Double standards
Madam,
This letter is concerned with a statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing the Israeli prime minister of being a terrorist after the latter rejected Ankara’s “moral lessons” over deadly clashes in Gaza. According to reports, Erdogan said, “Hey Netanahu! You are an occupier and it is an occupier that you are on those lands. At the same time, you are a terrorist.” All those with some love for humanity would agree with the bold statements of the Turkish president who had spoken on the behalf of not only the Muslim world but all peace loving citizens of the world. Almost same type of atrocities, killings and brutalities are taking place in the Indian-held Kashmir, while Prime Minister Modi of India is acting like a terrorist, but unfortunately the world in general and the Muslim world in particular, is a silent spectator to these atrocities and killings of innocent Kashmiris has become the order of the day. Kashmir is virtually red with the blood of Muslims living there, but all human rights organisations are ignoring the inhuman treatment meted out to the Kashmir valley. Why does the Muslim world have different standards for Israel and India? Both countries are occupiers. No major world leader has spoken on the plight of Kashmiris nor used strong words as Erdogen did for Israel. It is expected from Erdogen that he will also call Modi a terrorist and raise his voice against the atrocities of the Indian government in Kashmir. The Muslim world must unite in condemning state-sponsored terrorism in Palestine and Kashmir.
Aamir Aqil,
Lahore.
Countering terrorism through literature
Madam,
Social media has destroyed our culture of book reading, but it is interesting that a book has attracted social media attention. Daam-e-Lahoo, a book by Hafsa Rehan, is a novel worth reading. She takes the challenge of extremist views head on and fights it by using her pen. Based on a fictional story leading to the APS Peshawar tragedy, she highlights the issue as to how and why a commoner becomes terrorist, how it impacts the social life of a citizen and what are the solutions to this menace. Her novel tries to differentiate between terrorism and religion and conveys that terrorism is the opposite of Islamism.
She tells the reader that our land is not as barren as others say. We are able to produce good writing that fascinates viewers.
Hafsa describes brainwashing of a person by terrorists in a way that readers understand their modus operandi. She makes the reader aware of those elements hiding within our homes and take preventive measures. In a novel everything must not be real, but her pen makes fiction seem like fact. The reader enjoys the novel which is full of suspense, thrill, romance and agony. The topic of the novel seems to be dry at first glance but it retains the reader’s attention. It reads as if the reader is part of the character’s story.
Hafsa’s are real life common characters; the reader smiles at the innocence of these characters and cries when they face difficult situations. The novel ends in a way that makes the reader sad, but it speaks about reality. She combines different characters while gathering them at one place. In the preface of the novel she says, “It is the toughest moment on earth when a father takes his 25-year-old hardworking son to his grave.”
The writer herself belongs to an area that has been affected the most by such incidents and she writes as an eyewitness account.
The good thing is the young novelist doesn’t criticize anyone or any class of the society as she believes that there are good and bad people everywhere. One may find technical wrongs in the novel but this is her first solo and mistakes are few. However, it proves that she has all the ingredients of becoming a novelist of fame. Writing on the subject of terrorism is a daring step, and certainly the first of its kind. She deserves to be appreciated, encouraged and protected.
Fawad Khan,
Islamabad.
Save our children
Madam,
It is painful to see that Pakistan’s government is failing to tackle child sexual abuse as a serious issue. This rape culture will destroy lives of our children. Our government is failing to maintain peace and humanity in Pakistan where lives of young children are constantly in danger. Parents are afraid of sending their children to schools and markets because of this state of insecurity. Children are the beauty of any nation but our society seems to have no appreciation for this beauty. We treat children like animals.
I urge the government of Pakistan and all citizens to take collective action on this issue and create a safe, nurturing environment for our children.
Shakeel Khan,
Turbat.
Kassak needs a hospital
Madam,
I want to draw the government’s attention to Kassak village, which is 30 kilometres from Turbat. Villagers of this area are facing several major problems which are being ignored by lawmakers. Even though there are many people living in this village, we cannot find a single hospital for medical emergencies and people have to travel all the way to Turbat for treatment. Majority of the people are here poor and cannot afford to go to the city for their treatment. Many people needing emergency aid die on their way to the hospital.
We, the people of Kassak, humbly request the government of Balochistan to provide hospitals and doctors so that we have access to basic medical care. We hope that our voices will be heard by our leaders and they will take action to resolve this issue.
Shakeel Phullan,
Turbat.
Good governance?
Madam,
I visited the driving license office in K Block, Defence Housing Authority, Lahore on April 12, 2018 to renew my license number. I would like to point out for the attention of the chief minister that having a public office at the top floor of a building without any elevators cannot be called good governance because it is very inconvenient not only for senior citizens like me but for all the visitors as well as the staff members to climb stairs to reach there. Generally speaking, most public offices are on ground floors, except for the buildings which have escalators. I am wondering what is the reason behind having a public office at the top floor of a building without lifts where hundreds of visitors come daily? I cannot believe the government of the Punjab is short of funds and cannot afford a driving license office on the ground floor. I assume the driving licence department must be self-sufficient in its finances because the fees for issuing new licenses are quite high.
I am requesting the chief minister to look into this matter and take necessary action to move the driving licence office situated at the top floor to the ground floor to help solve problems being faced by visitors as well staff of the office.
I must mention that the staff of driving license office was very polite and cooperative. My visit to the office lasted only for about 10 minutes and procedural formalities related to my driving license renewal were resolved easily.
Ejaz Ahmad Magoon,
Lahore.
We need water
Madam,
Pakistan will run out of water by 2025 and our public representatives are not taking this issue seriously. Recently, residents of an area approached Saad Rafique during a corner meeting in a bid to understand Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) policy on water. Not only did the former railway minister shut them down, he ordered PML-N goons to take them away and rough them up. This is unacceptable behavior on part of someone who claims to be a man of the people. It is also unacceptable because we, the people of this country, want to vote for a party that will address our everyday problems and there is no question that water is one of the most urgent issues facing our country. Similarly, our government has failed to enforce environment laws nor has it made any progressive policy to tackle climate change. Instead, our parliamentarians spent their time squabbling over who should be prime minister instead of seeking public support on fundamental issues facing the people of this country. Campaigns for this election also show that our electables are not really interested in offering voters a serious agenda and only want them to remain silent and vote without any questions asked. This is not democracy, this is just a cult. We cannot have our government being run by people who are insensitive to the plight of the common man. We need serious candidates who are genuinely interested in improving the living conditions of their constituents. If our public money can afford upkeep of mansions like the chief minister’s house and the prime minister’s house, then we can certainly invest in people-friendly policies that will serve our nation in the long term. There are some citizens who are running a campaign called Paani Do, Vote Lo. I would like to state this is a very potent slogan and I will certainly only vote for a person who will tell me what he or she is doing to improve the lives of the common people.
Aisha Akbar,
Lahore.
Technology without electricity
Madam,
No one can deny the fact that technology has made our lives easy and comfortable. But having technical devices without electricity seems like a nightmare. Because everything is operated by electricity, like computers, lights, fans, mobiles and televisions, it is one of the most demanding sources in this modern world. People in Turbat have been facing many problems and difficulties due to excess load shedding, especially students. They cannot study properly without fans and lights. We will be very thankful if tangible steps are taken to address the problem of load shedding in this city.
Muskhan,
Turbat.