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.
Water crisis
As we all know that nowadays our country is facing severe shortage of water. This is due to prolong drought which is beyond the control of human beings. In the years when the rainfall is not normal or below from the normal state, the gountry generally faces water shortage. Less water means less agricultural yield and to fulfil the food requirements of the nation, we will be dependent on other countries. Orchards of Pakistan bring home a healthy amount of foreign exchange, which can be affected due to water shortage. Less agricultural output will compel rural people to head towards urban areas for their livelihood which leads to increase in unemployment further.
People should be educated to conserve water by cooperation. Further more government should make laws on water conservation, like many western countries. Efforts be made to convert the present rotation based irrigation system to demand oriented system. The problems faced by the water sector in the country are many, acute and serious and it is also known that we can generate about 83 maf of more water.
Therefore, building of more reservoirs and an effective management strategy are the needs of time. Also implementation of the recommendations will enable the country to meet the challenges, and achieve objectives of integrated, efficient, environmentally and financially sustainable development and management of limited water resources. At same time it will enable us to utilize every drop of our water for our bright future.
FURQAN KHATTAK
Kohat
Awareness is the key to understand….
It is understandable that the public unease and the media discourses about asylum-seekers have intensified in the recent years in Europe. Public backlash has sent shockwaves through EU political life. Borders closed, far-right parties claimed parliamentary seats and alarm sounded. The main problems are that the information regarding factors that cause the displacement of people who become refugees are not shared eloquently within the host countries.
Public opinion is complex, contradictory and often in conflict with the requirements of international law because of lack of understanding and knowledge regarding persecutory elements in home countries that trigger people to flee their countries of birth. Policymakers should disseminate information and educate the public why refugees exist and they explain the morale and humane duty to protect women, children and men who genuinely need international protection.
HANDSEN CHIKOWORE
London
Non-political politicians
Trouble times, ensued from the gruesome outbreak of Covid-19, call for a greater national consensus, solidarity, clarity of mind and concerted policies to help the nation withstand the disastrous ramifications of the novel contagion. Pakistan’s economy was already in the doldrums far before the outbreak triggered. The pandemic poses severe threat to the almost redundant health system as well as economy; exacerbating the plight of the under-privileged. The grim situation, country goes through, demands for more rational approach, above the party lines to protect the national security from the challenges lurking on the horizon.
A parliamentary session was convened to forge a concerted strategy to save the country from falling prey to the Covic-19, which later proved to be merely a farce. National representatives from both the treasury and opposition benches remained indulged in partisan bickering, deteriorating the rare opportunity to devise a joint action plan, indeed. It was, perhaps, the federal government responsibility to bring the nation together; recoiled brazenly in providing leadership at the hardest time. Opposition, turning over the tide, extended its support to collectively fight the invisible enemy. Government dithering initiatives and embroiled relationships with provinces left the nation confused, when expected to lead in the right direction.
It’s not the government to decide what to do, perhaps, it’s the virus to determine our fate”. Thanks to the Al mighty for shielding from the terrible onslaught of the pandemic. Pakistanis, perhaps, appears to be a strong nation, full of valour- dare to deal with every catastrophe, when steered in the right direction.
Luqman Khan
Abbottabad
Fuel shortage
Even a roadside hawker selling vegetable would know that a fixed monthly pricing mechanism is prone to price fluctuation shocks and is utterly inefficient. And yet, our govts, previous and present, hold on to a monthly fixed pricing mechanism for petroleum products leading to chronic fuel shortage like one being faced currently.
The world uses a dynamic pricing model for its petroleum products where prices are determined by demand and supply factors. Has the government not learnt from past mistakes? Announcing a price reduction prior to June 1st just led every individual in the country to rush to fuel stations to fill their tanks to the brim. Of course, there’d be a shortage. Like many others before me, I appeal to the authorities to deregulate the petroleum prices. Spare yourself the agony and let the market decide the prices of fuel.
ZUHAIR ALI KHAN
Karachi
