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.
Financial crisis and over-billing
The financial crisis are faced by everyone all over the globe, but the people of Karachi are not just facing a single problem nowadays, there are multiple difficulties being faced by them. In spite of providing some relief to their users, KE, SSGC and Water Board have created double problems amidst the Coronavirus situation.
The users of them are asked to pay over charged bills for which there is no check and balance system and the authorities are paying no attention in resolving these issues. The user who was once paying the bills in hundreds are asked to pay the same bills in thousands amidst when there small businesses are not running properly. The citizens of Karachi have protested outside the KE office but their protest goes in vain as the over-billing continues in the month of July too.
At the start of the lockdown in Karachi, the Provincial Government ordered them to provide relief to the users but on contrary they have emerged as a mafia which is not in anyone’s control. On daily routine, protests are taking place countrywide, in order to divert the attention of authorities towards this issue as the locals are not able to pay huge amount of over charged bills. It is a humble request from the citizens of Karachi not to charge excessive amount of bills in this era of financial crisis.
M ZUBAIR SIDDIQUI
Via email
Sacking of HM not enough
I am deeply dismayed that the Health Minister of Zimbabwe, Obadiah Moyo, who is at the heart of Coronavirus $60 million US dollars scandal, was only sacked from his ministerial post. He was entrusted by Zimbabweans that he was going to implement strategies to prevent and protect them from Covid 19 but ended up indirectly stealing that money through a corrupt non-existent and registered company.
He has shown more cruelty worse than Mugabe because no sane person will swindle money earmarked for preventing deadly Coronavirus which have killed half a million people worldwide so far. He should be stripped off his membership of Parliament and jailed. President Mnangagwa and his cabinet has failed Zimbabwe and they don’t care about healthcare system in the country because they seek medical assistance in South Africa and other countries which means they should resign and let capable and passionate people revive the healthcare system of Zimbabwe.
TAPIWA MUSKWE
United Kingdom
Internet addiction
As the educational institutions have remained closed since March owing to the Covid-19 lockdown, students have become more addicted to social media.
No doubt Internet is a source to help us in gaining knowledge at the global level, but it is a shortcut, besides reading whole book and find its true essence and applicable knowledge is a long-term knowledge source. We waste our whole day scrolling Facebook newsfeed, besides it provides us knowledge and awareness of everything, but we should limit our time to use Social Media and focus more on reading general books of history, literature etc.
WAQAR BADAR KANDHRO
Larkana
Illegal stalls and cabins
Sir, I want to draw the attention of the Karachi city administration and other related authorities about the illegal stalls and cabins on the roads of Karachi. As we all know that Karachi is the biggest city of Pakistan and the traffic jam is atrocious because of illegal stalls and cabins on roads and footpaths.
Last year, the anti-encroachment department of KMC removed more than 100 illegal stalls and cabins off the road and footpaths; but those areas were well known areas i.e.: Tariq road and Saddar market. What about Hyderi market? Most of the people living in North Nazimabad are having traffic problems because of these illegal stalls and cabins. Whereas, the anti-encroachment department didn’t take interest in taking action against the encroachments.
Moreover, removing of stalls and cabins was mentioned on some news channels but Hyderi market was not mentioned. None of the news anchors were told to speak for the area North Nazimabad. Is it because they were told not to speak anything about it or it is not a posh area and that majority living here is middle class?
I am very disappointed and want Karachi city administration and other related authorities to be equal to every citizen of Karachi, and take keen interest in clearing out the illegal stalls and cabins off the roads and footpaths of not only Hyderi market but from every single corner of North Nazimabad.
ANOUSHAY NAEEM
Karachi
Coronavirus treatment
WHO accepted the recommendation from the Solidarity Trial’s International Steering Committee to discontinue the trial’s hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir arms. The International Steering Committee formulated the recommendation in the light of the evidence for hydroxychloroquine vs standard-of-care and for lopinavir/ritonavir vs standard-of-care from the Solidarity trial interim results, and from a review of the evidence from all trials presented at the 1-2 July WHO Summit on COVID-19 research and innovation.
These interim trial results show that hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir produce little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients when compared to standard of care. Solidarity trial investigators will interrupt the trials with immediate effect. For each of the drugs, the interim results do not provide solid evidence of increased mortality. There were, however, some associated safety signals in the clinical laboratory findings of the add-on discovery trial, a participant in the Solidarity trial. These will also be reported in the peer-reviewed publication.
This decision applies only to the conduct of the Solidarity trial in hospitalized patients and does not affect the possible evaluation in other studies of hydroxychloroquine or lopinavir/ritonavir in non-hospitalized patients or as pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19.
BUSHRA SATTAR
Karachi
