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.
Enforcement of traffic laws
Road safety seems to be an everlasting problem in Pakistan as yet again a bus collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction and fell into a ditch. The accident killed 21 people in total, 16 passengers on the bus and five in the car. What is most unfortunate and alarming is that instances like this occur on a weekly basis, if not daily, making Pakistan one of the most dangerous countries in the world when it comes to road safety. This fact alone warrants a deeper investigation into the matter. Pakistan has earned itself quite a reputation when it comes to traffic accident fatalities.
We have been ranked first in Asia for the most deaths reported via road accidents and judging from the shoddy infrastructure, haphazard sense of driving and a complete disregard for traffic rules, this fact is not hard to believe while the authorities have not passed a judgement yet, there is clear evidence of the fact that some rules were touted and that proper road safety infrastructure had not been created or maintained, enabling the accident to go from bad to worse. The issues that compromise road safety have remained the same, most drivers lack the training needed, especially in mountainous areas of the country. Traffic rules are being violated, creating a sense of anarchy on roads as each individual feels like they are free to navigate as they like (my way is my highway). Traffic wardens, while attempting to implement law and order on streets, often fail to use their authority since almost everyone is found to be violating traffic laws.
Another problem is also the fact we lack safely-constructed roads as most are never maintained, are too narrow for large vehicles and are determined to be complete without proper signage and protective equipment. Very evidently, we have to reconstruct the way we approach road development and enforce a stricter implementation of traffic laws so that the lives of millions are not put at stake on a daily basis.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
Climate change
I am writing to bring to the attention of all stakeholders to the issue of climate change and its effects on Pakistan. As one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the impact of climate change, Pakistan is particularly at risk from natural disasters such as floods and droughts.
Floods, in particular, have caused significant damage to infrastructure and livelihood in recent years. The devastating floods of 2010, for example, affected over 20 million people and caused an estimated $9.7 billion in damages. Droughts, on the other hand, have led to crop failures and food insecurity, with the poorest and most marginalized communities being the most affected.
It is crucial that Pakistan takes immediate action to address the impact of climate change and to implement measures to protect its citizens and infrastructure. This includes investing in flood protection measures, promoting sustainable agriculture and increasing access to clean energy.
Furthermore, Pakistan must also take an active role in global efforts to combat climate change by reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions and supporting international agreements such as the Paris Agreement. It is time for Pakistan to acknowledge the urgent threat of climate change and to take the necessary steps to protect its citizens and the environment.
IFRAH AMEER
Islamabad
Time to reset & change course
The State of Pakistan has been brought to brink of economic collapse by insatiable greed of its powerful elite. We alone are to be blamed. Blaming external enemies is an exercise in futility which offers no remedy except a lame excuse. Economic structural changes alone can save Pakistan with direct taxation on all sources of income, with no exceptions or subsidies to commercial cartels, irrespective of who owns them. There should be no doubt that Iskandar Mirza, Ayub Khan, Ghulam Muhammad are main culprits who derailed Pakistan from Jinnah’s vision in mid-50s. It is they who offered bases in Pakistan and bargained to fight proxy wars. Today we are reaping harvest with terrorists haunting citizens and a shattered economy.
We, as a nation, need to understand that either Quaid was right that Pakistan should be a modern democratic welfare with no political role for paid civil or uniformed bureaucracy (14 June 1948), or the narrative given by dictators and the political pygmies they created through political engineering. Even humiliation of defeat and surrender in 1971 does not seem enough.
Pakistan was created for welfare of Muslim majority and citizens of other faiths to live in peace and harmony as equal citizens, free from economic exploitation and bias of Hinduvta mindset which has manifested its brutality in Modi’s India. MAJ and pioneers of AIML struggled to free us from yoke of British Raj and Hindu supremacist and not to replace it with Elite Capture by a few. The Raj established cantonments on periphery of every city to quell any uprising for independence. Pakistan should not be a cantonment state, nor a haven for real estate mafia, with rapid uncontrolled urbanization, where black money is parked, converting green agriculture pastures to concrete jungles.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Domestic violence
Domestic violence is a common problem in Pakistan. Affecting an estimated 10 million people every year, as many as one in four women and one in nine men, are victims of domestic violence. Virtually all healthcare professionals will at the same point evaluate or treat a patient who is a victim of domestic violence. Domestic violence includes economic, physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse of children, adults or elders. Domestic violence causes worsened psychological and physical health, decreased quality of life, decreased productivity and in some cases mortality Domestic violence can be difficult to identify. Many cases are not reported to health professionals or legal authorities.
How can we control domestic violence, first of all we have to spread information if something like that is happening in any area. People should immediately inform any authority who can stop these types of violence to happen, secondly the government should take strict action to control these people and should award them long duration punishments. Only then many others will stop committing violence having fear of arrest and punishment.
HAYA FATIMA
Lahore
Reckless driving
I would like to express my views through the columns of your esteemed newspaper on reckless driving in the city. It is a well-exposed fact that Karachi is a vast city that is flourishing in all directions and is fraught with countless problems as well. Reckless driving is the biggest problem that is the main cause of the highest rate of accidents. Drivers of vehicles drive very carelessly and they have disturbed the peace of the valued city. Their rash driving is too dangerous for pedestrians as well as for small vehicles. The matter is getting worse day by day and this is high time for the concerned authorities to take immediate measures in this regard.
AYESHA PEER BAKSH
Malir, Karachi
