing a charged body to be attracted to or repelled by other charged bodies; associated with an electromagnetic wave or a changing mgnetic field, specifically, the electric force per unit test charge.
The electric field intensity (or field strength) E at a point in an electric field has a magnitude given by the quotient obtained when the force acting on a test charge q’ placed at that point is divided by the magnitude of the test charge q’. Thus, it is force per unit charge. A test charge q’ is one whose magnitude is small enough so it does not alter the field in which it is placed. The direction of E at the point is the direction of the force F on a positive test charge placed at the point. Thus, E is a vector point function, since it has a definite magnitude and direction at every point in the field, and its defining equation is Eq.
Electric flux density or electric displacement D in a dielectric (insulating) material is related to E by either of the equivalent equations shown as Eqs. Where P is the polarization of the medium, and å is the permittivity of the dielectric which is related to å 0, by the equation å = k å 0, k being the relative dielectric constant of the dielectric. In empty space, D = å 0 E .In addition to electrostatic fields produced by separations of electric charges, an electric field is also produced by a changing magnetic field. See Electric charge, Electromagnetic induction, Potentials
FAIZ MUDASSAR
Via email
