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.
Children of lesser gods
It is the moral and constitutional responsibility of the State to treat all citizens equally, offering them equal opportunities, irrespective of their creed, status, faith or ethnicity etc. The priority for state welfare should be the most deprived, or those who while in active service of the state offer supreme sacrifice, or are permanently disabled, placing moral obligation on the state to look after his/her dependents.
The irony is that while Islamic Republic of Pakistan has shown magnanimity to its paid employees post retirement, it has failed to look after the welfare of citizens of Pakistan, including those who were paying taxes while employed in private or state-owned enterprises. If this country does not have fiscal space to provide welfare to deserving citizens, least it can do is not tax citizens who invest their life savings in various schemes offered by the National Saving Centre, so that they can survive. In rare cases when common citizens were allotted plots through balloting in CDA in E12/4 in 1989 or DHA Valley Islamabad in 2009, still await possession.
Unfortunately, all state resources are exhausted in the welfare of its paid elite, giving them pension, plots and other perks, which even more qualified professionals, cannot imagine even while in service. Former PM Shaukat Aziz, through an executive decision, enhanced pensions of the paid elite by double, apart from an increase in number of expensive real estate plots and a house. In some cases, these tax-free monthly pensions today range between Rs 2 lacs to 8 lacs, while citizens getting over Rs 5Lacs profits in a year from National Saving Centre schemes have to pay higher tax, as if they were children of lesser gods.
ALI MALIK TARIQ
Lahore
Examinations
The University of Balochistan, Quetta has declared schedule for personal examinations for post-graduation which will commence from Dec 29 to Gregorian calendar month 21. It’s legendary to any or all that weather in Quetta is very cold in Dec and may get even harsh in Jan. The temperature is anticipated to stay between -5°C to -8°C throughout the papers.
As over 1/2 the population in Balochistan lives within the summer zone wherever the common temperature in winters is 10-14°C it’ll be troublesome for the scholars to regulate during this freezing weather. Several students are reluctant to take part in the examinations during this atrocious weather.
Further there’s a limited number of examination centres within the whole province. The university management ought to find out a lot of examination centres, particularly in divisional or district headquarters, therefore candidates could sit in the examination centres while not being risking their health in extreme climatic conditions as well as Corona pandemic.
ALI AHMAD
Via email
Comrade Police Officer
I have seen the report on news channel where it was reported that SSP Sukkur Irfan Ali Samo (PSP) has encountered sixteen notorious criminals and injured more than 200 dacoits during police operations in the remote areas of the district Sukkur. SSP Sukkur, Irfan Ali Samo, is highly reputed police officer of department who is well known for sincerity and the honesty in work as comrade police officer.
He is brave son of Sindh who carries sacred mission to dispense justice and treat the needy people with legal help from police in their difficult times. He is foe of dacoits and great resistance to deviant actors of the state. His performance is exceptional in the police department as to deal with the crime and the criminals. He has attained good record in his service as gallant police officer of province Sindh. During his service as SSP Sukkur is praiseworthy. He has almost wiped out the local criminals of the district. Before him Sukkur was the hub of criminals and the dacoits, especially its remote areas.
The district crime ratio is under the control of the police now. This has become possible because of unceasing hard work and untiring efforts of SSP Irfan Samo along with his gallant team. But, recently there is propaganda on social media against him that he is failing to perform his duty to cope up with the law and order situation. There is unwanted pressure posed upon him by non-state actors for transfer from the district so that they may be capable to restore their illegal acts again. The civil society is urged to raise voice in his favour so that he may be encouraged by the IG Sindh to perform his job in a better way.
MUJEEB ALI
Larkana, Sindh
Petroleum crisis
We all know too well how the petroleum crisis of June 2020 brought the country to a halt. 2020 already being a year of much trouble naturally and economically, we face increasing difficulties each passing day. Recently, the Petroleum Shortage Commission Report was released. It does not take a deep understanding of the dynamics of the petroleum industry to comprehend the findings of the report.
The report “acquits” the top 3 OMCs of any wrong-doing during the fuel shortage. If these top 3 OMCs, who have a combined market share of 70% (of the 9000 petrol stations countrywide), had ample stocks and were readily supplying their fuel stations, why did the fuel shortage occur? Either the findings of the Commission are incorrect or there’s a much larger game at play here.
ZARMEEN SYED
Karachi
