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.
Energy conservation
As the country is facing a shortfall of electricity and gas, the entire markets of the country should strictly follow limited timings for opening and closing their business so that domestic consumers could get electricity and gas without interruption. The timings should set 8 am morning for opening and 6 pm as closure time for all markets, shopping malls, etc., as part of fresh crisis of electricity and high rise of petroleum.
The government should also direct the businesses to observe Fridays and Sundays as closed days. As business community should understand the situation and play its due role to steer the country out of crisis as the nation had witnessed the closure of markets and shopping plazas by the evening during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the same basis and spirit once again, businessmen will take a part in boosting up the economy of the country playing a vital role to minimize their activities reducing the time for the conservation of energy. We hope that government would constitute a committee for a fruitful dialogue with business community on the matter of energy conservation.
SYED SADAQAT HUSSAIN
Karachi
Honour killing
In Pakistani society, women are regarded as the most persecuted category. Almost every day, newspapers carry reports about heinous crimes against women, including acid throwing, domestic abuse, child marriages, bride burning, rape, human trafficking and even honour killings.
Women’s liberation refers to a woman’s entire autonomy in exercising her free will. Only when women are free of patriarchal society’s restraints will this become a reality. Myopic norms and traditions, which are the core of our male-dominated society, stand in the way of freedom. As a result, the majority of crimes against women have been done in the name of tradition. Honour killing is a cultural reality in Pakistan, where women are slain for damaging the family’s honour.
Many women have been murdered after exercising their immanent freedom to select and marry against their families’ desires. Not only that, women are brutally murdered by their family members for reasons such as pursuing an education or when they decide to separate from an abusive partner.
Now the question is how such shameful and heinous deeds will be eliminated from our society? Women also want freedom; they also want to live their life peacefully and independently.
They also have the right to make decisions in their lives. Very unfortunately in the record of ‘National Crime Records Bureau’, honour killings do not exist, because it is not recognized as a separate crime. Eliminating honour killings needs a multi-dimensional approach. That means, on one side, we should work on changing the attitude of patriarchal men and women. On the other hand, the government should deal with the perpetrators with an iron hand and we should also pressurise our politicians to withdraw their support to honour killing. And criminals should be punished in front of the public so that everyone should know the consequences of such deeds.
AIRAF LIAQUAT
Pacca Chang
Economic crisis in Lanka
It is the country’s worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. It has led to unprecedented levels of inflation, near-depletion of foreign exchange reserves, shortages of medical supplies and an increase in prices of basic commodities. An increasing pressure of international debt, a decline in tourism as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak, a decrease in the value of the Sri Lankan currency, and a currency deficit—all of which are responsible for the current critical situation of the island nation in one way or the other.
The intent behind writing this piece is just to bring to the notice of the Government of Pakistan led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is an acute/experienced politician, that if corrective steps are not taken, our fate will be no different from that of Sri Lanka. We feel sorry for Sri Lanka because she is among our best friends and we have withstood each other through thick and thin.
SAWERA ANWER ALI
Karachi
Climate upheaval
Undoubtedly, the world has been on the verge of environmental disaster. Earth’s average temperature is rising day by day which is quite disruptive for the entire life on earth. A hazardous impact of human activity has made the earth to loose its bearing capability. These human practises are performed on the large scale where everyone has forgotten that environment is “the global common”. In global common, prosperity of single entity is the prosperity for everything and hazards of any single entity are hazards for everything.
Nuclear proliferation, deforestation, burning of fossil fuel, acidic wastages, rising sea levels, freak storms, fluids and urbanization are some of the factors that deteriorate climate. In this regard, chlorofluorocarbons are further adding fuel to the fire and damaging ozone layer. Hopefully, the first and foremost responsibility of every individual is to take environment seriously.
Each one must take part in reducing the adverse climate effects. Despite all miseries, humans have the capability to deal with such upheavals. The international community must also negotiate each aspect of environment preserving equality among the nations. All the nations should take sustainable measures to tackle the problem.
SAMEEULLAH
Naushahro Feroze
