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.
How to build a strong Pakistan?
It is high time that we *concentrate* how to resurrect our economy and build a *food security* actionable plan keeping in view of the grave situation of shortage of *food items* created worldwide due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
We must give preference for a national *consensus* for development and growth of Pakistan over politics, which can only be done, if there was a stable *Pakistan.* We have to put horse (development) before the cart (politics) at least for 10 years.
In this regard, maybe we need a *consensus* technocrats government in Pakistan for ten years, to salvage our economy which is under tremendous pressures of different sectors and regional and world conflicts etc., specially, the unbridled *population growth and severe water scarcity.*
We have no time and resources to fight out with each other in public rallies or courts of law, as nations are only built with focused hard work performed with absolute unity. Challenges are looming large and the politics is eating the most vital resource which is *time* for our current and coming generations.
NAYYAR UDDIN AHMAD
Lahore
Celebrating Earth Day
The earth is our home. It provides us with everything necessary for life, but its resources are limited. Human activities have put Mother Earth and its resources in danger. That’s why every year on April 22, World Earth Day is celebrated.
For almost 50 years, Earth Day has been designated to celebrate our incredible planet. It is a day to think about what our species have been doing to degrade our environment. But more importantly, it is a day to constructively help our natural world.
Nature has given us air, water, trees, plants, rivers, mountains, and minerals present below the earth for our help. We can earn money through our hard work, but neither we can make natural things nor increase it. All these things given by nature are limited. So on Earth Day, people are made aware of the environment.
If we can instill in our children an appreciation for nature, maybe they will do more than we have to care for this planet. Simple acts like picking up litter, then recycling or trashing it, planting a vegetable garden, planting native species of trees, flowers, and grasses, or simply getting outdoors to enjoy the wonders of nature.
We need to use less gasoline-powered machines and use our muscles more — running, walking, bicycling and scootering. We need to turn off electrical devices we’re not using and conserve water.
The lives of our children, grandchildren and future generations of all the inhabitants of the earth depend on our actions now!
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Narrative of conspiracy
The former PM Imran Khan showed at his Karachi rally that he was not abandoning the narrative of having been removed from office because he had an independent foreign policy. This was despite the DG ISPR’s statement about the National Security Committee meeting, that there was no mention of a conspiracy. Mr Khan has based his narrative on that letter, from the outgoing Pakistani Ambassador to the USA.
The statement at the rally showed that he was not willing to abandon the claim, though it involved not just the defence forces, the Supreme Court and the Opposition. Imran Khan has started his new political journey treading a dangerous path. It is as if he still wants to drag the military into the political vortex, and the means he has chosen is to call out the military in any place where its narrative does not agree with his own.
This might make for catching crowd enthusiasm, but there is going to be a limit to how long he can attract attention this way. As temperatures creep up after Ramzan, and after the monsoons set in, he might find it difficult to get large crowds to listen to him. Another factor against him is that time will drag away attention from the conspiracy.
As the new government is formed, and as the new government takes steps to provide relief to people, the PTI will have to change its rhetoric to take account of the most immediate events. Imran Khan is beating a dead horse, and that he is irrelevant. He should fear the day when his supporters get the chase feeling. Worse, if the military finds any takers for the narrative that he was just plain wrong, he will not only be irrelevant, but even pathetic.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
Enforced disappearances
Hafiz Baloch, MPhil student of QAU, was abducted on 8 February 2022 from District Khuzdar, Balochistan. Peaceful sit in protest continued for many days but authorities remained silent. Enforced missing has been common practice especially in Balochistan.
There are 8279 pending cases in courts. According to a 2019 report issued by the Rights Commission of Pakistan entitled ‘Balochistan: Neglected still’ claimed that 47,000 Baloch and about 35,000 Pushtoons are missing. People are wrenched away from their loved ones placing them outside the protection law. Their families are plunged into a state of anguish, trying to keep the flame of hope alive while fearing the worst.
A continuous violation of Article-6, Article-9 and especially Article-10 of our Constitution, which provides direct protection from such disappearances, has been witnessed. It should be the prime duty of our state to protect an individual’s life and liberty.
We claim to be a democratic state but thoughts and ideas are suppressed here by force. Peaceful democratic political struggle and freedom of speech under International Law is a basic human right. Without proven guilty how such illegal actions are taken and justified. Not even a single person, institute or authority has been held accountable for such enforced disappearances.
State should ensure that all allegations of enforced disappearance are promptly, independently and impartially investigated, and where sufficient admissible evidences exist, prosecute the suspects through fair trial.
Government and state should give attention to and compromise on some of their demands so that extremist nationalist movement can be avoided. But the tragedy is that the institutions which are obligatory to protect our lives play a questionable role in this situation and our state that is signified to pledge our fundamental rights has sealed its lips.
JAWARIA TARIQ
Azad Kashmir
