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.
PIA’s downfall
An abrupt decline in altitude, deafening noise, sheer chaos, emergency alarms going off, doors and walls trembling violently and people shouting boisterous! This is not because of a plane crash. Instead, it’s about an entire airline corporation entering crashing down; an organisation that has lost direction. Pakistan International Airlines, once climbing high in the atmosphere of the flying industry, has declined into a void of economic and image emergencies. So this is because our national flag carrier that is utilized to be the nation’s dignity; is Pakistan International Airlines.
Our pride, our PIA is now in a great decline. No focus is being given by the government to build up the airline industry. The back-breaking causes of collapses apart from four lethal air crashes during the previous 30 years encompass Kathmandu, Multan Fokker and Karachi is a testimony of the weakness of the government’s focus on the company. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives and millions of rupees as well.
The revenue generated by the sale of air tickets is spent on salaries and maintains the airline commercially viable. PIA worsened from being a productive airline to evolving into a white elephant owing to the grant of traffic privileges by different governments to foreign airlines sans safeguarding the financial concerns of Pakistani airlines.
Today PIA faces its awful difficulty, and surgical purification is needed, along with the selection of skilled and qualified people at the helm. Moreover, 98% of PIA aircraft engineers are not graduate engineers. They are Apprentice Machinists who received certificates through technical procedures and are acknowledged by Civil Aviation as aircraft engineers. 75% of artisans got their children hired in PIA. Even a few got all of their children hired in PIA. The current crisis of PIA is only due to its present-day workers’ manner, incompetence and lack of responsibility.
DEEDAR ALI BANGWAR
Kandhkot Sindh
Safe place for money
The best place to deposit your money is your Piggy Bank. It is the safest place. No one can touch it. You can withdraw any amount of cash from it whenever you are in need. There is no restriction to the amount you want to withdraw.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
The right way forward
As smoking continues to take millions of lives globally each year, it is imperative to decide about an effective and modified strategy to curb smoking-related harm to improve the health of smokers. With the advent of technologies and improved products that have been scientifically substantiated to reduce smoking-related hazards, many countries like the United Kingdom, Thailand, Japan, New Zealand, USA and several others have modified their tobacco control policies to better cater to smokers’ needs, while also reducing harm to their health, are seeing reduced rates of smoking as a result of these policies.
Government and regulatory authorities in Pakistan, prioritizing public health and taking inspiration from other successful nations, should also take into account the impact responsible and credible communication about and access to less harmful alternatives to cigarettes can have and to achieve a smoke-free future for our country and its people.
IMRAN MUSIL
Karachi
Demand for food security in Sri Lanka
Even in this technological world in the 21st century, humans cannot eat money and gadgets to quench their thirst and hunger. This statement is not just self-explanatory or not just an inference. This has been the fact and in other words, physical activities, agriculture and other farming operations should always be encouraged.
The East or the West, countries like the US, Australia and continents like Asia cannot brush aside agriculture anymore because people out there have been getting their food and eatables only from agricultural activities. This is also true of Russia that has been ruthlessly involved in the war against Ukraine, destroying the latter’s ecosystem, humans and economy mindlessly – thereby disturbing the global economy unnecessarily. Here comes a big sad story of the economic crisis Sri Lanka has been facing now.
First off, the people in Sri Lanka have been reeling from severe economic shocks caused by various factors including a failed regime. Unable to bear the brunt of the current economic crisis, people in Sri Lanka have been shunning their meals at least once or twice a day – even avoiding tea and coffee to save money.
On the other hand, this current poor situation may lead to numerous humanitarian crises from violence to hunger deaths to suicidal attempts to child crisis to threats to women’s safety – if allowed to continue.
The Sri Lankan government apart, the international community, neighbouring Asian countries and the UN should send their assistance to Sri Lanka in the form of food items immediately.
As a matter of fact, backed by water sources and rigorous agricultural activities, my native areas like Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu have been home to bananas, paddy, betels and other food crops. Only such rigorous agricultural activities and people’s hard work will pave the way for strong food security and economic growth.
In this context, the UN, some other Asian representatives and global farm experts should visit Sri Lanka now to take stock of the situation and share their ideas and strategies with the island nation regarding how to strengthen the local agriculture in the next few months.
P SENTHIL S DURAI
Maharashtra, India
Customs of Pakistan
The literature meaning of culture is to cultivate some aspects and it is also called the way of living life. It includes all the aspects like dresses, foods, customs, literature, festivals and languages. It is representative of beliefs and surroundings.
The national or cultural dress of Pakistan is the shalwar and kameez which are simple but most beautiful dresses. It is a universal fact that language is the main part of the culture. There are many languages in Pakistan. Balochi, Punjabi, Sindhi, and Pushtu are the official languages of Pakistan.
There are many non-Muslims in our country like Christians, Hindus and Sikhs. They also participate in the festivals of Muslims but they also celebrate their festivals like Holi, Ram Lila, Birthday of Hazrat Isa (A.S) and anymore Baloch, Punjab, Sindhi, and Pushtu celebrate their cultural days.
Finally, I want to say that our culture is a mixed culture of different people with different ideologies. So, please be organized together and respect every culture.
TANVEER MURAD
Malir, Karachi
