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.
Voice of Kashmir
Since partition, the Kashmiris have been subjugated by sanguinary India. Kashmiris have spent more than seven decades in the world’s most militarized zone. The sole cause which keeps their passion alive, regardless of occupant sponsored cruelties, is their hope in the right of self-determination. This hope seems dying after revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A. India must revert her 5th August 2019 move.
In this globalized world, where even a small violent act speaks high volume by the staunch advocates of democracy and of human rights, irony, the legitimate cause of Kashmir and the suffering of Kashmiris are ignored. It is not only a test time for the United Nations to implement Security Council long ignored resolutions but also for the world community to come forward for the just cause.
ENGR BILAL AHMED
Sukkur
Police reforms
Police of our country, especially our province, has always been under the heated criticism of public and media. They’re always accused of bribery, extortion, extra-judicial killings, custodial deaths and fake encounters. But if we put off our foggy glasses and see the condition of our Police, we would come to know the hard realities.
Police is the only institution, when compared to other armed forces, which is given low salaries, less facilities and poor infrastructure. They can easily be manipulated by the politicians and feudals of the area. Despite all these circumstances and hurdles, they burn their midnight oil to maintain law and order in their given jurisdictions.
If you ever travel along the roadside you would come in contact with a policeman standing under the open sky with no shelter at all for safety. The pickets set up for their stay are so poor that they start dribbling in slightest of rain. They bear the hardships of weather to protect us. As the borders are risky without Army so is the police important to maintain law and order in our society. If we want our Police more promising, we should completely depoliticize it and all the transfers and posting must be done on merit. The salaries must be levelled with other armed forces of the country.
SAJJAD CHEEHANI
Agra, Sindh
Forced marriages
Forced marriages have become order of the day in our country, especially in rural parts, where mostly women are forcefully enticed to tie the knot against their own will — in multifaceted counts with men far older than them. Ill luck would have it, many a girl fall victim to emotional duress from the family to tie the knot — at times to men they have not even seen prior to the marriage. An insidious menace of forcible wedlock results women in committing suicide or rendered mentally disorder and queasiness. While myriad of young girls opt to abandon their homes their unbeknownst to their parents and fearfully never dare come back their parental-homes due to stigma attached to them
Our peaceful religion—Islam allows women to marry out of their own free will, but here the society replete with conservative, retrogressive and aggressive ideation and connotation related mindset prevails rather than the true teachings of Islam. The most worrisome and appalling scenario in its part is that parents, not just in rural but urban areas also, regard it their privilege to marry off their daughters to the men they seek well-off and fit.
According to an estimate, unprecedented surge in cases of forced marriages in the country have exceeded 15 million, and with mostly involving underage girls — 14 to 16 years old. Even though, forced marriage is restricted in Pakistan, still lethal practice continues unabated. We strictly demand the government to ensure sane implementation on the law so that this squalid and sordid practice and demeanour is brought to an end in the country, in case it isn’t tackled effectively and timely, it could have baleful and adverse impact upon the society down the road..
USAMA MUGHAL
Kandhkot, Sindh
Frequent suicide
This is to everyone and especially for parents, I want to say that according to the incident that occurred in Rawal dam regarding a teenage girl that ended her life by jumping into the water, my wish is that whenever your friend, your son or anyone closely related to you are having problems you should not put more pressure on them, you need to understand them through their perspective because they are in a situation and mood where they will make wrong choices.
It will lead to disastrous consequences, you need to give them chance to tell you their problems and you should listen carefully to them and try to understand them and always gently remind them of our righteous predecessors, the companions of the Last Prophet (PBUH) who went through extremely hard times but preserved with trust in the Almighty and were humans too. Ultimately, everyone has different situations they go through and I hope my advice makes a little bit of difference in preventing any more suicides from happening again.
ABDULLAH ALMUZAINI
Islamabad
