Eid waste
Madam,
It is a simple fact that mass animal sacrifices in urban environments can be a messy affair. There is a reason why these practices are forbidden in most countries. If Pakistani citizens knew about dangers of leaving remains of sacrificed animals in garbage dumps, they would happily dispose of animal remains in more a hygienic manner. Sadly, there seems to be no awareness on this issue.
What is more alarming is the fact that even the government is not aware of the dangers of animal waste in urban spaces.
In Lahore, it is a common sight to find offal lying openly in the city streets. Everyone tries to not walk past them so as to avoid the stench. Our government should realise that this is a public health issue, and the poor masses, who do not have access to good medical facilities, will suffer the most as bacteria from these rotting entrails will inevitably find its way into their water and air. How ironic, then, it is to remember that Eid is supposed to be a time to remember needs of the poor.
The Punjab government must clean up the waste left after Eid immediately lest we are struck by a public health emergency. It should also launch a public awareness campaign about the pollution caused by Eidul Azha every year. It must teach the people why it is necessary to dispose of animal entrails correctly and of the health risked posed by large, unhygienic animal markets.
Hamza Javed,
Lahore.
Great speech but what next?
Madam,
Bilawal’s speech was brilliant. It is clear that he has inherited from his grandfather and mother his style of speaking; both were charismatic leaders in their own time.
He paid homage to the martyrs of the 2018 elections and suggested that an investigation be conducted to find those responsible for the violence. He recalled the promises made by the incoming prime minister in his 100 day plan and also chastised him for referring to voters of others parties “dead bodies and “donkeys”.
There is a debate on social media that there is a difference between words and actions. Bilawa can impress the audience with his presentation skills but it will be a Herculean task to revive his party as a political force once again.
If he wants to retain the goodwill of the people, he needs to revive the education system in ghost schools, provide basic necessities of life to the people of Sindh and improve the abysmal situation in Thar, and work hard to overcome the bad image of the party that his own father was so instrumental in creating.
The PTI has momentum at the moment and can eat away their primary vote if his party does not have anything to show for itself. He must distance himself from his father’s influence.
Zoya Anwer,
Hyderabad.
Relationship stress
Madam,
The issue that I wish to discuss is a greatly neglected issue in our society because it is not consider appropriate enough to discuss. Premarital relationships are something that is considered taboo in our society so no one really talks about it. This has become one of the biggest causes of depression, anxiety and even suicides. Premarital relationships are very common in our society no matter how much we ignore them. They exist in great numbers and we should acknowledge this.
The purpose of writing this letter is to give a message to every single girl and guy to please think twice before letting themselves drown in depression. Heartbreaks are real and they hurt as much as a physical injury. The only difference is that the wound is not visible to others. It is very common these days to get played, cheated and left alone. Getting ditched by the person you were attracted to somehow gives the message that you were not good enough. It ruins a person’s self-worth and as well as emotionally destroys them, resulting in depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
This not only goes for premarital relationships but also for marital relationships as well, because being cheated on and left alone ruins you. The only difference is, in marital relationships there’s a lot of support from the family but in premarital relationships family won’t even get to know because we are scared of what our parents might think or do to us, so we let ourselves suffer in silence. Most people might disagree that these relationships are different and yes, I agree they are very different but the amount of psychological pain is real and so is the heartbreak. It takes a lot of time and energy to heal from a broken heart but the sad thing is some people give up.
Life is a series of ups and downs but most people are not strong enough to deal with that and so they let themselves drown until one day they wake up and decides to end it. We can’t stop ourselves from getting attached to temporary people but we can guide our children and be there for them in the time of need. Isn’t it better if we break this communication gap with our children and save them before they end their lives or get lost in the darkness for the rest of their lives? It is always better to try than to cry. The best way to deal with this is try to spend time with your children, ask them about their lives, be their friend. Make your child so strong that they can fight their battles courageously.
Mehak Ali,
Karachi.