Sexual harassment
Madam,
Sexual harassment is a very fragile topic in Pakistan. Many people have yet not gathered enough courage to openly talk about it and share their experiences. However, those who have come up with accusations, whether true or not, have faced backlash in the form of character assassination, vulgar comments and personal criticism.
As a girl, I know how hard it is to for a woman to survive in our society. According to some statistics, nearly 93 percent women have been either sexually abused at home or in public.
Sexual harassment is a sad reality that is recently being given importance locally and internationally with the #MeToo movement, where women and men alike have been giving accounts of the abuse they have faced.
It is already very difficult for people to stand up for themselves. Instead of calling them attention seekers, we should give them the benefit of doubt and stand with them in this battle against sexual predators.
Niha Khan,
Karachi.
Ayub International Airport
Madam,
Islamabad International Airport is nearly ready. From the pictures shown in the print media, it looks as if it will be the biggest airport in Pakistan. Congratulations to the people of Islamabad for a new international airport. Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and it needed an airport to serve as a gateway to Pakistan.
There has been news that the government is finding it difficult to find a name for the airport. I propose that we name this airport after Field Marshal Ayub Khan, since the country saw a lot of progress during his regime. It was indeed a decade of prosperity and Ayub Khan put the country on the right track to development. Even though he was a man with some limitations, he was by far the best leader in this country. No leader has been able to match the progress he made in a decade. It was him who chose Islamabad as the capital of this country and thanks to him, we have a wonderful city. Seeing his achievements and services for his country, I propose that the new airport be named Ayub International Airport, Islamabad.
Abid Habib,
Karachi.
Space programme
Madam,
Nearly all Indian media outlets – from electronic and print media to social media – are giving coverage to an apparently “unusual development in the region” in which Pakistan is set to upgrade and advance its indigenous space programme which previously had limited quality advancements as compared to that of India, which has been engaged in active cooperation with the United States in order to enhance its satellite programme. In the recently announced annual budget, the Pakistani government has allocated a reasonable funding for our space programme in the current fiscal. After successful completion of the programme, Pakistan is likely to come at par in space technology as well.
Obviously the news of Pakistan’s more vibrant and advance space programme plan has sent shockwaves across India as the reports published in newspapers specifically mention that this programme is primarily aimed at keeping an eye on the Indian side of the border. The people of Pakistan, civil society, intelligentsia and political observers have expressed great satisfaction since for Pakistan, an advanced space programme was the need of the hour, not only for defence but also due to the growing demand for the civil communications, including the GPS, mobile telephone and the internet.
Pakistan is entering a new era of advancement. This will help reduce Pakistan’s dependence on foreign satellites which it needs to use for civil and military purposes. Earlier, Pakistan had been getting help from the US and France. Under the new indigenous space programme, Pakistan plans to initiate several projects to develop its self-reliance capacity while reducing dependence on foreign satellites.
The budget for Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Organisation (SUPARCO) for the years 2018-2019 has been set as Rs4.70 billion, which includes Rs2.55 billion for three new projects. SUPARCO has regularly been conducting activities each year to increase awareness of space technology and to promote its peaceful usage amongst students and the masses in Pakistan since 2005. The budget allocation includes funding of Rs1.35 billion for Pakistan Multi-Mission Satellite (PakSat-MM1). Likewise, Pakistan is planning to establish various space centres, for example in cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad with the allocation of Rs1 billion. Another project on the cards is the establishment of a Space Application Research Centre in Karachi with the budget of Rs200 million. The total cost of PakSat-MM1 is said to be Rs27.57 billion and the cost of the space centres is Rs26.91 billion. This is indeed a welcome development for space enthusiasts in this country.
F.Z Khan,
Islamabad.