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.
Freezing temperature
The rain winds and heavy snowfall has gripped the country for the last few days. As per news reports nearly one hundred people have lost their life during this catastrophic weather. Two departments manage these weather-related affairs: Pakistan Meteorological Department and National Disaster Management Authority.
Met Department is responsible for providing weather forecast. Had the severe weather reported and made known to public well ahead of time and had NDMA ‘s reaction time been quick, the scale of loss of lives would have been minimum. Alas! We always lock stable after the mare has been stolen. Should not we learn a lesson from our failure or we will continue blaming one another and Nature for harsher weather. It is time to relocate and fix these problems.
IFTIKHAR MIRZA
Islamabad
There is no honour in killing
Women in our country are subjected to various kinds of abuses like rape, domestic violence, forced marriage, acid attacks and honour killing. Honour killing has been a practice in Pakistan for thousands of years and it remains a common practice in Pakistan today. Honour killings take place in patriarchal societies where women – wife, sister, daughter and female cousin – are responsible for upholding the family’s name. Women are being killed because their families believe they have dishonoured them, they are controlled by male, relatives and are at the mercy to which they belong.
It is ethically and morally wrong because taking the life of another person should not be a decision that another human can make. Honour killing is a problem that the whole world needs to deal with prudently and has to strive to make sure that the life of a woman is worth more than a simple mistake. The government should end a system in which a woman’s life is considered worthless and family members can kill with impunity.
FAHAD MANSOOR
Rawalpindi
Environmental policies of France
Due to membership of Europe Union, France is very much concerned with the environmental issues. France is the first country to create an environment ministry in 1971. A lot of actions have been taken by France to reduce the emission of pollution from air and water at national level and territorial level. Ecophyto action plan and designation of nitrate vulnerable zones practices in agriculture sector reduced water pollution a lot. Wastewater plants are also introduced to reduce water pollution. Sticker Scheme helps in reducing air pollution.
The environmental policies of France also start supporting and development of environmentally-friendly businesses, which lead to research and development of clean technology. Jobs related to environment have jumped 36% since 2004. In 2012, almost 45,000 jobs related to environment existed in France in the sectors of water, waste management and renewable energy. Courses related to environment also increase. Green city zones are created for environment protection. According to Environmental Performance index 2018, France was the 2nd most environmentally concerned country in the world after Switzerland.
MUHAMMAD ARSALAN
Islamabad
‘Naya Pakistan’
You all have to make a new Pakistan. Naya Pakistan is not a slogan – it’s a belief, when Imran Khan got elected as Prime Minister he promised that he would bring a change and give nation a ‘Naya Pakistan’. We do see a change in Pakistan, but a negative one.
There has been an unprecedented inflation which has crushed the common man who is already facing a dire financial crisis. Be it food or other daily use items, everything is out of his reach. Is this the change Imran Khan wanted to bring and had promised? It is the duty of the Prime Minister to bring a real change in our life and give us the ‘Naya Pakistan’ he promised.
SIKANDAR SAJJAD
Karachi
Influence of electromagnetic fields
One of the side effects of each electrical device work is the electromagnetic field generated near its workplace. Therefore, it is important to accurately determine the effects of an electromagnetic field on the physiological and pathological processes occurring in cells, tissues and organs.
Numerous epidemiological and experimental data suggest that the extremely low frequency magnetic field generated by electrical transmission lines and electrically powered devices and the high frequencies electromagnetic radiation emitted by electronic devices have a potentially negative impact on the circadian system. On the other hand, several studies have found no influence of these fields on chronobiological parameters.
According to the current state of knowledge, some previously proposed hypotheses, including one concerning the key role of melatonin secretion disruption in pathogenesis of electromagnetic field induced diseases. Two major markers of the circadian system as well as on sleep. It also provides the basic information about the nature, classification, parameters and sources of these fields.
Saood Abbas
Rawalpindi
Materialistic society
In our society, a person is known by what he/she has and not by what he/she is. Unfortunately, morally we have declined to such an extent that we respect a person in terms of his/her accumulated wealth (legal or illegal). The more a person is wealthy, the more we give him/her respect and status in the society without really caring whether he/she really deserves the same or not.
This is a dangerous sign for any society. Destruction and decadence set in where societies give more preference to a person’s wealth than to his/her acquired traits of head and heart. I pray to Almighty Allah for the return of our detracted society towards the true teachings of Islam where they start revering and holding high a person because of his/her being righteous and upright.
ABDUL SAMAD SAMO
Karachi
Electromagnetic waves
Electromagnetic waves or EM waves are waves that are created as a result of vibrations between an electric field and a magnetic field. In other words, EM waves are composed of oscillating magnetic and electric fields.
Electromagnetic waves are formed when an electric field comes in contact with a magnetic field. They are hence known as ‘electromagnetic’ waves. EM waves travel with a constant velocity of 3.00 x 108 ms-1 in vacuum. They are deflected neither by the electric field, nor by the magnetic field. However, they are capable of showing interference or diffraction. An electromagnetic wave can travel through anything – be it air, a solid material or vacuum. It does not need a medium to propagate or travel from one place to another.
According to Maxwell’s equations, a spatially varying electric field is always associated with a magnetic field that changes overtime. Likewise, a spatially varying magnetic field is associated with specific changes overtime in the electric field. In an electromagnetic wave, the changes in the electric field are always accompanied by a wave in the magnetic field in one direction, and vice versa. This relationship between the two occurs without either type of field causing the other; rather, they occur together in the same way that time and space changes occur together and are interlinked in special relativity.
USAM LATIF
Rawalpindi
We are accountable!
It is a pity that the government schools are not getting necessary facilities. The schools, especially the primary schools, which need the basic facilities the most, are facing multiple challenges such as scarcity of teachers, classes, bathrooms, clean water, etc. In our province, a few schools are provided with these facilities, but majority lacks them. If a student doesnot have water to drink in school, how can he expected to show good result. Imagine!
If the government is not that much concerned about our education system, it becomes our responsibility to be united and manage our schools. Government does not do anything and we are just waiting for the government to take the first step then we are ourselves destroying our future. We are accountable for not educating our children. We can easily provide the basic facilities in schools if we wish so. We just need to be dedicated and motivated that we are to educate our kids.
SHAISTA RASHEED
Turbat
Religious tourism
With the completion of the Kartarpur Corridor, more and more Sikhs from around the world, especially from India, will come to Pakistan. This is a good start for ‘religious tourism’ in Pakistan. I think the government should also create a plan to allow foreign Buddhists and Sikhs to invest in the construction of hotels, restaurants and other tourist attractions at these tourist locations. These investors will bring in new technologies along with investment.
Japan is technologically advanced and its ageing population will love to move into retirement townships near Buddhist historical sights in Pakistan. With Japanese living in Pakistan they will realise that their country’s economy will also be able to use the young Pakistani workforce by moving in their manufacturing units in Pakistan.
JEHAD ULAH
Islamabad
