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.
Stop injustices in Sindh
There are numerous problems being faced by the people of Sindh province that include diseases like Aids, hepatitis, biting by stray dogs, contaminated water, serious health issues, unemployment, substandard education and serious law & order situation.
It appears that present PPP government has no concern with problems being faced by common people who are indeed their voters. Cheating in exams and nepotism has become order of the day everywhere. Common person has lost the right to live, no right to speak. They are forced to become deaf and dumb in front of their tyrant masters. Aren’t we living in the age of modern slavery?
What to talk of progress, as every department has become corrupt, no change in Sindh or in new Pakistan. There is no rule of law and there is total dearth of good governance. Every day we hear heart-breaking news about killings and rapes of innocent children. The ratio of other crimes like theft, street crimes is rapidly rising due to inactiveness of law enforcement agencies. We are in a total mess. When people of this province and country would see good governance?
Saqlain Mushtaque
Larkana, Sindh
Protect
wild life
Animals are an essential part of the echo system however, due to upsurge in hunting, destruction of their habitats and increase in pollution has made animals’ life at risk of extinction. Wild life is considered an integral part of biological diversity and if it is not saved it would one day vanish completely, if these matters are not tackled properly. Moreover, shorter hibernating period is another issue, which leads to significant decline in the population of several species including marmots, chipmunk, blind Indus dolphins, Gray Goral Sheep, black bears and birds like lammergeyer vulture, snow hawk, Dalmatian and Spot-billed Pelican.
Pakistan’s hosts some of the utmost biologically diverse flora, now it is our turn to give this inheritance due respect. We can only able to save these species, if little help provided by all to scaling up efforts to protect and save wildlife. Moreover, it is also the responsibility of every citizen including youth and old to safeguard wildlife and their habitats.
Hadia Aziz
Islamabad
Poor hospital conditions
Every one is aware of insufficient healthcare facilities to cater to the needs of thousands of people in the country. According to PIMS (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) Islamabad each year at least 300 person die in Rawalpindi and Islamabad mainly in the winter season due to non-availability of ventilators facility.
PIMS has 52 beds with ventilators and 12 incubators for infants. According to available data, just 15 to 25% of seriously sick patients requiring ventilators are fortunate enough to receive one at a government hospital. The remaining 70 to 75% patients must go to private hospitals, where it is very expensive.
Naturally it is not possible for majority in the country to pay this price. Government hospitals are bad in conditions where doctors do not gives proper attention to patients while conditions in private hospitals are much better than government hospital yet they are very expensive. It seems government is least interested to improve conditions in Public sector hospitals.
MUHAMMAD HAIDER
Via Email
Kuala Lumpur summit
Apropos the letter ‘Kuala Lumpur summit’ (Dec 21), we should avoid bashing Prime Minister before knowing facts. If PM has withdrawn from this summit at the eleventh hour despite giving his word to Malaysian counterpart, there must be something very fishy happened.
Yes, there was indeed: PM had to buckle under Saudi pressure. There are about 4 million Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia. Saudis threatened Pakistan by saying that they would send all Pakistani workers back and re-employ Bangladeshi people instead. Also, we are hugely indebted to KSA. So, our PM had two options either withdraw from that summit or make 4 m Pakistanis unemployed. I think PM has chosen a safe course. So, before bashing PM, we should take these compulsions into account as well.
ZAHID ALI ZOHRI
Gilgit-Baltistan
Fake SMS
Have you received an SMS informing that your ATM has been blocked? Does the message then instruct you to call a certain cell phone to ensure that your ATM works properly? Recently I received a SMS from an unknown number saying “Dear customer your ATM card has been blocked because you did not have an update it yet. If you want your ATM card to work properly, then contact on given numbers.”
When I go and to check my ATM card I found it’s worked pretty fine and the bank manager said this is a fake SMS. When I discussed with my friend then he said I don’t have any bank account but yes I also received a similar SMS from an unknown number.
While most are aware of these fraudulent practices, like Bank ATM card and some other may also exist such as Benazir Income Support Program and Jeeto Pakistan winning cash prizes” they all are fake SMS and few residents do fall victim to these scams. When peoples calls on given numbers then they asked for their sensitive information such as CNIC, bank account details etc. The first thing you need to do on receiving a SMS is to give a call to your bank to verify it. Bank customers were also advised to take necessary steps to protect their bank account information, including details of their payment cards, and to never share their personal information with strangers.
I request Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Federal Investigation Agency and other concern authorities to take an action against all such criminals who send these fake text messages to people and steal their sensitive data.
ZEESHAN Shabbir
Rawalpindi
Women empowerment
The empowerment of women and girls is critical to building stable, democratic societies; safeguarding human rights; furthering international peace and security; growing vibrant market economies; addressing pressing health and education challenges; and ensuring that development initiatives are effective. Pakistan has adopted a number of key international commitments to gender equality and women’s human rights.
There are three important areas which need to be changed for women’s economic empowerment women’s right to choose how they want to pursue their livelihoods, making opportunities available for women, and giving women the space to voice themselves. These changes will lead them to explore their full potential. Pakistan Vision 2025 has embedded five components of women’s empowerment. Emancipation of women in Pakistan is a great challenge that cannot be taken for granted. It will require sincere effort by successive governments and civil society spread over years to work for the common good of its people.
AIMAN AMJAD
Islamabad
Climate Change
Pakistan, which has been listed as the 7th most vulnerable country affected by climate change, is now seriously tackling the vagaries of weather, both at the official as well as non-official level. Pursuant to an initiative launched by the Pakistan Parliament’s Upper House, the Senate, which specially entrusted a sub-Committee of the Standing Committee on Climate Change to focus on “Green and Clean” Islamabad, media, civil society and students have taken up the cudgels on combating climate change.
On April 10, over 500 students and faculty of one of the prominent universities of Islamabad, launched “Say No to Plastics” campaign which includes distribution of flyers underlining hazards of plastics use, backed by a door-to-door awareness campaign as well as cautioning against plastic littering. Climate change has caused drastic effects in the world climate, such as the rise of carbon dioxide level, global temperature; melting of ice sheets, rise of sea levels, and ocean acidification. For this change, a range of human activities is responsible. Present government has launched Ten Billion Trees Tsunami Programme to lead the country towards aiming at revival of forestry and control air, weather, wildlife, forestation, watershed management and soil conservation to combat the negative impacts of climate change. Pakistan is amongst the pioneers who have established a climate ministry.
Finally, as countries need to put in place compliance mechanisms in their national settings, Pakistan will also need to undertake immediate actions before the key messages are blurred or forgotten. For this, the Prime Minister needs to convene on a priority basis the first meeting of the recently constituted Pakistan Climate Change Council.
YOUSAF JAMEEL
Islamabad
Combating polio
Polio is causing a huge destruction to new generation of Pakistan as more children fall prey to polio. Due to circulating rumours and misconceptions regarding polio vaccinations, the parents show reluctance when asked for vaccination of their children. On the other hand, the polio workers feel unsafe while visiting door to door for immunising the children since they were attacked many times.
Similarly, 3 days ago, two policemen embraced martyrdom when unknown gunmen opened fire on a polio campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Finally, I appeal to media persons to play their role for creating awareness among the masses about polio. Government should provide proper security to the polio works so that they may be able to perform their duties properly and save future generations of Pakistan from this crippling disease.
AKHTAR UMRANI
Turbat, Balohistan
