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.
No increase
Those stallions who work hard and make best use of their abilities to mobilise the machinery of government need some compensation during old age. Unfortunately, the Captain has failed to understand this simple formula and refused to increase pension. Simultaneously, those who have risked their life and attended office during unprecedented pandemic and lock-down have also been denied meagre increase in salary.
This act of people-friendly budget maker is awful in financial terms for already cash-starved government employees facing actual 14% inflation. Facing skyrocketing prices of wheat flour, sugar, groceries and other daily use commodities. Who will raise voice for these down-trodden people of society who spend their whole lives making rounds in the vicious circle of poverty? They do not have extra funds for their urgent cash liabilities throughout their lives and these unfortunate souls fizzle out of this vicious circle of poverty only after their death. This is the fate of ordinary government employees.
During the current budget their fate has been sealed and the last nail in their coffin has been hammered by PTI by denying them any annual increase in their pay; a thing that has not occurred during past decades. PM is humbly requested to increase at least 25% salary of all government employees who are burning the candle of their lives from both ends. Large families are fed by these government servants and they are inter alia functioning as the backbone of the middle-class. It is hoped that PTI will undo its error and ensure an increase in pay of government servants.
IFTIKHAR MIRZA
Islamabad
Budget 2020 and people desires!
It is first time in 47 years history of Pakistan that Federal Government didn’t increase even 01% in salaries and pensions. This time no relief has been give to the government employees. It was very surprising moment for the whole nation because all government servants were expecting good percentage due to Corona as well as high inflation which they have been facing for quite long. They were thinking that this time government will give good relief in budget but their all wishes flew in night sky.
This is worst thing in this government. I request Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Advisor on Finance and Revenue, Abdul Hafiz Sheikh, to rethink the decision. All classes are not equal in our country. 1 to 7 scale people totally depend upon their salary and salary increments for their family planning and it is same with pensioners. So please think about them.
ANTHONY SAHOTRA
Larkana
Another bad show
Opposition parties have put up another bad show on Friday when PTI’s second budget for financial year 2020-21 was being presented in the National Assembly brushing aside all norms of decency and parliamentary traditions merely to show their lingering hatred against people’s duly-elected federal government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. A real Opposition should have listened to the budget speech and only then expressed their views for and against the budgetary proposals during the general discussion on it.
Firstly, they did not listen to the budget speech, kept chanting slogans and displaying placards inscribed with hostile slogans. Bringing in and displaying placards is strictly against the parliamentary traditions and rules and regulations of the National Assembly. The Speaker should have disallowed this ugly show against parliamentary traditions and also pulled up the staff for allowing the parliamentarians to carry placards.
Secondly, if the Opposition members were not to listen the budget speech and later on boycotted the proceedings unannounced, they should have better stayed in their homes, not come to the Parliament House and marked their presence thus being entitled to daily allowance out of the public exchequer.
Thirdly, the Opposition is all the time clamouring for the people and criticizing the PTI’s Federal Government for not doing for the welfare of the people. How much the opposition parties are concerned about the welfare of the people? This is amply clear by the bitter fact that they have not contributed a single penny towards the Corona Relief Funds established at the federal and provincial levels for helping the pandemic affected people particularly the daily wagers and other needy people and providing food and cash assistance to them. What the Opposition did was merely for the sake of opposition and not for healthy criticism which is welcomed by every democratically-elected government to say the least, please..
M Z RIFAT
Lahore
Precautions to be taken as city opens up
During this time of Coronavirus, buy vegetables early in the morning and leave it for 6 hours. After 6 hours, consider it as safe as it used to be before Corona existed. Avoid buying vegetables in the evening; it’s the leftover of all day, touched by hundreds of people who came to the shop and chose the best of the lot. Once you have cooked a vegetable, there are no chances of Corona being still active in it. It’s completely safe to be consumed.
Avoid eating raw vegetables and fruits as soon as you bring them home. Also avoid keeping them in the fridge. Keep them soaked in water or in open if they are not too perishable. Higher chances of infection are when you touch them at the shop itself or when you exchange cash with the shopkeeper. He comes in contact with hundreds of people everyday and goes to crowded wholesale markets everyday to purchase them. These days, the wholesale vegetable and fruit markets are the biggest carriers of Coronavirus.
Stock non perishable items for a week, if possible. Also, reduce your frequency of visiting the market. As soon as you come home, wash your hands properly, possibly take a bath and keep the clothes away which you wore to the shop. Do not use sanitizer or disinfectant on food items. Do not let your kids touch them before 4-6 hours of being brought and you should not touch the kids before you take a bath or at least wash your hands. Try to pay online as much as possible.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
