Financial crisis
Mother Teresa said “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” The real time action people take to make others happy are always commendable. The present scenario of the country has, no doubt, brought out best of the best and worst of the worst. If we daily share our one meal with our relatively poor neighbours, it will mitigate the miseries of one poor family and by doing so one can light a lot of candles of hope around us.
Those who withstand the toughest time are always remembered in the annals of history. Another gloomy side of the lock-down is slowing down of all business activities, reducing the earnings of various income-groups to zero as business cycle has completely been halted. The worst of worst is being faced by those who have to pay monthly instalments of hire-purchase plans or credit cards. Almost, all credit card issuing financial institutions charge a penalty of 8% on non-payment of minimum due amount, if not paid on due date, along with heavy fine. In circumstances where running kitchen smoothly has become obscure, such financial blows are unbearable.
Interestingly, when rich countries are begging for relaxation in re-payment of loans to IMF & World Bank, the case of individual consumers stands on merit. It would be in the fitness of things, if Chairman SBP directs all banks to relax the condition of collecting instalments for three months, it would be great relief for people whose businesses are completely shut down during lock-down. Government has already relaxed payment of utility charges for a period of three months. Analogy can easily be drawn, therefrom.
IFTIKHAR MIRZA
Islamabad
Self-medication
After the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, there are rumours going regarding the effectiveness of certain drugs which are anti-malarial agents like chloroquine phosphate and hydroxy chloroquine to treat the deadly virus. There is no scientific evidence to substantiate these claims as the mode of action of these drugs against the virus is yet to be known. The efficacy of these anti-malarial agents in the treatment of Coronavirus is still an enigma.
It must be borne in mind that the unsupervised use of these drugs can produce serious adverse effects. It is, therefore, advised to keep a check on these medications and to ensure that they are used when prescribed by a physician or recommended by a pharmacist, as self-medication often causes harm to the life of patients.
AYESHA AHMAD
Islamabad
Kashmir issue
Kashmir is a bone of contention between Pakistan and India. The Kashmir issue is the biggest hindrance in the normalization of relation between Pakistan and India. The two countries have fought two full fledged wars over this issue. Pakistan is of the view that only the people of Kashmir have a right to determine future of Kashmir.
The UN resolutions of 13 August 1948 and 05 January 1949 which were accepted both by India and Pakistan provided for the holding a plebiscite under the UN auspices to settle the Kashmir issues. The people of Kashmir have been suffering from inexpressible miseries since 1948. The unending curfew, rape cases, torture cells and crushing of their resources are only the slight expression of their miseries; a new hell can be witnessed in this old heaven.
India is projecting the struggle in Kashmir as “Muslim Fundamentalism”. India cannot throw dust in the eyes of the world by labelling the Kashmir liberation movement as “Religious Fanaticism”. In fact, Kashmiri people along with their Islamic aspirations are fighting for the protection of their community. The Muslim Ummah should also come out of its slumber and prove it to the world that Islam is a force which cannot be suppressed.
AIMAN TARIQ
Islamabad
Alleged
illegal PSO appointments
Former PM Shahid Khaqan faces a reference in accountability court for alleged illegalities in appointment of former PSO MD and DMD. There is laid down criteria for selection and appointment in state owned and regulated enterprises, which have seldom been followed, resulting in huge losses to a national exchequer and pilferage etc.
The national airline PIA and its subsidiary PIA Investments have suffered because of gross irregularities in appointment of Chairman, MD etc and so has CAA, OGRA, National Bank etc. From the choice of controversial and corrupt cronies by PPP and PML-N, with just high school level education as MD, DMD, GM etc, in PIA in the past, to recent choice of an octogenarian in his 80s as Chairman PIA and another in his 70s as MD of PIA Investment, it is a never ending saga of abuse of power. Both civil and uniformed governments have treated state owned enterprises as spoils of war, obliging their comrades and loyalists to head them, although there is no dearth of qualified talented people in this country. This has resulted in brain drain and losses to the State.
Selective accountability cannot resolve the curse of corruption and nepotism that has haunted this country for decades. Our highly educated and qualified specialists in various fields have been forced to migrate to other countries. Education, which till late 70s, was subsidized, provided an opportunity to this country to produce scientists, doctors, engineers and economists etc., was privatized and is now affordable to select a few. Chances for talented few to be groomed and serve this unfortunate entity are very remote. In this country where irregularities have been regularized so often, there is little hope, unless the State stands up for meritocracy and specialists in various fields to emerge at the top.
GULL ZAMAN
Peshawar
