While Kashmir suffers
While over three million unfortunate residents of Kashmir have been confined to their homes in a territory spread over 101,338 square Km and a curfew clamped with schools, offices and shops closed, there is hardly any coverage about human sufferings of these unfortunate people. Indian-occupied Kashmir has largest number of armed troops’ concentration in the world amidst reports of torture, rape and killing.
Yet the world media chooses to focus on Hong Kong where people have a right to protest and are demanding more of democracy, although compared to many parts of the world, they enjoy basic human rights, freedom of movement and have never faced the repression that Kashmiris have been enduring for decades. When world conscience would wake up? Kashmir’s demography is being changed through ethnic cleansing. International media has no access to cover what is happening in Kashmir, while they are free to cover 24/7 events in Hong Kong.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Article-370 of Indian Constitution
India’s desperate move to scrap Indian-Occupied Kashmir of its special status is another shot in the foot and a slap in the face of international regulations. Article-370 guarantees autonomy for the Muslim-majority state’; stripping off this article is a symbol of naked aggression and abrogation of Indian constitution as well as confiscation of Kashmiri’s basic human rights.
World should stand up and stop India from this move that will cause highest amount of tension in the area and between the two nuclear powers. Such actions cannot stop the liberation movement of Kashmiris. The seventy-two years old issue needs to be resolved in light of United Nations Resolutions that call for plebiscite in the area so that residents of the territory may decide about their future.
IFTIKHAR MIRZA
Islamabad
Kashmir and Article 370
The world’s (so-called) largest democracy – India – has been converting to largest populist and irrational nationalist country of the world. Therefore, BJP led government has been totally violating the two-nation theory. Historically, the subcontinent had divided on the bases of two-nation theory.
Therefore, the Hindu nationalist government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has revoked Article 35-A and 370 of Indian Constitution which has maintained special rights to permanent residents of Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK). Article 370 of constitution forbids Indians outside the State from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs and securing education scholarship.
Briefly, the Hindu nationalist government has been changing Indian occupied Kashmir’s Muslim majority demographics by allowing huge population of new Hindu residents. Consequently, this ridicules and ruthless act will have been spoiling the fundamental human rights and killing of Kashmiri people; providing oil to fire and escalate the tension in the region.
Precisely, we (Pakistan) are as a nation requesting to the world powers such as the US, China, Russia, European Union and the United Nations to take immediate measures and the issue should be addressed in a peaceful way and enhance socio-economic-politico stability in the region.
ABDUL BARI JAGIRANI
Larkana
Relax the rules
It has been decided to divide Jammu & Kashmir into two separate Union Territories, scrapping Article 370. There have been numerous reactions to current status of Jammu & Kashmir. Bringing the law should be for benefits of one and all, not other way around. Kashmir has been in turmoil for a longer period of time, having created long-standing disturbance to both India and Pakistan.
Reasons and factors like lack of unbiased leadership, draconian rules, lack of commitment, lack of trust, corrupt politicians and missing the big picture have been contributing to the present mess out there. I fondly recall an instance of happy family members from Kashmir with memorable moments visiting their relatives in Tuticorin and Korkai in Tamil Nadu during my 1990s schooldays. In my opinion, education, job creation, peaceful environment, sowing the seeds of love and rapport, economic growth, technology and support to agricultural activities will go a long way in making positive impacts.
P SENTHIL S DURAI
Maharashtra, India
Monsoon wayward
Pakistan’s geographical location is vulnerable to the vagaries of the annual monsoon. Its economy can still be affected by monsoon as 2010 flood demonstrated. The 2010 floods posed huge problems for an already flagging economy.
The rural population of South Punjab and Sindh is vulnerable to inundation from the Indus River while tribal areas can fall victim to flash flood from Kabul River and its tributaries. Deforestation has increased this risk and drought, however, could also be caused by climate change. Government should impose flood emergency in the season of torrential rains.
AMMAR UL HASSAN
Lahore
Some observations
It has been observed that when the former ruling parties PPP alias Zardari Party and PML (N), which have been brokered and brought together by the Maulana who is obviously quite hurt on being out of corridors of powers after being there doing nothing for more than 10 years, win and secure a victory in any matter, then everything is right, there is no rigging, there is no irregularity as such as well. For instance recently held Ghotki bye-election which the PPP, the ruling party in Sindh province, had won.
When the opposition headed by these parties loses some case or matter then everything is wrong, rigged and horse trading and what not is committed by the winning side. For instance, failure of the combined opposition onslaught to oust the sitting Chairman from the Upper House of Parliament, the Senate, apparently for no crime of his on Thursday. The losers hurled all sorts of accusations on the winners intentionally brushing aside the Chhanga Manga excursion trip which the people still remember particularly in Punjab province. And, the combined opposition had put up a candidate for the top slot who after losing the “battle” unwarrantly attacked the chief of the premier national institution which is quite deplorable and regrettable to say the least.
M Z RIFAT
Lahore
Psychiatric employees
In public sector organisations, antecedents and character of appointees are verified from police and intelligence agency as well as medical check up like different medical tests as blood sugar, blood pressure and eye disorder etc are carried out before appointment.
It is reported that every one person out of five in Pakistan is a psychiatric patient these days owing to so many problems like skyrocketing inflation with low salaries, bad law and order situation, phobias of different nature like abduction and abuse of children, scarcity of water, long hours load shedding, suicidal bombings, etc. In such scenario any person is likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders of any nature like depression, schizophrenia, etc. Being sadistic is very common at work places.
An employee suffering from any mental disorder cannot perform well and his psychiatric problem might not confine to himself but whole organisation or at least personnel attached with him suffers a lot. So it would be much better if psychology test should be carried out before appointment and during service counselling sessions should be made an integral part of service and sessions should be held on and off so that every employee works with healthy mind.
FAISAL ANSAR
Karachi
Desertification
Apparently, the developed countries have been using deserts for agriculture such as China, Australia and Saudi Arabia. Accordingly, out of 79.9 million hectares of Pakistan’s total land, 62 million hectares are vulnerable to desertification. Desertification is defined as the process of fertile land transforming into desert typically as a result of deforestation, drought and inappropriate agriculture.
It is a significant global ecological and environmental problem and major challenge to sustainable development. Consequently, desertification has been leading toward: water scarcity, food shortage, health issues, poverty and political instability. Briefly, the Government of Pakistan has to plant at least 10 billion beneficial trees across the country, ban on plastic usage; provide effective agricultural education and use advance technology to combat desertification.
ABDUL BARI JAGIRANI
Larkana