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.
Quaid’s doctrine
Since its inception, Pakistan has been the target of conspiracy hatchers who miss no opportunity to remove from its archives the 11 August 1947 address by Quaid-e-Azam to the Constituent Assembly. Still, there is a vested group that advocates that democracy does not suit to the intellect of the people, knowing full well that the objective of the struggle by the Quaid and Iqbal for the creation of Pakistan was self-rule as a modern democratic welfare state. What these people forget is that it was the masses {not the British-trained bureaucracy and other beneficiaries} who supported the demand for a separate state.
Quaid’s views about the paid bureaucracy were elaborated when he reminded them of “constitutional and legal implications” of the oath binding them to be faithful to the constitution and “that executive authority flows from the head of the Government of Pakistan”, further elaborating that “any command or orders that may come to you cannot come without the sanction of the Executive Head. That is the legal position”. While referring to the role of the bureaucracy and political opportunism of the Unionist Party, created by Raj to run an occupied country, the Quaid wanted Pakistan to eradicate the “curse” of corruption, bribery and black marketing.
Instead of adhering to the Quaid’s vision, we are a country where corruption has been institutionalised, the state having distanced itself from its primary obligations of welfare and instead has become hostage to the insatiable greed for state land and perks by paid and elected public officeholders. Politics of principles and ethics followed by politicians of calibre and integrity like Jinnah and Iqbal was reduced to politics of opportunism, where men without integrity abused power to become traders, serving themselves, indulging in massive tax evasion and making a mockery of ethics like conflict of interest.
M WAQAS KHAN
Dera Ismail Khan
Industrial wastes
There are lots of polluted and industrial wastes in our country which leads to pollution and affects the climate very badly. For reducing pollution, sustainable energy helps a great deal in decreasing emissions from power producing plants, which heavily depend on fossil fuel. Industries and vehicles are the biggest maker of smog producing pollutants. The finest way to reduce smog takes lead in managing carbon emissions from industries and vehicles. For industries, manufacturing of environmentally friendly consumer products are fundamental.
For cars, use of public transport, proper maintenance of cars and walking or biking instead of driving can significantly reduce pollution. Avoid using those household products that contain volatile organic compounds. These products emit particulate matter that reacts in the presence of sunlight to form ground-level ozone. The use of environment-friendly products such as eco-friendly paints, paper, solvents and plastics provide a basis for addressing smog pollution. Untrammelled intake should be restrained to reverse the trend of global warming.
HASSAN HANIF
Rawalpindi
Dying in Thar
It is painful to say that recently seven more children have died in drought-hit Thar, with the number of children dying in the district because of malnutrition and other causes since October last year rising to at least 150. Moreover, the death toll of children in the district has risen to 188 since January, and among them more than 120 children were brought to hospitals for treatment, but the health officials were unable to save their lives. It is a blatant example of injustice being done to the poor.
It seems the government has left the poor to fend for themselves, and has even taken away their basic right to live a humble life in Pakistan. So, is humanity doomed? Shouldn’t we be ashamed of such injustices with those people who do not have enough food to feed their families? Shouldn’t we be ashamed of the fact that more than half of our population lives below the poverty line? Instead of giving them food and providing them shelter, we have made fun of their lives and continue counting the death tolls of small children who are dying day-by-day.
The people of Thar have nothing to eat and they await the government to provide them with their fundamental needs, but it seems that our government just doesn’t care. So, it is my humble request to the Government of Sindh to provide food and shelter to Thar’s poor people, who are crying and dying every day, and give them facilities of health in order to save their lives.
MUHAMMAD WAQAS KHAN
Dera Ismail Khan
Chachro needs college
The Chachro Tehsil, Tharparkar district, is the biggest Tehsil in the Sindh province. It has an approximate population of more than seven lakhs souls. But the area lacks many facilities; non-availability of a college is one of them. Students of the area cannot continue their studies due to this reason.
Majority of students have to go to other cities such as Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas for the sake of higher education but poor students cannot afford hefty rents mainly for accommodation and transport. Thus, they have to discontinue their studies. Through the courtesy of the Daily Pakistan Observer, I would like to appeal to the Sindh Government to establish at least one college at Chachro so that students may get education at their home town and be saved from many woes.
ABDULMAJEED DOHAT
Chachro, Tharparkar
Human rights in Pakistan
Human beings are born free but are encountering a number of issues that eventually snatch their freedom and make them slave. The worst form of slavery is the inability of people to think independently and rationally. This kind of slavery grows when people stop demanding their rights. A nation can never become prosperous till basic rights for its citizens are ensured.
Human rights refer to some of the basic rights of individual as of life, freedom from slavery, poverty, oppression, expression and assembly. Human rights are based on man’s dignity. Mankind in this age of reason and technology need to be freed from the racial and religious discriminations. International bodies, governments as well the learned scholars should play their due role in this regard only then mankind can claims to be civilized.
Pakistan cannot be prosperous until its citizens get all their fundamental rights without any discrimination of race, class, creed and area. All the policies must be people centric rather than area centric. No one must be deprived of any of his rights. We will have to accept this fact before visualizing a better future.
DANYAL AKRAM
Islamabad
Increasine in road accidents
I want to draw your attention to the ever increasing road accidents in the city. Your newspaper has itself reported six accidents during the last 60 days. These accidents are taking place due to several reasons. Some of these are poor road lighting, increasing encroachments, open violation of traffic rules by drivers, absence of safety procedures and lack of traffic education.
The Deputy Commissioner of the city must chalk out a comprehensive plan to improve the traffic situation in the city. School children should be given proper traffic education. All vehicle drivers should be made to pass a screening test to judge their suitability as drivers. Roads should not only be repaired and widened but should also be provided with Sodium lamps to provide sufficient lighting.
Helmet wearing law should be strictly enforced. Those violating traffic rules should not be allowed to go scot free. The traffic police should be pulled up to perform their duty honestly and efficiently. These and many more steps need to be urgently taken to check this menace of increasing road accidents.
MUHAMMAD WAQAS KHAN
Dera Ismail Khan
Space technology and Pakistan
Pakistan, in spite of being a nuclear power, has limited space capabilities and has not been able to build or launch its own satellite to date. Space technology is now considered as fourth dimension of warfare and Pakistan’s dependence on space applications and information is likely to increase for exploration of mineral resources and environmental processes. However, Pakistan lags far behind many other South Asian countries, particularly India, in the space race. Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, SUPARCO, took a good start in 1961 and began to move forward but couldn’t maintain its momentum.
Economic challenges, poor governance and serious global sanctions that SUPARCO suffered on account of diminutive progress in space research field. The only significant advancements made by SUPARCO are in development of military missiles. In such state of affairs the only ray of hope, for us, is SUPARCO’S 2040 Space Programs, to emerge as a space faring nation
ADNAN AHMED
Islamabad
Deforestation
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to express the difficulties caused by deforestation, which is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses. Deforestation is considered to be one of the contributing factors to global climate change.
Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. 70% of the world’s plants and animals live in forests and are losing their habitats due to deforestation. Tree roots anchor the soil. Without trees, the soil is free to wash or blow away, which can lead to vegetation growth problems. Forests currently cover about 30% of the world’s land mass.
The cutting that does occur should be balanced by planting of more trees to replace the older ones felled in any given forest. The number of new tree plantation is growing each year, but their total still equals a tiny fraction of the Earth’s forested land. I request you to highlight this message through your newspaper.
MUHAMMAD WAQAS KHAN
Dera Ismail Khan
