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.
Saga of unending corruption
My (late) brother who was visiting our sister in the UK in 2014, planned a trip to go to Scotland.
He bought return ticket and on a given time and date, when they reached station, they were told that Railway admin had merged trains for Scotland due to less traffic and the train they had reserved seats had already left, now they may catch next train leaving a few hours later, after a wait he boarded next train.
An old lady sitting next to him when heard this ordeal, told him this is against railway rules; and suggested him to lodge a written complaint with Station Master if the Admn didn’t inform you of the proposed change in schedule.
On reaching there my brother did lodge a complaint with SM for causing inconvenience and stress, and after a month he received a letter of apology and full refund in shape of travel vouchers of full amount valid for use in the next 3 years.
In Pakistan PM Imran Khan has launched a crusade against corruption and now exposing Sugar, Wheat, Petroleum and Medicine Mafias by making public high powered inquiry reports in which each cartel is reported to have pocketed Rs.400 billion or so, and total comes to around 1600 billion rupees in first two years.
Nobody has suggested in the inquiry report how to compensate public that if public has been cheated by manipulation of sugar, ata petroleum and medicine prices during PTI rule, then what measures have been suggested to compensate the people who were made to pay high prices under umbrella of PTI administration, do not the end consumer (public) who were cheated deserve “Refund” from the State/government in power.
It’s a test for IK, if he understands “Haqooqul Ebad” then this kind of organized cheating of masses will not go scot-free. The wheel of nature will ultimately grind all and sundry.
ALI ASHRAF KHAN
Karachi
Save money during lockdown
Pandemic has taught us a number of lessons but most important to all is saving money which could help us in rainy days and hard times.
There is no denying the fact that miseries can sprang up at any time and from any side, therefore, in order to avoid any unforeseen catastrophe, we should prepare ourselves for upcoming challenges.
And this could only be done when one has the habit of saving money and it could easily be done by altering the list of otiose expenses. Saving money is good habit, hence everyone should get the benefit of this advantageous habit.
As we have great example during first wave of corona, thousands of families came on roads because of quarantine.
Their business were destroyed and those who had no saving raised hands before others. Corona has taught us a great lesson to save some percentage of our earnings for hard days.
There are multiple benefits of saving money such as one becomes independent financially, you will have financial backup in case of loosing job, you will be more comfortable after retirement and certain many other benefits.
With saving money, one can fulfil his wishes on his own. It is commonly observed, if people save the money, they are labelled to be miser but if they do not save money they may be compelled to beg before others.
We should not be glutton neither miser. A balanced way must be opted to pass peaceful life.
Now third wave of corona is going on and those who have saving will survive and rest will be at the mercy of circumstances.
A humble request to all of you, save money from whatever little earning you have. This practice will not only save you but also the posterity.
TASKEEN SAMO
Karachi
Segregated education system
The education system in Pakistan is the root cause of major harrowing ills in the country. One of the aspects of it is the segregated education system.
The segregation that our system faces is the discrimination of institututions that have contributed to class system.
The government schools and colleges have the environment and a curriculum different from the branded private schools.
The government is thriving hard to bring all the schools to the same ground so they offer every student the similar quality of education. But some big sharks create roadblocks on the way to that.
Also, taking higher education into consideration, we all know that students tend to choose between matric and O-levels similarly inter and A-levels. But the system of matric and inter is not up to the mark putting it on the table with Cambridge.
The books of matric and inter still induce the same chapters, same stories, same topics that our parents also learned. Mr. Chips is still part of the curriculum and was also in the times of my grandfather.
Being on the same age level Cambridge students are highly vocal and practical as compared to the students who opted matric and inter.
The problem begins when these students sit in the same room in universities but have a different level of understanding.
There are students in universities who barely know how to operate a computer, or how to use Microsoft word.
It couldn’t have been the same if they were taught how to operate a computer instead of cramming up their minds with what is CPU and what is motherboard.
Similarly, apart from federal board in all other boards of the country, the mathematics paper is in constituent of asking the definitions of mathematical terms which is ironic.
Students may not know how to draw an acute angle but they surely know how to describe it in words to attain full marks.
MARIAM ANWAR
Islamabad
Climate fiasco
America has announced the summit on climate change to be held virtually on April, 22 and 23 this year.
According to reports 40 leaders of the world including India and Bangladesh have been invited to participate in this crucial summit to tackle the major issues of climate change.
This is a really heart-breaking that Pakistan (which has initiated Green Pak Projects, 10 billion tsunami trees project, cleaning up rivers and many more) has not been invited to the summit.
President Joe Biden of the United States has annoyed every Pakistani on this arbitrary decision of not inviting Pakistan despite that the country has been the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change globally.
We, the Pakistanis, hope that US will reconsider its decision and will invite Pakistan in summit to combat the evil of climate jointly.
SANAULLAH KALWAR
Kashmore, Sindh
