Right to education
Madam,
According to the Article 25 of the Constitution, it is the responsibility of the state to provide free and compulsory education to every child between the ages of five to 16 years. But the situation is quite bad: literacy rate only 58 percent and it is the second lowest in the South Asian region after Afghanistan (38 percent). Apart from this, the country’s spending on education as a percentage of GDP remains low compared to other South Asian countries.
Besides this, a recent report by Alif Ailaan reveals that more than 22.5 million children are still out of school —nearly half (44 percent) of all children in the country. The report portrays a dark picture of the education sector of the country in which a great many children are deprived of their rights. It is an eye opener for rulers and policy makers. I urge the government of Pakistan to take practical steps to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Maryam Fatima,
Via e-mail.
Water scarcity
Madam,
I am writing this letter to draw the attention of relevant authorities to the severe water scarcity being faced by citizens of Absor, a small town near Turbat. Residents of Absor have been complaining about the state of pipelines for many years. These became damaged by heavy rainfall over the years and the situation has become dire this year in particular. For more than three days people of this town have had no water to drink. They are being forced to travel to distant places to acquire some water. We, the people of Absor, request the government to take action on this issue so that there can be some relief for us.
Ayesha Bashir,
Turbat.
Good step
Madam,
The government recently introduced a scientific application to see the moon. It seems rather difficult to implement such progressive steps which are believed to be against the norms of tradition and religion. Science is the reality of life. The entire Muslim world has adopted this technology, but still there are some countries such as Pakistan which have abstained.
This new app provides us the Islamic calendar for five years. This will be beneficial for all of us as we can easily schedule future tasks. Moreover, this is good for the government as it can announce Eid holidays and other activities in advance. The ulema of the Reut-i-Hilal committee and others oppose such technology, as it makes them redundant. I request the government to take bold steps and ensure that Pakistan progresses with other countries.
Maria Khan,
Lahore.
Power crisis
Madam,
Through your esteemed paper, I wish to draw the attention of the authorities towards a great problem affecting Karachi.
For the last several months, the people of Karachi, despite paying all types of taxes and utility bills, have been encountering frequent power breakdowns that have become a headache for us and particularly for students who are preparing for their examinations.
I regret to point out that it seems as if there is nobody to take care of the citizens and solve their problems. The authorities have not paid any attention or given a positive response to repeated requests from residents of Karachi. The situation has now reached an alarming stage, which may result in the form of protests. The authorities are therefore requested to look into the matter without further delay and take suitable steps to solve the problem.
Hanif Khan,
Karachi.
Alarming situation
Madam,
The situation in Larkana is disturbing. Not only are more than 500 children affected by HIV, they are killing each other over it. On Wednesday I was scrolling through my Twitter timeline and noticed a photo going viral. The photo was of a woman who had been hanged to death. After a quick search I learnt that her husband had killed her after she tested positive for HIV.
What in the world is going on here? Is there no accountability or way to control this situation? How can there be such complete failure on part of the government? I urge the government and political parties to take notice of this issue and campaign on things that actually matter to citizens and affect their lives.
Myra Khalid,
Via e-mail.
Cancer hospital
Madam,
Cancer is increasingly one of the main causes of high death rates in Balochistan. Unfortunately, although the number of cancer cases is rising, it appears that there are no facilities to cater to the needs of cancer patients nor are there any research facilities that could advance knowledge and expertise about countering this deadly disease. It is shameful that although the prime minister of this country built a cancer hospital, its facilities are not easily available to the common man and there are no public or private hospitals which can help patients. I request the provincial government to establish a cancer hospital in Balochistan as soon as possible.
Muzammil Khan,
Quetta.
Pension woes
Madam,
I want to draw the attention of our prime minister towards the problems being faced by pensioners. Around 75 percent of pensioners draw their monthly pensions from banks and at the time of withdrawing, the bank deducts Rs400 in various charges. I request Prime Minsiter Imran Khan to kindly have some pity upon poor pensioners and cancel all unjustified rules and regulations imposed on these payments.
Ghazanfar Ali,
Multan.
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