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.
IK demands Lu’s dismissal
This refers to the news report ‘Imran calls for US Diplomat Donald Lu to be dismissed’ (May 24). Now, let us look at the issue from different angles. 1) Why would US government deliver the threat though an ambassador belonging to PTI government, and thus alert Imran Khan, enabling him to take avoiding action?
To believe it, we would have to assume that perhaps the US thought that in view of the extremely vulnerable economic situation of Pakistan – and knowing that no international lender would help us out unless US-influenced International Monetary Fund agreed with us a programme first – Imran Khan will hold the interest of 220 million Pakistan higher than that of his own, and agree to leave government peacefully.
However, such sacrifice from him was unlikely because here we are talking about a person who wants thousands of Pakistanis to suffer extreme inconvenience, even die, to bring him back to power.2) Donald Lu did the thing on his own, without knowledge or approval from the US government. In such a case, the US government could dismiss Donald Lu. However, it is unlikely that LU acted on his own initiative. 3) Donald Lu acted on US government instructions. If this was the case, the US government would value his services and appreciate him for a job well-done.
However, if a particular democratically elected prime minister of nuclear-armed Pakistan, with a population of 220 million, could be thrown out through the efforts of a relatively low-level US official, does he legitimately deserve to continue as Pakistan’s chief executive who is required to, and actually does successfully deal with far more serious internal and external threats on a regular basis, without wailing before the crowds and seeking their help? 4) Imran Khan now demands dissolution of Assemblies and holding of fresh, free and fair election.
Now, while in power, he could have easily done this himself. However, he specializes in blaming others for his failure to make proper and timely decisions.
S R H HASHMI
Karachi
Electoral reforms
Political turmoil has paralyzed the country’s system, made the people miserable and disturbed serious circles. Political forces are looking at political interests instead of making decisions in the national interest. If democracy is not cleansed even in the present circumstances, we may not get this opportunity again.
For democratic supremacy and political stability, it is imperative that the political parties that sing the tune of democracy first adopt the democratic values themselves. Eliminate undemocratic values and individualism from within. Where is the wisdom to propagate individualism instead of ideology, hereditary domination instead of competence, tendency towards nepotism and hope for democracy to flourish without getting rid of authoritarian mood?
MUHAMMAD SHAFIQUE
Islamabad
Water security
Pakistan is facing severe water shortage. The Tarbela and Mangla dams are the two biggest reservoirs operational in Pakistan. They have a combined capacity to store water for 30 days only while India can store water for 190 days.
Due to shortage of dams, Pakistan can store only 0.09 per cent of the total water it receives annually. The current environmental conditions are harsh. If a few additional small-scale dams are built, much of the wasted water can be saved. Every year Pakistan is hit with floods.
In addition to storing water, sufficient dams could also have saved thousands of affected people belonging to the flooded areas. In particular, this shortage is negatively affecting life of the people living in the southern regions.
The current wave of water scarcity is not sudden. Successive governments have been warned on multiple occasions about the gravity of the issue. According to a report published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan ranks third in the world among countries facing acute water shortage.
By 2025, the country is expected to reach a record water shortage. The increasing population has also worsened the water indicators for the future. Pakistan is the fourth largest user of water in the world. Pakistan is also among the countries likely to be most hit by the looming shadow of climate change. Extremely high temperatures have added fuel to the fire. Ample availability of water is also a necessity to deal with the heat.
HUBA SHAIKH
Karachi
Christians in Modi’s India
Christians in India are frequently the victim of violent attacks which have increased dramatically ever since the Hindu-nationalist PM Narendra Modi came into power in May 2014.
Prayer meetings are often raided, many rural Christians have been expelled from their villages and refused access to the village well and pasturelands while others have been forced to convert to Hinduism. The Prime Minister had promised a corruption-free country. But what do we see now? The answer is large-scale corruption and harassment.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
