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Hockey tragedy
Hockey is our national game and popular sport among the local population but lack of infrastructure has been a key component of Pakistan hockey’s decline. The top hockey-playing nations from around the globe will feature in the 2023 Hockey World Cup to be held in the Indian cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela later this month. But record four-time World Cup champions – Pakistan – won’t be part of the 16-team field.
Pakistan’s fall in international hockey didn’t happen overnight. Lack of planning, incompetent and sometimes corrupt officials, shortage of funds and infrastructure were among the chief reasons behind the slump. While the rest of the world moved ahead and kept pace with fast-changing sport, Pakistan got stuck in the past and are now paying the price for it.
There have been half-hearted attempts to lift the sport out of perpetual failure mode. But lack of funds and poor policies of our hockey authorities have proved to be a big stumbling block. It’s quite a bleak situation. The fact that Pakistan were unable to qualify even for an extended 16-nation World Cup speaks volumes about the stunning downfall of our hockey.
It is feared that a similar story would be repeated for the 2024 Olympics in Paris and other major international events in the future unless proper remedial measures are planned and executed. The onus is on the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to devise a comprehensive and long-term plan to lift national hockey. Half-baked measures won’t work.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
Puppets
and power
Public opinion is being molded in favour of technocrats government to implement remaining IMF conditions through known professional plunderers. Our financial malaise started when Finance Minister Ghulam Mohammad without cabinet approval agreed to become US stooge when his own Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan had refused to President Truman during his state visit to the US.
Ever since, the IBRD, IBP agreement to sell out 3 rivers, World Bank prepared ground through different so-called reforms as modernization of accounts to replace ages old double book keeping system to bankrupt our coffers through planting their technocrat agents in key positions and even on constitutional positions.
On top of this, the IMF has done to strangulate financial discipline to pauperize and disempower the teeming millions. Our politicians are jockeying before civil and military bureaucracy to implement divine orders from IMF & FATF to bury the nation and rule on graveyards.
ALI ASHRAF KHAN
Karachi
Voice for the voiceless
Treating the voiceless harshly has become almost a norm in our independent state. It is often seen that these poor voiceless, and, in many cases, defenceless ones are being treated worse than trash. Children find it amusing to inflict pain to these innocent creatures, and the parents are so busy in their busy lives that they forget to teach their kids the basic manners and morals of being a human.
This is a point to ponder upon for us. Is this really the Islamic Republic Of Pakistan? Do we really deserve to be ashraf ulmakhlooqaat when we cannot even use our very brains to be the voice for the voiceless?
ATUFA SOHAIL
Rawalpindi
Removal of monument
The recent activities of the developing work all over Karachi city are highly commendable. Wherein, multiple tasks are carried out by the Sindh Government as such re-building and construction of dilapidated sewerage system, pedestrian ways, flyovers, underpasses, rehabilitation of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and modern Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) etc which are the long-lasting desire of the citizen of this city.
In this context, one bad thing is heard from various resources and different news channels of the country that the oldest and historical World Globe mounted in front of the Islamia College Karachi would be removed soon from its place due to hurdle in the way of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
The World Globe has a historical background of the city, where various generations are raised and grown up by seeing this monument and it has been seen in various old Pakistani movies as well. BRT is our dream, our ultimate desire an urgent requirement of the citizen for commuting easily. Still, on the basis of development, we would never grant permission or tolerate to destroy our historical assets which have more importance than BRT.
A few days ago, I personally visited the recently renovated Denso Hall Library and the adjacent street having zero pollution. It was remarkable work done by the private NGO to preserve our National Assets and the beauty of the City. In this perspective, I would urge the concerned authorities to look into the matter of preserving the national monument without hurdling BRT planning.
SYED SADAQAT HUSSAIN
Karachi
