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.
6th Sept, Defence Day
On 6 September, our deadly neighbour and arch-rival India attacked Lahore, Sialkot and the desert area of Sindh.
They had advanced weapons, tanks and other equipment. We did not have any advanced weapons like India. But still, our soldiers successfully “defended” our country.
They gave their blood so that Pakistanis at that time and us, their generation, could live peacefully. If they had not defended Pakistan, our conditions would be just like Srinagar.
You all know on the dawn of the attack, the Indian Army Chief said they would take our “Breakfast” in Lahore.
His wish did not be fulfil at that time. But decades later, his wish was fulfilled. As we all know Lahoris love to drink Chai in the breakfast. Decades later Indian pilot Abhinandan tried to attack Pakistani territory.
His plane was shot in the air by a Pakistani pilot. Later he was rescued from the mob. I would also like to congratulate our army’s immaculate training that we fight hard till the last minute.
We enjoy freedom at the cost of our soldiers’ lives. We enjoy freedom today because our troops laid their lives. They protected our motherland with their blood.
It is rightly said that a soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind his back and that is his country, people and memories.
Defence Day is also the perfect occasion to renew our pledge with Pakistan that we will work day in and day out to make our country a better place. And also that we will not be intimidated or ordered by any foreign state.
And also that we will defend our country from anything, be that a military assault or the assault on our ideology. May Allah grant us the ability and determination to fulfil these pledges.
SAJJAD HUSSAIN
Agra, Sindh
Linguistic conundrums
Imran Khan in his recent speech gave a sweeping statement stating that Urdu should be the medium of communication and education since English is a heritage of British colonization.
He further castigated people for making English a symbol of higher social class and cause of elitism. He was partially right.
It is worth noting that Pakistan has a past of linguistic suppression. Language was one of the prominent factors of the fall of Dhaka (formerly Dacca).
Many students had died in protest for status of national language to Bengali which was entitled after years of protests and violation. Yet the country hasn’t learned much from history. K.K. Aziz argues that Urdu is the same as English to most of the population of Pakistan, a symbol of neo-colonization.
India has given status of national language to 25 regional languages including Punjabi and Sindhi. However, many intellectuals criticize Pakistan’s stance on linguistic issues.
Moreover, it has been proven in research that a mother tongue renders far better understanding to the students than any foreign language.
Hence, the education system must give preference to understanding rather than imitating other languages. Urdu to most of the citizens is a secondary language.
Pashto, Punjabi and Balochi have been neglected due to the overwhelming influence of Urdu. They have nearly disappeared as far as writing and publication is concerned.
A language can’t sustain itself if it isn’t frequently written. Keeping in mind the paramountcy of mother tongue, the British government had made Sindhi as official language in Sept 1851 in Sindh.
But to sheer disappointment, local languages centuries later are at the verge of extinction owing to negligence by the government authorities.
History bears testimony to the grave consequences for the language and state if due importance is not given to the languages.
MUHAMMAD SHARIF OTHO
Via email
Zimbabwe’s corruption vs tourists
Sadly, the Kenyan national who goes by the name African Tigress toured Zimbabwe on 31st August, 2021.
At the Robert Mugabe International Airport, the immigration officials threatened her with deportation unless she gave them something. It is obvious that many people are being deprived of their money by immigration officials. It is a disgrace to tourists in Zimbabwe who want the country to prosper.
Yet they face such challenges.
The sad thing is that the Zimbabwean government took action today because they finally met an intellectually smart person but there are people who are constantly being robbed of their money by officials unannounced.
This is the time for the whole world to see the corruption perpetrated by the Zimbabwean government because immigration officials work with the government.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his reckless and irresponsible ZANU PF government should be removed from power by all means necessary to end the corruption.
KUDZAI CHIKOWORE
London
Namely free
It is frustrating and god-fearing to live in a country where you are scilicet to be free, where your rights are just namely inscribed in the so-called constitution, where your religious grounds are namely secured, where your women and even your children are assaulted, forcedly converted by every other ferocious people around you time and again and this goes on and on.
Sadly, last month a man destroyed a statue of Raja Ranjeet Singh in Lahore and publicly defamed it. At the very same time, the Ganesh temple in Rahim Yar Khan was attacked by an aggressive mob last week.
Yearly, minority’s religious places are attacked numerous times. These inhumane attacks show the world how safe and secure minorities in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are.
Worst of all was the Minar-e-Pakistan incident which makes us question how can we expect our women to be safe when the Muslim women in Pakistan aren’t safe either? How can a minority then expect to be secured? What can minorities do to freely practice their religion without any threat or fear?
When sovereignty belongs to Allah and all laws are based on Islamic principles in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, then the government should ensure implementation of the Islamic punishment accordingly or the government should publicly hang or castrate the culprits to make an example out of them.
PEHLAJ KUMAR
Khairpur Mir’s
