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.
A fearful me
With this email I pen my fears and concerns regarding our changing cultural norms and values. The environment around us seems to have changed manifolds within the last decade. Growing up was a completely different experience. Comparing my childhood with kids of today I, sometimes, feel like an alien. The influence of Indian ‘Star Plus’ has played its role. We seem to have forgotten our own simple ways. Internet in its cons has taken away the many little happy times we shared before.
We never had the courage to say NO to our elders, or argue no matter how wrong and rigid they would get. Spending long summer evening playing with street fellows, we would always make sure to get home before the Maghrib Prayer call. We were perhaps more respectful and attentive towards our elders and vice versa. However, looking around, I fear that all of it seems to be diminishing at a very fast pace, fast enough to finish very soon.
SYED JAFFAR ZAIDI
Via email
They have nothing to say?
Former ruling parties prime ministers, governors, ministers and media consultants are quite regularly writing articles and columns highlighting their respective governments doings and lambasting the present government left and right. Their articles and columns are quite obviously being published in the English and Urdu dailies quite faithfully to say the least.
On the other hand, what Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet members, about half a dozen spokesmen and public relations agencies of the federal government and Punjab government i.e. Press Information Department (PID) and Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) as well as the ruling party leaders are doing? Virtually nothing as for as the print media is concerned as nobody is bothered and concerned to highlight the ruling party’s federal and provincial governments performance, achievements and what is being done for the welfare and well-being of the people at large besides setting the depleted economic house in order. They may be appearing on electronic media to see their faces on min-screens but there are hardly any articles and columns by them in newspapers.
The working and performance of the PID and DGPR also leaves much to be desired. In the first instance, they are not bothered to ask the freelance journalists, columnists, writers and opinion leaders to write for the federal and provincial governments. Secondly, those who were writing something have also stopped making their positive contributions. There are instances of both PID and DGPR not being so fair in their financial dealings. Either they are holding outstanding payments of contributors for months together or the contributors’ articles files are pushed under the carpet quite mysteriously and cunningly.
ASMAAR BILAL
Lahore
Nothing as per rules
Doubtlessly, God has bestowed the man with power of reasoning enabling him to search for reality/truth. In the same manner, our Constitution has not intended those who are placed in authority/ position – officers or ancillary staff – to blindly imitate superiors or follow the verbal orders in contravention of the law, rules and regulations. In the light of several judgments and observations of the honourable judges of the superior courts, verbal orders no orders. But unfortunately, it is happening in various organizations, both at the federal and provincial levels, where spineless and fibreless officers and staff members are compelled to comply with the verbal orders.
In this flagrant violation of the values, ethical principles of accuracy, transparency and above all the law of the land, our training institutes and academies must come forward to educate, enlighten and sensitize our officers that Allah Kareem has endowed them with mind or faculty of reasoning by exercise of which they have to investigate and discover the truth; and that which they find real and true, they must accept and obey.
If our officers and employees, allied with the excellence of services, are loyal with the law of the land and true with mission and mandate of the organization(s) in which they work, they will not follow the illegal verbal orders and will act as enshrined in the Constitution and above all as ordained by the Lord of the universe in the glorious Quran.
HASHIM ABRO
Islamabad
Vaccination against dengue fever
Every year we hear, read and see thousands of people dying as a result of dengue fever in many countries of the world such as Brazil, Cuba, Indonesia, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Philippines, Pakistan, India, Thailand, etc. This dengue virus has now become a permanent threat. In past, different scientists have been successful in inventing different vaccines for controlling the spread of many diseases such as Hepatitis, Influenza, Measles, Mumps, Polio, Rabies, Smallpox, Tetanus, Typhoid, Varicella (Chickenpox), etc.
Life of millions of people can be made secure throughout the world against the above referred diseases by simply injecting diseases-preventable vaccines right from the newly born baby to a child/person of a certain age.
ABDUL SAMAD SAMO
Karachi
Water scarcity
Water is one of the most precious resources on the planet. Without water we can not survive. Pakistan is currently facing an acute water shortage that is likely to wreck havoc in the country in the coming years. Water scarcity involves water stress, water shortage or deficit and water crisis. Due to lack of proper measures for securing and preserving natural resources, our country is suffering from water scarcity. Water covers 70% of our planet and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.
A recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has ranked Pakistan third among the countries facing acute water shortage. Pakistan Council Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has warned that Pakistan may run out of water by 2025. The water crisis in Pakistan is more due to wastage of water, rapid population growth, deteriorating situation of dams and an outdated canal system as well as expensive and improper ways of irrigation. The federal and provincial governments must devise proper policies in terms of water to overcome the shortage of water, construction of new small dams, plantation of trees, responsible use of household water and awareness campaigns.
MAIRA NADEEM
Rawalpindi
Loan shark
A loan shark is an individual or group of individuals who is/are lending money to needy ones at exorbitant rates of interest which are clearly defined as an illegal activity. They are the lower-class people who are being affected by this menace. In northern region of Sindh, especially the Kashmore district, loan sharks have been busy in looting farmers by charging 5 to 8% interest per month.
Due to the worst situation of the Agri-sector of Pakistan, farmers are unable to pay back the principal plus higher interest amount, thus they become a soft target. It is the responsibility of institutions to protect them from heinous acts done by so-called lenders. The government has to think about it and impose strict rules on those who are looting poor people.
KHUDA DAD
Kashmore
