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.
Consequence of economic crisis
Desperate economic situation in the country is now compelling inhabitants to take extreme steps and what would be more extreme step to end the life than anything else. A heart wrenching incident took place in the country where tenement who failed to pay off rent for a couple of months including hefty amount of electricity bill mounted from Wapda forced par-ents to give poison to their kids who asked for milk and later they took it by themselves to end their and their kids’ lives.
It is incomprehensible how to tackle and halt such issues when the overall economic situa-tion of the country has become very bad. Everyone is compelled in the current economic situation of the country as it becomes hard for them to make both ends meet and has forced many people to start begging for money for their livelihood.
Well, everything cannot be put on Government’s shoulder though it is the prime responsi-bility of the Government but on humanitarian grounds, neighbours, landlords who rent out their property as well as relatives who are comparatively well off should have an eye and help such people who are finding it hard in current economic woes to manage bread and butter for their families. All in all, this is too much for a family. Let’s take care who can to, to those who are living their life below the poverty line before such incidents take place.
FAISAL ANSAR
Karachi
Powerless in paradise?
Rukhshanda Abbas letter in a newspaper the other day attracted my attention to see some one raising voice against the ongoing corruption and social injustice in our land of pures.
Kargha Nullah and many other waterfalls were ably tapped by the then NAPWD & NAWO in the 1970s, while tainted NDVP and Ijlal Hussain Zaidi were busy in making po-litical mileage to serve PM Bhutto as more loyal than the King, Norway team had visited Gilgit Baltistan in those days and had offered to install 3 to 5 MW small turbines at hundreds of locations on natural water streams to cater for economic prosperity and development, but who cares?
Likewise the Valleys of Baltistan from where major tributaries are flowing into the Indus have not been utilized in spite of World Bank initial proposal for construction of dams under IBP plan. They had suggested first to build a Buffer Dam to stop sand flowing into reservoirs of our dams at Bhasha Site where on sideline power could also be generated.
33 Power generating turbines were imported by NAWO in the 1990s, under transfer of technology agreement. These were to be partially assembled and developed in HMC by train-ing local engineers about know-how, but inquiry under FACC found that all 33 units were imported ready for installation and when installed more than 12 units failed to generate as powerless units. WAPDA acted like a criminal and political agency, in the 1990s work for construction of Satpara Dam was awarded to Descon of Razzak Dawood group and to gener-ate electricity for Skardu and adjoining areas round the year. PC-1 was approved connecting to divert water from Shyok River and Deosai lake through tunnel, Shyok river water is oth-erwise going into India from Baltistan.
When Descon completed this project they deliberately avoided to utilize water from Shyok river and Deosai lake perhaps to win Indian sympathy?
In 2018 when Descon was strong contender for award of Bhasha Dam Project-I had writ-ten letters in newspapers that Descon be blacklisted as contractors to participate in biddings, the powerful got the PC-1 of Satpara Dam revised to delete that portion of work of a project they had completed in 2008 or so and was unable to generate electricity in winter season as lake was dried.
ALI ASHRAF KHAN
Karachi
Revolt
against dollar
Dollar, the vehicle currency, currently faces challenges and upheavals in the world trade market. Several new currencies in the global financial politics have bitterly provoked existence and its hegemony, Chinese Yuan was already in the list but Indian rupee has jumped into this arena as well.
India has made various trade agreements with Russia, Germany, Israel and they have agreed upon delivering payments in Indian rupees in terms of different economic deals. The process might seem complex, but there is the Latin word “vostro” which means “your”.
If any country wants to pursue payment in the opposite country’s regional currency, it has to open up a Vostro account to settle all transactions sans transferring cash. Later on, similar money can be utilized for trade imports on fair deals. However, this scenario is still hypo-thetical and yet has not been instrumentally executed.
It is dismaying for the US about relentless jeopardy by global economies threatening dollar dominance at all costs. The dollar is controlled by the US and it influences the West. This unflinching soft power allows the US to abuse international law, impose illegal sanctions for personal hostility and enmity.
China has already made routes to bypass the dollar, its deals with Saudi Arabia for oil and with Russia for automobiles in exchange of regional currency relegates or reduces pressure on its Forex reserves.
International institutions like BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) solely work to dominate the trade market and fiscal or monetary issues roaming around the globe. All the BRICS members are included in the top 10 economies in the world which really in-tensify and galvanize their potential in their economic stability.
Vehemently, Pakistan relaxing geo-strategic location, but mishandling of its resources, has to look out for alternatives against US or dollar. Consequential dilemmas, political disputes, sectarian clashes and economical crisis have set the country at the brink of bankruptcy. SAJID ALI NAICH
Khairpur
Box letter
Child marriage
I would like to raise my voice against child marriages. I want to bring your attention and their negative impact on the lives of millions of girls in the world. Child marriage is defined as marriages where either one or both partners are younger than the age of 18.We believe that child marriage is an extreme violation of children’s rights, it brings down the darkness in the life of a girl and destroys her childhood. As human beings, children have rights that must be taken in to reflection and child marriage should be stopped. The trend of child marriages has been a major cause of girls illiteracy or lower level of education. Married girls face many bar-riers to education including household responsibilities, forced exclusion from school and gender norms that keep them at home. The younger the age at marriage, the greater the im-pact. Once married, a girl is very unlikely to remain in or return to school. It can also damage the girls physically, mentally and social health leading to serious health issues in the future. I want you to raise your voice against it. I think the government should do more to make sure the law is being followed so that the girls can have improved life quality and this crime should be wiped off completely from our country.
ANOSHA TARIQ
Via email
