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.
US hails Pak efforts on FATF
This refers to the news report ‘US hails Pak efforts to implement FATF points: State Dept (July 21).
Now if, as the US State Department’s spokesperson Ned Price claims, the United States government really recognises and supports Pakistan’s continued efforts to meet the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) requirements, and acknowledges that the latter has made significant progress on the international watchdog’s original action plan agreed in June 2018, how come despite complying with 26 of the 27 conditions, and continuing to work seriously to meet the remaining one condition, Pakistan stays on the grey list?
Of course, it is common knowledge that various international organizations like FATF, IMF, etc operate under the influence of the US, work as its foot soldiers, and are often used to coerce states like Pakistan to accede to American demands, no matter how unreasonable.
That is bad enough as it is. However, going a step further, the US seems to have authorized even its allies like India not only to dictate to international organizations but to announce it proudly and publicly.
I say this because a leading Indian newspaper, Hindustan Times quotes India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, as saying that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) had ensured that Pakistan remains on the FATF’s grey list.
Moreover, while the US and its ‘watchdogs’ take a tough stance against Pakistan, the US President Joe Biden – who, as a Democrat, was expected to be more concerned about human rights violations – seems least bothered about the utmost brutality that its major allies India and Israel unleash on besieged Kashmiris and Palestinians respectively.
And with that sort of performance, Biden wants the US to be accepted as a world leader, which position it has already lost to China, simply because instead of spreading death, destruction and misery, which the US does, China is helping, and linking up all countries big and small.
S R H HASHMI
Karachi
The super-spreaders
Directly or indirectly, the blame of spreading Covid is generally passed on to the people, transport system, religious congregations, hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, academic institutions, etc, but nobody talks about the political parties and their rallies that are actually the super-spreaders.
Worse, they even take pride in holding massive rallies; the larger the rally, the prouder they happen to be.
We all watch rallies on television screens and their photographs in newspapers where thousands gather without SOPs being even an element to consider.
Are those involved in electioneering exempted from following the SOPs? Are SOP restrictions applicable only to academic institutions, marriage halls, restaurants, trading establishments, offices, transport, religious congregations and the general public?
Are political parties and their activists free to do what they want, when they want and whichever way they want? The political leaders put on their face masks, but can’t they see how things are among the people they happen to be addressing? Is it responsible behaviour on their part? The higher judiciary is requested to take a suo motu action in this regard and order the relevant quarters to strictly enforce the SOPs during political activities.
KOMAL WASEEM
Lahore
Justice for Noor
The ghastly murder of Noor Mukaddam, daughter of a former Pakistan diplomat Shaukat Mukaddam, in Islamabad on Tuesday, July 20 was profoundly tragic and horrifying.
Brutalities of such horrible magnitude have unfortunately become a common feature in this country.
Men involved in perpetrating such heinous crimes against women must be taken to task without any consideration.
Justice must be done. The person who brutally murdered Noor must not go scot-free. He, regardless of his status, must be brought to book forthwith.
He should be given exemplary punishment for the odious crime that he has so brazenly committed.
May Allah grant the departed soul of Noor the highest place in Jannah, and give her bereaved family the strength to bear this irreparable loss with patience. Aameen.
FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
National Cousins’ Day
Every year, National Cousins’ Day was celebrated on July 24. For people who do not know what the term cousin means, this word is referred to as someone who is a part of your wider extended family. National Cousins’ Day is a day to thank our cousins for all that they do for us.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
