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.
Open letter to PM
It has been reported by a leading English Daily of the country that after the approval of the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Chief Secretary Punjab has allocated Rs.2 billion and 33 crore for purchase of super luxury cars for senior Punjab Government officials.According to the referenced report, it has been decided that all divisional commissioners will be provided 1600 CC cars, all additional deputy commissioners (general) 1300 CC, and all assistant commissioners will be provided double cabin 4×4 vehicles.
This is mind boggling indeed. A country which is passing through the worst economic crisis in its history, a country which is begging for foreign funding to meet its dire financial needs, a country where day in and day out people are having to face the brunt of galloping inflation, a country where rising energy prices have broken the spines of the people cannot justify such profligacy under any circumstances.
I urge the honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate cognizance of this serious issue, and direct the Chief Minister of Punjab to withdraw this decision forthwith. If the Punjab government has such (huge) funds available in its repository and is inclined to spend it, then why not spend it on a project of public interest and benefit instead.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
Thirst of reading
A path to wisdom opens in the boat of reading. The more we read, the more we know and the better we become. Reading is a great way to improve our knowledge and understanding of the world, as well as to improve our vocabulary and critical thinking skills. It’s also a great way to reduce stress and anxiety and to promote relaxation and mental health. Reading has many positive effects on both the body and mind and it’s a great way to improve our overall well being, Books really are our best friends.
Reading a book is the most enjoyable experience one can have. There is no denying the fact that the social stratification in our society is on the basis of knowledge and wisdom and they both come from reading. Love of reading makes us leaders. As said, if you want to be a leader, you need to develop a reading habit.
HUMERA CHANDIO
Larkana
Crop residue
Crop residue is the substance left when crops have been harvested. One can see the impact of crop residue on the environment since in Pakistan crop residue is being burnt in high quality which releases dangerous gases in the air. Additionally, every year about 5 million ton of rice crop residue is burnt out of 8.5 tonnes and nearly 90% of the farmers burn their crops on fields as they find burning as the easiest way to make the fields ready for the next crop.
The crop burning residue is liable for 20 percent donation of hazy air. Crop residue burning can have an adverse impact on the country’s economy by diminishing agricultural capacity. Punjab is accountable for 72 percent of burning rice straw as reported by a survey. As stated in the report, the farmers need to realize the economic and commercial value of crop residue. Therefore, it is obligatory for the Ministry of Agriculture to converse attentively with farmers over this dilemma.
AIMAN SHAKIR
Turbat
Taboo
Health is wealth, and we all agree with these wise words, but there is also another side to it. Does physical health make you healthy? The definition of health is different. Being in shape is not the only way we can make sure we have good health.
Mental health is another big and important thing for a human being. Can we hire a man who is physically fit, has six abs, but is mentally facing many issues? In other words, he is suffering from some mental illness. Will that person be suitable for the job or any kind of job? Will that person be able to live a peaceful life or help others live in peace?
We all know the answer, but still mental health is considered taboo. People feel guilt when someone asks them to visit a psychologist. They go for the denial phase. This news can amaze you, but ignoring it will not solve the problem. This will only make it worse.
Our whole body works in synergy. Every organ depends on each other. The head of all these organs is the brain. What if the brain is not in a normal state? If we have any heart issues, we opt for a cardiologist. Why do we hesitate when there is something that hurts our brains? When the CEO of the body is hurting you from inside and making everything awful.
People show some symptoms, which is why we need to listen to them and support them. The recovery period is shorter if a person gets family support or finds someone with whom he or she feels secure. A mental health issue can happen to anyone. There are some factors that contribute to mental health, such as childhood trauma.
People who face sexual abuse and violence in the early years of life become the prey of many mental illnesses. If a person is living in such a toxic home where parents are having arguments all the time and the child feels like a burden on them. This thing affects a lot because a baby wants love, and, in this case, he is fed with angry arguments. This causes instability in children.
ARISHA IRSHAD ALI
Karachi
Box letter
Gas load-shedding
I am going to highlight a grave issue which has been faced by us for many years but still nobody has solved it and this problem is named load shedding of gas. All dwellers are disturbed due to shortage of gas in Karachi. Excessive load shedding of gas has made the lives of citizens very vulnerable. There is no proper schedule of gas load shedding. However, due to unavailability of gas, women are unable to prepare breakfast for their school-going children. Sometimes individuals go to offices without taking their breakfast. Such circumstances are really shameful but there is no one to solve this issue. This problem has been going on for a long time but still the government is unsuccessful in solving it. Though Karachi is the capital city of Sindh and being the most populated city, still it is confronting severe load shedding of gas. It is very difficult to live without gas in such cities where there are no forests. Therefore, I request the government to take steps for the redressal of this issue so that residents must not face any difficulty in this regard.
MEER ABDUL MALIK
Karachi
