Playing with Lives
Recently, there has been a sad and inexplicable re-emergence of the debilitating disease, polio, in the country. Considering that we are now living in the 21st century and that polio has been eradicated from much of the world (and indeed, the government had been working hard to do the same in Pakistan) it is a disgrace that a disease, which is easily preventable with vaccination, should re-emerge in our country. What started off as a dim-witted plot by religious clerics to scare the people and turn them against America by preventing them from having the polio drops administered to their innocent children, can easily reach epidemic proportions if something is not done about this right now! As it is, every day new cases of affected children are turning up in all parts of the country. Polio is a highly infectious disease and ignorance is certainly not bliss when it comes to playing with young lives.
Aniqa Shahryar
Lahore

Monstrous Monsoons
It’s the monsoon season again. Each year we pray for rains and when they do come, we pray for them to simply go away like they never happened… all because we are not equipped to bear the blessings of rain. Civilised and developed countries look forward to the rainy season to picnic and have fun and also for their agricultural produce (if any) to flourish. In Pakistan, the story is totally different. The monsoon rains are predictable and regular. Meteorologists, too, send in their predictions beforehand on the kind of rains expected. Yet, we, as a country, especially the government, do we do much to welcome those rains? Do we ensure all measures are taken for the rainy season to go by smoothly? The answer is a simple NO! As usual there are casualties, including deaths and loss of property each year. This time again, despite the ongoing torture of dug up roads in the name of putting in new and better sewerage system, the severity has been felt by the people of the country. According to reports, more than a quarter-of-a-million people have been displaced and lots have lost their lives in rain and flood-related incidents. Be it Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, lower Punjab or interior Sindh, the story remains the same. Each year we hear from the civic administrators that the next year would be better. Will that next year ever come? Perhaps not!
Jan Kheshkeli
Lahore

Wake up politicians!
It seems that for our leaders, especially Asif Ali Zardari, the Co-Chairman of our ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and his coalition partner Nawaz Sharif, issues like the President's impeachment and the restoration of judges is more important than the real problems of the Pakistani awam. Our nation is suffering with a number of problems like the electricity crisis, shortage of water, high inflation, devaluation of rupee against the dollar and, of course, the rise in fuel prices. But the politicians and to be precise the government is trying to divert peoples attention (through the media) towards dramatic press conferences featuring stories related to issues which are not the real problems of our nation. Please, please! Politicians, leaders, address the real issue and remember all the promises you made during your election campaigns.
Uzma Maree
Quetta

It’s of grave concern to the nation that all officials of the government, who appear on the media, either transfer their own burden to the shoulders of others, or continue to give answers that the whole world knows are incorrect. This kind of obvious falsehood and dodgy diplomacy is presenting a very bad image of society. Why can’t we be truthful for once, and change our attitude by admitting that we have failed to deliver. If only one official would own up to this discrepancy between words and actions, others could follow. But, due to this insolence and falsehood on the media, others, who were forthright, are also going back on their words. As an example, Sheikh Rashid used to be straightforward in his approach with the media in the past, and admitted he fully backed Musharraf, despite obvious criticism by the people that he was backing a dictator. But, now, whenever somebody asks him on the media, Sheikh Rashid avoids the question and changes the topic.
So, this is a contagious epidemic, and if it continues, more and more falsehood, and hypocrisy would take root in our society, as it did in Zia-ul-Haq’s regime.
Concerned Citizen,
Lala Musa

Give Us A Breather!
For years now, when the budget is passed we hope for a better, reasonable budget offering some relaxation to the public in general and the poor in particular. However, this time too, there wasn’t much relaxation, no room for the poor to breath. If anything, things have gone from bad to worse. While previously at least the daal, roti and vegetables were accessible to them, this time even these have been hit by the massive price hikes. Take for instance masoor ki daal (lentils). It is a whopping Rs. 140 per kg. And milk, that’s another sob story. While the milk retailers had been crying about the rise in milk prices, a third time this year, with the rates having gone as high as Rs. 42 per litre there have been rumours of this being revised at Rs. 44 per litre. In fact, more than rumours, as milk retailers have already started to charge customers Rs. 44 per litre in some parts of the city. Is there anybody who can do something, if not for the nation, at least for the poor? Isn’t it the government’s job to check the prices and make sure they remain within the affordability bracket?
Sana Baber
Karachi

Quote Me Not
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."
-Pablo Picasso
“A novel is a garden carried in the pocket."
-Arabian proverb