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.
IK is the real statesman
Prime Minister Imran Khan virtually addressed the United Nations General Assembly and his address proved that he is a national statesman of Pakistan.
He touched each and every point in his address from COVID-19 to the prevailing situation in the region.
He rightly highlighted all the points which are needed to be addressed by the international community.
He raised the Kashmir issue in a logical manner at this international platform where he said that it is the territory “Occupied Kashmir” where Indian forces are violating human rights.
In this way Prime Minister Imran Khan drew the attention of the international community towards Narendra Modi’s behaviour towards Muslims.
The cause of dispute between Pakistan and India is mainly the Kashmir issue although Pakistan is willing to restore their relationship with India peacefully. Imran Khan mentioned how the Indian government dealt with the Kashmiri Leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s burial.
Imran Khan also referred to the current situation in Afghanistan on how the Americans used Afghanistan as a battlefield for their own vested interests.
Pakistan is the one who lost more than eighty thousand innocent people in this act of terrorism and American drone attacks.
The clouds of uncertainty and tension are still present in Afghanistan, hence why Imran Khan warned the world to give the Taliban some time to settle their internal problems.
No doubt Islamophobia is playing a part and slowing the process for peace and harmony and it should be eliminated in the era we live in, this is the only way to get peace and solidarity in this region and around the world.
Premier Imran Khan rightly praised the efforts of Pakistan’s defence forces to eliminate terrorism in Pakistan.
KHALID H LODHI
London
Equality before law
One of pillars on which an Islamic State can be founded is Equality before law, merit and a judicial system ensuring equal rights for all citizens, irrespective of their faith, creed, sex or ethnicity.
This was the essence of Quaid’s speech delivered on 11 August 1947 to First Constituent Assembly, constituted of all those who were elected in 1945-46 general election and opted to be citizens of Pakistan, including members of other faiths.
MAJ wanted a constitution on which the foundations of a modern democratic welfare state he envisioned and for which the Muslim League had struggled.
Today, unfortunately all citizens of Pakistan do not have equal rights, or equal opportunities and neither all citizens are accountable before an independent and powerful judiciary, with each powerful group creating their own set of rules, which amounts to a state within a state.
This happened when Quaid’s vision and doctrine was replaced by the intrigues of Sikandar Mirza and others and ever since then Pakistan has been facing one crisis after another, the will of people becoming hostage to usurpers, resulting in the humiliation and disintegration in 1971.
While there is no place for extremism in Islam, which stresses upon tolerance for dissent and members of other faiths, we have seen the ruthless exploitation of religion by usurpers and the country involved in a proxy war beyond its geographical boundaries, its economy shattered and terrorism and extremism haunting citizens, with thousands of innocent citizens killed and millions displaced.
There is an organized campaign by vested interests that democracy is not suited to citizens of Pakistan, a country created through a democratic constitutional struggle waged by politicians like Allama Iqbal, MAJ and numerous pioneers of freedom struggle.
What more tragedies await citizens of Pakistan by our collective failure to enforce in letter and spirit Jinnah’s vision.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Pakistan waste water treatment
Pakistan is increasing the density of its cities by massively constructing residential skyscrapers while also creating large industrial areas for rapid industrialization.
Both activities will massively add to waste and sewage production. The management of solid waste mechanism is well known and slowly implemented across new cities.
But sewage and industrial waste management isn’t well known or implemented which will result in sudden increase in water pollution within a few years.
Luckily, there’s a feasible way to treat sewage and industrial waste water that’ll benefit Pakistan in multiple areas. By utilising new technology and electricity, sewage and waste water treated and converted into odourless organic fertilizer pellets.
Furthermore, significant amount of heavy metals will be retrieved while clean water will be released in streams.
If the Govt provides land on lease, low electricity rate, sewage and industrial waste water supply line and an incentive, international and private firms will then invest in such plants.
The incentive would be to buy a fixed amount of fertilizer pellets at fixed rates for 10 years which would be used on Government lands.
The rate should be fixed just below the import rate of similar European pellet fertilizers and would gradually be reduced in the 10-year contract.
A fixed tax would be applied on the value of heavy metals recovered during this process which can also be profitable for the company.
It must be noted that using organic fertilizer on farms can earn the produce ‘organic’ certificate and allow export to the UAE, USA etc.
With this strategy, Pakistan would be able to deal with water pollution while creating a new product to improve agricultural output and export as well as creating jobs and new revenue streams. Furthermore they can also help in the billion tree tsunami project.
SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER
Peshawar
