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.
Aviation issues
There are a plethora of issues, which plague Pakistan CAA and especially PIA. Both these organisations are run by people who face serious charges of incompetence and allegations of financial and administrative indiscipline contributing to steep decline in the working of these two organisations. Great damage has been done yet it would be prudent to utilise this opportunity to cleanse the rot within.
Issues of lack of authenticity of Licences by regulator have been there for decades. CAA and those at helm are more to blame than pilots involved in irregularities. After all if CAA officials had performed their regulatory role as per ICAO rules, there would have been no issue of alleged fraud in Licences issued by them. As for PIA, irregularities in recruitment started during the era of Z A Bhutto, which became grave during the 11-year military rule of Gen Zia and became more and more serious in every next government till this day. Why has PIA not terminated services of all such employees who submitted fake degrees at time of initial induction, although Administration Rules clearly call for such punitive measures?
Vacancies were created in an already surplus organisation by successive CEO/MD to benefit their next of kin or those related to political elite and retired/serving officers from armed forces. PIA was forced to establish Flying Academies so that their children could complete flight-training requirements for CPL at the cost of airline. In one instance an MD got his three sons inducted as pilots. The irony is PIA has been used as jumping plank to get them Aircraft Type Ratings and then abandon it to join foreign airlines. There was a PIA MD, who was simultaneously DG, CAA. Let some good come out of this rot.
G ZAMAN
Peshawar
Say no to dowry
Marriage isn’t a small decision, neither for bride nor for bridegroom and despite there being good people around who don’t typically do this, ‘‘oh sorry her complexion isn’t fair, oh she is chubby, oh sorry her height is average, I want my son to marry a doctor.” Here the tension begins for parent of the daughter when they are asked for dowry. Asking for dowry is easy but the biggest pressure on a daughter’s parents. Daughters are victims of dowry. The father has to sell his property for dowry. The man who is getting married with someone’s daughter, himself couldn’t afford and instead asks a father for dowry? Search the meaning of dowry and then search dowry in Islam. According to dictionary, an amount of property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage is dowry.
In Islam there is no place for such wasteful customs that could create problem for a family. The girl, who is getting married, feels equally guilty. Her parents are in pressure, under the load of collecting dowry. They want their daughter to lead a happy life after marriage .Dowry should be banned. Learn to say No to dowry fearlessly.
KASHAF TARIQ
Karachi
Depression and suicide
Every person with a smiling face is not a happy person. There could be hundreds of stories behind someone’s smiling face. Depression is real and it leads to permanent disorder and provoke to attempt a suicide. It is a broad topic and has many dimensions.
It usually occurs due to personal issues like family history, long term illness, stress, losing someone special, long term unemployment, social abuse, gender discrimination, long term isolation or loneliness, prolonged work stress and other multiple causes. Unfortunately, these issues are most often neglected in our society. People who struggle with depression are suffering often silently. They try to keep their feelings hidden because of feeling ashamed or social stigma. If someone gathers some courage to discuss his/her thoughts people often make fun of them.
Suicides are not sudden they come from a long depressing event. People who commit suicide are dead mentally. We all are not same when it comes to describe our emotions. Depression should not be neglected and there is no feel of discrimination if you have symptoms, talk about it with your family or friends or with whom you feel comfortable. There are lot of ways to cope with depression and suicidal thoughts like psychologist session, medications and working on improving personal relationships. If nothing accommodates you, keep trying and never give up. Keep that in mind that nothing in the world is worth giving up on life. You are important!
AYESHA TALIB
Via email
Haphazard traffic
The main purpose of writing to you is to underline my concerns regarding chaotic traffic that prevails on city roads during peak hours on daily basis. The main thoroughfares of the city have become too congested with vehicles that cause severe traffic jams greatly causing deep anxiety to travellers. Moreover, it has been analysed that traffic jams are also one of the major cause of loss of time in offices and schools. Numerous working hours are squandered each day because of traffic jams. Additionally, it has been examined that vehicles, while stuck up in these jams, burn fuel that cost millions of rupees.
People’s health is under constant attack due to pollution caused by these vehicles. Moreover, frustration caused by these jams leads to many aggressive and destructive hostilities among travellers. Students also suffer, as these jams don’t allow them to reach their educational institutions on time. I request both federal and provincial governments to look into this critical matter. The city of Karachi is in dire need of a total overhaul in traffic management system to reduce and control this teething problem.
ANUSHA KHAN
Karachi
Biotech advancement
For thousands of years, human beings have been facing diverse nightmares in the shape of famines, wars and plagues. Billions of lives wiped out during combating them. But what remained in the hands of human beings are historical experiences that caused development in science, technology and medicine. One can see the yawning gap between past and present epidemics. In past, every epidemic proved more fatal than that of epidemics in 21st century.
Moreover, 21st century still needs earnest progress in medicine than any other field because history evidently suffered more fatalities in plagues than in wars and famines. Yuhal Noah Hurrari wrote in his bestselling book Homo Deus that epidemics and pandemics caused more deaths than in wars. Just an example, Spanish Flu in 1918 killed 50 to 100 millions people in less than a year time. On the Other hand, World War I killed 40 million people within four years 1914 to 1918. Similarly, outbreak of AIDs in 1980s killed 30 million American and people suffered debilitating physical and psychological damages.
Thus one can conclude that this is high time to go for biotechnology advancement and health related progress so that upcoming unprecedented threats of pandemics like Covid-19 can be overcome. Countries across globe are advancing towards medical defence. Simultaneously, Pakistan should also step up and invest more on medical advancement. Doing so, Pakistan would export medicine rather importing and simultaneously health crisis in country could also be eliminated.
IMTIAZ ESSA HALEPOTO
Jamshoro, Sindh
