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.
Ranipur case of paedophilia
The brutality of the crime inflicted on a 10-year old minor girl by a pseudo Peer in Ranipur is an act of paedophilia which is a serious criminal disorder of preference for sexual activity with a prepubescent child, often accompanied with violence and murder. Such rapists are a danger to society and must be incarcerated for life and paroled only after having served their sentence.
The State must ensure that such perverts do not have access to minor children and remain under constant surveillance and not allowed to live near schools etc., for the rest of their natural life. It is a criminal impulse which can re-surface any time. Unfortunately crimes involving brutality against children and rape followed by murder are on the increase in Pakistan. Laws exist, but their non-implementation is a serious issue for a variety of reasons.
The cause for rise in such crimes is criminal incompetence of law enforcement, weakness of state prosecution and the judiciary, and also an outdated evidence system. Paedophiles from affluent families, especially those linked with feudal families, use their political clout to escape prosecution. Such crimes occur in Sindh, Punjab, KPK etc., and are on the rise. The State needs to have a Zero Tolerance Policy.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Increasing drug addiction
Around 40 drug addicts, some of them HIV positive, recently escaped from the Roshan Ghar Rehabilitation Centre in Raiwind.
This alarming incident sheds light on two critical issues: the widespread use of narcotics leading to health epidemics and the lack of care shown towards addicts both by society and rehabilitation centres. The escape of these addicts is a wake-up call to the widespread use of narcotics and its consequences. The addicts in question were using a wide range of substances, which indicates the urgent need for greater awareness and preventive measures to curb drug abuse.
The fact that some of these addicts were HIV positive only exacerbates the threat they pose to the general public. It is crucial to remember that addiction is not solely a physical affliction but also a mental battle.
Regardless of whether the addicts were aggressive, as claimed by the facility, or mistreated by the staff, the key issue remains that they should be treated with patience and empathy during their recovery journey. Medical practitioners and staff at such centres should receive comprehensive training on handling addicts, acknowledging the complexity of addiction and its impact on individuals.
Rehabilitation centres play a pivotal role in helping addicts recover and reintegrate into society. With proper care and support, most addicts can turn their lives around and become productive members of society. However, incidents like this only perpetuate the cycle of addiction, pushing individuals further into their old habits.
It is essential for rehabilitation centres and society as a whole to provide the necessary help and resources for addicts to reclaim control of their lives. It is crucial for authorities to ensure that rehabilitation centres are properly managed, with trained staff and adequate security measures.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
Makeshift chair-lifts
On Tuesday morning routinely taking a makeshift lift chair to cross a river, two of its three cables snapped precariously, suspending eight persons in mid-air. Rescue operations turned out to be a Herculean task. It took 14 long hours of combined efforts by the Army, some civilian departments and mostly the local people to rescue all aboard the stranded gondola lift.
The incident highlights daily travel people face in traversing short but demanding distances in several remote areas of KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK such as Diamer, Skardu, Ghanche, Shigar and Ghizer. To make things easier, local populations have devised gondola lifts, like the one used in Battagram. The cabins are made from discarded tops of pickup trucks and Suzuki vehicles, and affixed to cables, usually made from scrap iron. These contraptions are also secured with ropes rather than steel cables.
It is not uncommon for the ropes to break and for the local people to save the commuters on a self-help basis. Lack of trust in the hazard-prone commute keeps many from benefiting from economic activity in nearby towns, and students, mostly girls, from going to school across rivers. An obvious solution is to invest in construction of roads and bridges. That may not be practicable at once, especially given the prevailing economic situation, but it should find a place in elected governments’ list of priorities.
What can and must be done at this point in time is to institute Rescue 1122-like services manned by personnel duly trained to deal with challenges these areas’ difficult terrains present. That will not only help save those caught in a tight spot but also create employment opportunities for local people.
MUNAWAR SIDDIQUI
Lahore
