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.
Militancy and private militias
What more will it take for a State created through a constitutional political struggle to muster the political will and moral courage to take action against a group equipped with automatic weapons, killing uniformed policemen on duty, destroying private and public property, blocking roads and disrupting civil liberties and fundamental rights of law-abiding citizens? If this does not constitute militancy or actions attributable to private armed militias, what more will it take.
Nations and empires, which allowed private militias, have crumbled and collapsed from within, despite their own uniformed armed forces and law enforcement paraphernalia.
Just because a group raises slogans of Islam and assumes unto itself the role of a guardian of the undisputable finality of Prophet (PBUH), as the final messenger of Almighty (A) SWT, exploiting religion, the State is not expected to surrender its writ to them.
Islam, a religion which stresses upon peace, tolerance and justice for all, does not give any individual or group right to kill or harm any individual without due process of law.
Ever since 1922 when Ottoman Empire collapsed, religion has been exploited by occupational colonial powers, military dictators and monarchies to prolong their abusive rule through Divide and Rule policy.
There has been an orchestrated campaign by opponents of Islam that this religion spread through the sword, although it is an established fact that the message of the Quran was spread by men of faith through their teachings and serving as role models with emphasis on socio-economic welfare activities, ensuring equality before law of all citizens. Organizations like Daesh, ISIL etc.,
were created and funded by CIA and others to achieve their strategic goals of weakening Muslim majority states and redrawing geographical boundaries. We have suffered enough, pursing senseless doctrines and must stop patronizing political assets etc., and enforce Writ of Law and supremacy of Constitution.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Prices of product shot up drastically
It is through your esteemed newspaper that I would like to draw attention of the concerned authorities towards the unprecedented hike in prices of essential commodities.
When Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken over the reins of the country, he was adamant on “zero tolerance for corruption in the country”.
During the last few months, prices of every product have shot up drastically. It is unbearable to afford basic commodities as prices of each and everything have risen and it has been very difficult for poor and middle-class to survive and feed their families.
It is understood that the inflation has stricken the world all over, but it is unbearable in Pakistan for a poor man whose daily wage is below 5$.
The price of petrol has risen twice in just a month and electricity bills are tearing us apart. Despite several efforts and assurances, the government has failed to control the prices.
The inflation rate has almost been tripled as compared to 2018. The main causes of inflation have been the increase in the dollar’s value, high prices of raw materials, high taxes and incompetence of government for not holding accountable the corrupt leaders.
As a result, the poor become poorer day by day. The government has blamed past governments for putting our country in such dire straits but that doesn’t absolve them from responsibility. The government must act immediately and check on black-marketing, hoarding and profiteering.
It should strictly deal with those who are found guilty. It is high time the government must own its responsibility and keep a stern check on rising inflation, unemployment, incidents of crimes, particularly rape and murder, manufacturing sectors and above all the overall GDP has declined to near 1 per cent. The government must review its performance.
SHAZIA GULZAR
Islamabad
Marketable Elisa Kit
Pasteurellamultocida B:2 is a very important pathogen for Hemorrhagic Septicemia(HS). In Asia, Europe and the Middle East, HS is highly fatal, devastating disease of Bovines, especially water Buffaloes.
Higher mortality rates wreak havoc for Livestock farmers. Pakistan has 90 million Bovine Population.
Thus Hemorrhagic Septicemia with 20% Prevalence & 34% case fatality rate, costs billions of rupees to Livestock farmers annually.
Livestock is mainstay of Pakistan’s economy with 11.9% contribution to GDP & about 2.58 annual growth rates.
Livestock sector engages 35 million workforces in Pakistan and is main source of food security for 226 millions with exportable surpluses.
Unfortunately, there was no significant diagnostic method to detect the immune status of healthy and diseased animals against the HS.
There was a dire need to find more efficient, accurate and precise procedures for field veterinarians to make science-based decision to proactively mitigate the rate of losses.
Therefore, the University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore, took upon itself the responsibility and has, for the first time, developed a highly specific ELISA kit for HS to alleviate the woes of poor livestock farmers and field vets to avert gigantic economic losses due to Hemorrhagic Septicemia.
This is great news for Livestock stakeholders of Pakistan. Locally prepared affordable ELISA kit for Hemorrhage septicemia would pave the way for easy antibodies titration enabling field veterinarians to ensure maximum protection against the HS.
Moreover, livestock research facilities across Pakistan can benefit from market availability of high quality local ELISA Kit for Pasteurellamultocida.
Public-private partnership shall ensure market availability through large scale production and marketing of the ELISA Kit. (The writer is inventor of the ELISA Kit.
Abida Mushtaque
Lahore
