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.
Corporate blunders
Raza Baqir, as the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Shaukat Tareen, as the Finance Minister, granted a loan of 3 billion USD at Zero interest rate to their PTI imported friends in the corporate world including Hascol Group. Shortly after receiving the loan, Hascol showed signs of financial distress and declared bankruptcy.
Following this, Shaukat Tareen another sharak of banking mafia appointed Raza Baqir’s firm as an advisor of Hascol. Shaukat Tareen, who himself had a stake in Hascol, did not disclose the three billion dollars borrowed from the SBP to the public because his own group had taken a billion dollars from it.
Thus, a blatant act of looting took place in the treasury, and the ordinary people of Pakistan are suffering the consequences. If these three billion dollars had not been looted during Imran Khan’s tenure, we would not have been burdened with another three billion dollars in front of the IMF today.
PROF HASSAN SHABBIR
Via email
Gaddi Nasheen
and politics
In Pakistani politics, Gaddi Nasheens, or custodians of shrines, hold highly respected and prestigious positions. They are structured in a way where power and authority are passed down within specific families or lineages, making them perpetual holders of undivided influence. However, this eternal influence has been one of the obstacles to the betterment of the country so far.
By promoting unscientific beliefs, Gaddi Nasheens have impeded the ability of their followers to engage in critical thinking and develop cognitive skills, effectively subjecting them to mental slavery. They often claim to possess supernatural powers such as the ability to interpret dreams, bring rain, heal the sick, predict the future and make barren land fertile. These practices hinder logical reasoning and the objective observation of things, leading to the proliferation of irrational ideas. The lack of accountability and transparency within hereditary leadership of Gaddi Nasheens has incapacitated the decision-making process.
Instead of utilizing endowments and donations for education and social welfare services, these resources are collected and used to satisfy their own insatiable desires. As a result, this fuels corruption, nepotism and misuse of resources, distorting the system of checks and balances.
Similarly, Gaddi Nasheens, who focus on grandiose living standards, perpetually ignore social development and progress. Women empowerment, gender equality, individual rights and dignity have never been subjects of discussion within their political landscape. In addition, issues such as inadequate healthcare, poverty alleviation strategy and a better education system are neglected in the peripheries of Gaddi Nasheens.
NAVEED ABBAS MAITLO
Khairpur Mirs’, Sindh
Is greed
that much pleasant?
I was going to cheat in board exams in my first-year class, as everybody does in our society because here everybody teaches students that to pass the board exams you just have to cheat in exams, at that very moment, an angel (my Teacher) came into my life who taught me not to cheat but pass on my own, by teaching me to believe in myself, in my talent and my Allah Almighty, is now behind the bars in a case of doing corruption with DC, who ran far away in some foreign country along with his family and my teacher not only lost job but is still behind bars in Sukkur jail whose two little children know that our father has gone somewhere for job.
He might be a culprit for the rest of the world but he is still my hero who put hatred in my little brain for the ill deeds so well, that from that day, I have never said yes to any ill deed like cheating, lying or corruption or anything that I know that it is illegal. I just run away from all those. I do not know how such a person can do any ill deed who illuminates the life of others with his passion for teaching with heart and soul. Everybody says to me you have not seen the colours of this world yet.
The DC who ran away after doing billion-dollar corruption inspired us all by carving out time from his busy schedule to teach us all, Essay writing, I still do not believe that he can do such an act, who gave us the examples of saying no to corruption ever. Is greed so pleasant that it makes us forget the values that we are known for? I still respect these two people (my Mentors) because I do not know the reality but I know that these two people have changed my way of thinking, they lighted my perspective, otherwise, I would also have flown along with others in way of doing all ill-deeds that I abhor now.
TASAWUR FATIMA
Naushahro Feroze, Sindh
West Indies and Cricket
After getting introduced to the world of cricket prior to the 3rd edition of 1983 Prudential World Cup, got enlightened that both the previous versions (1975-1979) were comprehensively won by the Clive Lyod-led West Indies only by registering victory in all the matches! However, India had managed to defeat the numero uno team of the world in the final by as many as 43 runs!
Despite that rarest of rare defeat in the World Cup final, West Indies still continued to dominate world cricket. And so a few months later, West Indies defeated the Indians by a margin of 3-0 and 5-0 in Test and ODI series respectively right at the backyard of the latter; thereby proving their mettle!
But with passage of time and successive retirement of the great cricketers, the graph of West Indies cricket indeed started to dip. Far from winning another version of the ODI World Cup, West Indies could never even reach the final of the tournament in future versions! Caribbeans started to lose Tests/ODI matches against newcomers like Bangladesh Ireland Afghanistan too!
The West Indies could manage to play the 2019 ODI World Cup by somehow scraping through the qualifiers! But in the qualifiers for 2023 World Cup, Windies simply got booted out by losing against Zimbabwe and even getting defeated by the non-Test playing minnows like Netherlands and Scotland also!
Undoubtedly the cricket of the Caribbean simply lies in tatters today with “old timers” like us getting horrified on witnessing the downfall of cricket of such a region which was simply synonymous to cricket itself! It is high time the Caribbean cricket authorities indulge in a sincere introspection and revive the glory of West Indies region, cricketers of which had enthralled various generations through decades by virtue of their excellence and skills!
KAJAL CHATTERJEE
Kolkata, India
Box letter
F-9 Park security
Fatima Jinnah Park also known as F-9 Park is the biggest park in Islamabad which has several security threats. Due to its extreme length anyone can illegally enter through any gate. Even after recent rape case in F-9 Park several other snatchings occurred but still there isn’t any proper security applied. In order to prioritize public’s security some security measures must be taken like before entry every individual must handover their identity card at entrance and must be given after exit. Additionally, there must be guards on other gates too. These reforms might bring some security for public.
ZAINAB ALIAHMED
Via email
