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Grandiose at public expense
Though profoundly unfortunate, grandiose at public expense is a trend that has always been and continues to be audaciously and brazenly pursued by governments which have been in the saddle in this country for the past over seven decades.
Pomp and show, at the expense of the tax payers, by those who have been at the helm of governance in our part of the world is nothing new. This is one tradition that the self-proclaimed leaders of this country have always followed with unparalleled enthusiasm. Will this profoundly obnoxious attitude of the rulers ever change? No, not until people build the courage to stand against it.
This utterly despicable trend of grandiose at public expense should cease forthwith. The stupendous carcades that form the protocol of the VVIPs and VIPs should be done away with instantly. It not only accrues in massive government expenses but also become a source of profound public inconvenience.
Will PM Shehbaz Sharif take the lead in abolishing this awful trend that seriously besets the government’s work culture? Needles to say, if he courageously does so it unambiguously would be a feather in his cap.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
Let’s turn side
Our education system is as old as the myths. It seems as if we have gotten the ideology of educating from our ancestors. Now one can find no change in the education system of the country for decades. But, who cares? No one!
Alas, the system which is just propagating dangers and producing inadequate pupils is sowing its seeds. The students instead growing mentally seem to be interested in being dipped into poisonous wines. The cheating culture has become a necessity.
To be honest, the one who does not cheat will perhaps fail the exams even after studying day in and day out. What is the reason? The only reason to this malady which is forcing the pupils to fraud is the education system. I strongly believe that our youths can make impossible feasible if the curriculum with the whole system of education is changed in the country.
PARVEZ MOULA BAKHSH
Malir, Karachi
Overlooked difficulties of labour
Pakistan’s population has been increasing, so the economy is getting more labour abundant. This labour abundance poses many challenges to economy. The economic condition has left poor even more vulnerable to exploitation by private organizations.
With an increasing gap in demand and supply of jobs in the market, the lower and middle-class workers are experiencing exploitation by the employer, and workers are getting employed with minimal rights. Impoverished workers have no choice but to accept the employer’s predation because the other path leads to facing unemployment.
Private firms are not adhering to the government’s minimum wage laws by recruiting workers for very little compensation. Furthermore, the Labour Department fails to enforce the minimum wage in the private sector. The disparity between wages and living expenses also adds insult to the injury. Most individuals who dispute their employer for the payment against the work they perform are threatened with termination or relocated to an inconvenient location or department.
Healthcare provided to employees is also limited or equal to having no medical facilitation. The poor safety in the workplace is also a peril to workers with outdated safety equipment only to ensure formalities. It seems like a continuous & unending cycle of taking unfair advantage of the hard-working individuals.
Women are also playing an increasingly important role in the workforce, but still, they are facing deprivation of fundamental necessities. The patriarchal structure in the workplace is to blame for the majority of the issues that women experience.
Labour rights violations are getting more common due to the inaction of the labour rights watchdog. The government must identify ways and solutions to address the issues of an increasing labour force by generating labour-intensive occupations, exporting workforce and services and encouraging individuals to start their own businesses.
BAQAR HUSSAIN SHAIKH
Sukkur, Sindh
