Vaccination
Madam,
This letter refers to the rumours being spread in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding adverse effects of polio vaccines. These rumours have made thousands of parents nervous and anxious. Many rushed to schools and took their kids to hospitals.
These rumours spread like a wild fire. The intensity of the rumour was such that it even created law and order situation which was difficult to control. It was a well-planed conspiracy, in which it was alleged that children had suffered reactions and had even died because of the vaccines.
A similar rumour emerged one day that children were being vaccinated in schools under the pretext of smallpox and typhoid vaccines. It was alleged that this was meant to make them impotent. Thousands of panicked parents rushed to schools to take their children and refused to get them vaccinated against those two diseases. It was unfortunate because government had arranged special vaccination teams to visit schools as a precautionary step against the spread of those deadly diseases.
How unfortunate that in our country that whenever the government initiate any welfare scheme for future of the coming generations, conspiracies are hatched to create hurdles. Those who spread such rumours must be taken to court.
Raja Zohaib,
Lahore.
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.
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.
Faraz Amjad,
Islamabad.
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.
Nimra Khan,
Karachi.
Scholarships
Madam,
I was devastated to learn that the Higher Education Commission has withdrawn all scholarships and ordered to double admission fees. Do our policymakers not know how scholarships programme encouraged and aid poor students?
It would be hard students from lower income backgrounds to pursue their education without scholarships. I appeal to the prime minister of Pakistan to take notice of how the future of this country is being destroyed under his watch. Scores of young people voted for Imran Khan in the hopes that he would transform the country for good. A transformation is indeed underway but one wonders who it will help.
Sana Abbas,
Multan.
Vulnerable minds
Madam,
I have a serious issue with the type of toys parents purchase for their children these days. A toy gun should not be used for a child’s entertainment. This leads to aggressive behaviour and violence. By giving out toy guns to our children, we are promoting a gun culture that only leads to aggressive habits.
Instead, the children must be given lessons in etiquette, ethics and morality because they are the future of the nation. Children who are more inclined towards guns become less tolerant.
They must be stopped from watching movies or playing video games where there is a lot of violence, bloodshed and gore because these normalises things for them.
Raina Akhtar,
Multan.
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