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.
Mega corruption
Corruption has always led institutions to destruction, bankruptcy and mismanagement in Pakistan. For decades, pesky corruption has been deeply rooted in the top-notch institutions of the country. Most recently, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has taken a notice of worth more than Rs.2b corruption case committed by officers of District Accounts Office (DAO) Hyderabad. It seems to be one of the biggest corruption scandals in Sindh. This mega corruption case is technically played under the pension section with the name of a private person namely Zahid who is actually not the employee of DAO.
How amazingly and technically the corrupt mafia has swept billions of rupees funds given by the government from 2007 to 2017. Where were the concerned authorities during the period of mega corruption process? Why was no action taken so far to curb the malpractice? Mostly the accounts of such heavy money transactions were affiliated with the poor and the working people of Dadu and Johi who were even unaware of such illegal transactions. Who believes that such efficient authorities: NAB and anti-corruption, have been made a failure by the mastermind?
To counter massive corruption from its deep roots, Pakistan needs to revamp its check and balance policy. Strengthening NAB and anti-corruption, free from political interference, is the need of time to punish the culprits involved in mega corruption cases. There must be a speedy and fair process of accountability in the cases mentioned above so that other corrupt mafia gets alarm bells while doing corruption. The slogan of NAB “Corruption-free Pakistan” is direly necessary to be implemented to strengthen the muscles of institutions in the country.
WAJAHAT ABRO
Shikarpur
Traffic jams in Karachi city
Our city is in the grip of traffic jams. We see traffic jams everywhere. They waste a lot of time, a lot of fuel and cause delays. The traffic signals are turned off especially during rush hours. Everybody is suffering from these traffic jams. It has now come to light that these traffic jams are created for various reasons.
Some mafias and police are behind all this. People are looted during this traffic jams. Police make money from the people. The only victims are the people, who not only waste a lot of their time, fuel and lose money to snatchers, looters, etc. The concerned authorities should look into the matter and try to end all traffic jams in the city.
MEHWISH ZEHRA
Karachi
Digital abuse
In the modern world of the internet, countries have entered into digitization. Nevertheless, being digitized is quite beneficial for the nations but it has an impact on females. The females usually suffer digital abuse. Shamefully, the world has made it a culture to harass and abuse women in any way possible.
People view digital abuse as a tiny issue but it is devastating for females and the families of females in some cases. As a democratic country, the government has to make an effort to secure females from digital abuse and work for their welfare.
FARAHNAZ
Turbat
Cruel humans
According to recent World Economic Forum report, humans have caused loss of 83% of wild mammals and half of plants, cut down half the planet’s trees, threatened 1 million species with extinction, severely altered 75% of ice-free land, fully exploited, overexploited or depleted 90% of fish stocks.
Experts say the rising number of emerging viruses is largely the result of ecological destruction and wildlife trade. Human activities have already severely altered 75 % of ice-free land. We must look at what we are doing?
Our planet is an organism much like the human body, living a symbiotic existence with smaller life forms. Therefore, if you trash your body for years, you will get sick and possibly die, the earth is no different. In short, we are an Ecological Serial Killer, since the Cognitive Revolution, 70,000 years ago. The human virus has a strong presence and there is no vaccine yet.
FIRAS QURESHI
Islamabad
Collapse of national institutions
On Saturday around 11.45 pm, our area in DHA Karachi suddenly plunged into darkness, well on Sunday electricity was restored around noon after full 12 hours. Afterwards, tweeting started coming from Minister Omar Ayub and others spreading rumours that some Baluch terrorists organisation has attacked transmission network at Nasirabad, some said distribution frequency had dropped from 50 to zero, some said Tarbela has technical fault leading to its closure, and what not, then at 8 p.m. media started reporting that seven officers of Guddu Thermal Power Station at Kashmore were suspended for negligence.
Little that I know WAPDA should keep in view any such incident of technical fault occurring at any time so that the country can be saved from power outage due to any fault or sabotaging. The National Power Grid was made linking the entire country excluding Karachi from Hyderabad onward because Karachi had an independent power generation and distribution company KESC, National Grid was designed that if any grid or power station was shutdown through change-over of loop the transmission would not plunge any area into darkness and this was we always appreciated as a successful plan of our engineering, how the whole country plunged in dark for more than 12 hours if negligence or technical fault at Guddu Thermal plant occurred why change-over to continuing transmission through National Grid was not possible, goes to prove decaying in our institutions poor management.
Karachi city which is not linked on National Power Grid has a private invisible mafia very poorly messing with generation, transmission and distribution company that keeps changing owners from one political party to another. A novel example of corruption that Guddu power house failure could shutdown K-Electric system is also a miracle of 21st Century. Will some responsible authorities would like to throw light on this please.
ALI ASHRAF KHAM
Karachi
Child marriage complexities
The global sustainable development goals are aimed at eliminating child marriage by 2030 but it seems intricate in South Asian countries where poverty is on soar and literacy rate is the lowest ebb. According to research, every year at least 12 million girls marry before the age of 15, that’s why they get entangled with different types of health issues in later life.
There is also a high chance of death during childbirth. Laws on under-age marriage, however, remain unimplemented for many reasons. The government and human rights organisations should take into consideration this serious matter and bring to halt child marriage.
SAMEER UMRANI
Malir Karachi
Pakistan Cricket Board
PCB should open an orphanage for the public instead of feeding the players. Due to talentless players, Pakistan has suffered a shameful defeat against New Zealand. It seems that Pakistan can’t win the teams like England, Australia, India and New Zealand, the PCB should not waste money and time because these are paid from the tool taxes of the public.
Additionally, they should engage those teams to whom Pakistan can defeat until they do not become able to play with higher squads. The players who are unable to perform well must be dropped out of the team. Moreover, the public has become fed up to watch the same condition of the Pakistan cricket team, thus the PCB should bring an authentic revolution in the Pakistani cricket team to attract the interest of people once again.
KHUDA DAD BALOCH
Major, Karachi
