Friendship with the Great Bear
Madam,
It is comforting to see that the relationship between Pakistan and Russia is getting stronger. It is time to lower our expectations from the West and we must start building a friendly block with China, Russia, Iran and other friendly governments. At the same time we should not break our ties with the West and keep engaging them for peace and trade discussions.
Over the last decade or so, Russia has proven to be a responsible and mature super power. Pakistan can benefit militarily, economically and culturally from greater engagement with the Russians. I think Pakistan should apologise to Russia for its role in the Cold War. We should also not let any country use our territory to intervene in another country.
Haroon Zafar,
Lahore.
Hygiene conditions
Madam,
I wanted to draw the attention of relevant authorities towards the deteriorating hygiene conditions in our town through your esteemed pages.
The streets are not swept regularly. The municipal cleaning staff has not been seen in the area for at least two months. Large piles of garbage are everywhere and there is a terrible smell that none of the residents can bear.
Garbage has also blocked our drainage system and caused drain water to spill out on to the streets, making the situation even worse. This water has turned into large ponds, which is not only destroying the roads but also causing problems for pedestrians who cannot cross the street.
We are vulnerable to all sorts of diseases because of this state of affairs. Flies can be seen everywhere, and there are a lot more mosquitoes because of the water flooding the streets. Recently, there was an outbreak of malaria that affected a number of people and we fear that this is just the start.
I request the government to direct relevant authorities to take this issue seriously. Some immediate steps must be taken to improve hygiene conditions in our neighbourhood and I am hopeful that the government will respond.
Anusha Aslam,
Karachi.
Old habits in Naya Pakistan
Madam,
Although Pakistan’s cultural diversity is greatly advertised in tourism ads, it is hardly cherished. Fayaz Chohan’s rant against culture and art is a case in point. He showed his blatant detestation for the arts by ridiculing performing artists. In doing so, he revealed the views of many in our society. People in performing arts always under attack and are given any respect.
There are some grave consequences of Fayaz’s rant. First, in a country where terrorism and intolerance run high, such remarks by a minister only promoted hatred and intolerance. He should have, instead, promoted arts as a counter to extremist ideologies sweeping the nation.
Second, cherishing artists and promoting Pakistan’s diversity is in our interest. This is because artists are ambassadors for their respective countries and can help create a positive image of their nation; something that Pakistan desperately needs in the current global environment.
It is unfortunate that even in Naya Pakistan such aversions to the arts and culture persist, and that too, voiced by a serving cabinet member. It seems old habits die hard.
Rubina Shahid,
Lahore.
College for Dasht
Madam,
Dasht is a major tehsil in Turbat, Balochistan. According to the last census of March, approximately 77,291 reside here. However, this region has been suffering from illiteracy for years and the government and the administration have not taken any serous action to improve the quality of the education system.
Since there is no college in the area and students cannot afford to go to another city to continue their education after matriculation, many are forced to start working as labourers and farmers instead. As a result, very few of them can make it out of a life of poverty. It is a fact that most people in the area are poor and they cannot bear the monthly expenditure of their children for higher education. It is said that a project for construction of a college in Ball Nigwar was launched 10 years ago, but unfortunately, it has still not been completed and no one seems to care.
I want to urge local administration and the government to take this issue seriously and provide residents decent education facilities.
Sher Jan Khan,
Dasht.
Electricity costs
Madam,
Many people in Pakistan go hours on end without any electricity and this situation have not improved despite three government changes.
Even now, power can go at any time without any warning, and if you do not have a UPS or a generator, then you are doomed to wait a long time before you can even turn on a fan. While the elites stay in power, there seems to be no possible solution to this crisis, as power outages are an issue for the disenfranchised and the poor population of the country. Instead of providing people with some relief, the government has just announced an electricity price hike of almost 2.4 rupees per unit. It seems as power outages grow longer, so does the electricity bill. In what world does that make sense?
Shakeel Ahmad,
Multan.
Pompeo’s intentions
Madam,
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was hoping to “reset the relationship” with Pakistan. Pompeo also announced that Zalmay Khalilzad, a high profile former US ambassador, had been named to a new role to lead peace efforts in Afghanistan. Pompeo’s remarks come days after Washington confirmed plans to cancel $300 million in military aid over Islamabad’s lack of “decisive actions” in support of American strategy in the region.
Pompeo held out the possibility the military aid could be restored under the right circumstances. “We were providing these resources when it made sense for the United States because the partnership was in a place where the actions of our two countries made sense to do that,” he said. “If that arises again, I’m confident we’ll present to the president the rationale for that.”
One hopes that given the tumultuous background of US-Pakistan relations that Pompeo was sincere in his remarks. The Pakistani government should also provide some kind of reassurance that it supports the Americans in the efforts to curtail terrorism.
Adnan Jamshed,
Peshawar.