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.
JUI-F March: PM’s sympathy
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Nov 06 tweet reads: “I have directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman to immediately visit the Dharna (sit-ins) site to assess what relief and assistance can be provided to the dharna participants with the onset of rain and changing weather conditions”. No exaggeration and doubt in stating that he has played a craftsmanship role as state’s utmost prime position holder towards his public. This is a beauty of democracy and such values and goodwill must prevail in democratic nations.
Knowing well that those participants are chanting slogans against him and gathered there to demand his immediate resignation, his magnanimity towards them shows that democracy should not be solely a political vengeance. Fair enough to have varied opinions, but a true leader thinks beyond his personal grudge. Despite having dissent, the great democratic leaders consider such generosity and inclusiveness. Kudos !
ZAHID ALI ZOHRI
Nagar, Gilgit-Baltistan
Azadi march
Azadi March continues to haunt the incumbent government as well as the residents of twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Pakistani media has done everything possible to drum up the presence of JUI zealots in the capital city. It is very interesting that the JUI is effectively using religious card against another right-wing party which itself used and still uses the same card to grab support from the masses. PTI’s political narrative is the combination of religion and some other elements like Pakhtun nationalism in KP and anti-corruption which has given them limited support in the mighty Punjab. In over all scheme of things both political parties are conservative, leaders of both parties derive their inspiration from religion and past glory of Muslim empires.
Both are deemed the stooges of powerful Pakistani Establishment. Both parties have always supported capitalism as the economic order of the country so no difference on this point. Both have enjoyed the provincial government of the KP. It does not mean that they are one and the same thing, off course, there are differences like JUI believes in a certain interpretation of Islam so it has a certain declared brand of Shariah that it believes as a panacea to all the ills of Pakistan whereas PTI advocates more of a concept of Islam which is inspired by the views of Allama Iqbal.
In Iqbalian Islam, the principles are borrowed from Islam as it is and then the tool of independent reasoning is used to further deduce the practical meanings out of it. This view is more inclusive and appealing to masses and more or less has been the idea of Muslim Nationalists who founded the State of Pakistan. Based on this, one can classify both parties as right wing yet different. PTI is more a politico-religious whereas JUI is religio-political yet politics is a part of both. If the independent variable of Establishment is taken out the equation, it seems that PTI certainly has more appeal to masses than JUI, but history of Pakistan is full of unpredictable events.
MALIK ATIF MAJOKA
Melbourne, Australia
Punjab united
All the visitors from across the broader are wholeheartedly welcome on the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib. People of Pakistan especially Punjab are overwhelmed with this peaceful initiative of Kartarpur Corridor. The Corridor has fulfilled the dreams of millions of Sikhs to visit and perform the religious rituals in the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib. The living history of Punjab is long-lasting and unforgettable.
Before partition, people of India and Pakistan who lived together in Punjab must have strong associations as the majority of the Sikh community was here in Pakistan. Thus, the utmost holy and sacred religious sites of this community are located here. Religion is considered as force-driven in human beings and the Sikh community must have a divine and spiritual connection with this holy place.
The ecstasy and peace this community will get after performing their religious rituals here are out of this scientific and logical world. This can be understood through this comment of a Sikh pilgrim who said that ‘Every step in this Gurudwara reminds us of the life of Guru Nanak Sahib This Corridor has given them the chance to revisit their memories. Belonging to almost the same culture, language, tradition and history is what makes people of Punjab still united.
MAEEDA SHEIKH
Rawalpindi
Climate change
Pakistan is one of the devastated countries by climate change. Recent rainfalls all over the country have created chaos. Many people were electrocuted including a few kids and sacrificial animals, especially in Karachi. The rainwater entered police stations, hospitals, schools and people were stranded. Sewerage water entered people’s houses and offices. Karachi was the most affected city by these rainfalls. In this utmost situation the government officials in Karachi were napping and people of Karachi were on their own with few scouts. I hope that in the coming few years our climate change bodies would double their efforts improve so that the precious lives can be saved.
ABDUL HAMMAD
Rawalpindi
If water supply fails
Drinking water must be of certain purity or else it causes diseases like dysentery or diarrhoea. It is because of this that the people in the countryside suffer greatly. The well water in the village sometimes gets infected and causes diseases. It is because of this that most of the towns have got their water-works. The water from the wells or rivers is collected in big reservoirs, cleaned and then distributed through water pipes. There are a very few wells in modem cities and the whole population depends on water supplied by the municipal committees through their water-works.
What will happen if perchance this water supply fails? Some will say that the whole municipal administration is rotten while others will whisper that the government has cut off the water supply knowingly owing to party politics. Very few sensible people will say that the breakdown in the water supply is due to the failure of the electricity. Whatever the reason of the failure of the water supply, it is clear how essential water is. Therefore, earnest steps should be taken by all concerned to maintain the supply of water.
DAWOOD MEHMOOD
Wah Cant
Rapid increase in street crime
People who commit mugging, burglary, robbery, mobile snatching and other voracious street crimes are unfortunately young, poor and male. But it doesn’t mean that all the poor are street criminals and all the young males are criminal, it can be associated with greed, unemployment, illiteracy and lawlessness. In Pakistan, street crimes are drastically increased in the last decades. Street crimes were only related to Karachi but eventually it has now been related to all major metropolitan cities of Pakistan. Mobile snatching is one of the major street crimes that are happening more often as compared to the others. Auto mobile theft is the second most committed crime these days. Over 700,000 crimes were reported all over Pakistan, these crimes include murder, mobile snatching, automobile theft, kidnapping, robbery, burglary and other thefts. These crimes are not only committed by professionals but most of the criminals are untrained and forced by their desires.
Major cause of street crime is illiteracy and unemployment. People need to be educated what street crimes are and what are its consequences when committed. Secondly, showing off expensive automobiles, cell-phones and jewellery ignite desire to have such things which ultimately force them to choose shortcuts.
MARIA SHAUKAT
Islamabad
Municipal workers don’t care!
The concerned municipal workers do not come daily to collect the garbage in Gulshan-e-Nayab, Westriage III. There are times when the garbage is not collected for up to two or three days. To get rid of the garbage in front of their houses, people throw the garbage bags across the streets where stray dogs can tear them open and create a mess on the roads.
This problem is due to the shear negligence of the municipal workers. The local government should make sure they perform their duties and clean up the area regularly.
AHTESHAM HAMEED
Rawalpindi
PM’s GB visit
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s maiden visit to Gilgit-Baltistan could not, unfortunately, proved to be an optimistic and grievances-addressing visit for people of GB. Around 2.2 million people of GB were expecting an unprecedented announcements and packages for GB’s limbo fate from him, given the popular slogan of ‘Naya Pakistan’ of his political campaign but to no avail. In his entire speech addressing public, he did not mention the genuine grievances—constitutional status, state subject role, fundamental rights of citizens etc—which left GB people dismal from PTI government.
On one hand, New Delhi has annexed IoK by revoking Articles 370 and 35-A on the 5th of August, and now, Modi regime has yet again played a Machiavellian move of ‘new map’, thereby showing AJK and GB as parts of its territory. Whereas, on the other, Pakistan is stubborn to consider GB as a disputed territory at every point of time, thereby depriving it of basic constitutional rights.
To cope up with the disingenuous and scheming moves of India, Pakistan has to give a decisive and categorical diplomatic policy in GB case: if the region is disputed, all the basic rights which a state is obliged to grant to it under the international community’s resolutions must be given swiftly. And if not, it should be mainstreamed thereby giving it a representation in Parliament and Senate.
ZAHID ALI ZOHRI
Gilgit-Baltistan
