Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. – Stephen King

Blasphemous cartoon competition in Netherlands

Recently, an anti-Islam Dutch politician announced to hold a competition of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Cartoons depicting Prophet (PBUH) have provoked violent responses in the past. Moreover, Islam regards blasphemy as heinous and offensive, yet it does not prescribe any worldly punishment for it, as this would seriously restrict freedom of expression. A prominent political party has announced that it will begin a decisive march from Lahore to Islamabad and will stay on the streets until either the publications of blasphemous cartoons in Netherland end or the Government immediately ends diplomatic ties with the Dutch. Such events deeply hurt the sentiments of Muslims and provokes them to revolt. Pakistan should form allies with other Muslim countries to counter such incidents with full impact and ensure that they don’t reoccur.

Maham Fatima,
Lahore

Pakistani weddings

There is neither restraint nor control over how long Pakistani wedding celebrations can go. While local laws were introduced which prohibited wedding halls and banquets from operating in late hours, there is more to the picture. Many celebratory events are often hosted at residence, with huge tents mounted in the middle of street entirely blocking the roads, amidst of raucous noise and disruption. To mount tents, big iron pegs are dug into the road, deliberately vandalising public property without any heed. Often the celebrations can go night long, creating noise pollution and disrupting the peace of the neighborhood. Stringent measures should be taken to curb these acts. One’s personal joy or celebration should not shroud public peace.

Neha Agarwal,
Karachi

A dire issue

As we all know that scarcity of water is one of the most common and highlighted issues in Pakistan. According to recent studies, Pakistan may run out of water by 2025. Our country is in dire need for construction of new dams. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the immediate construction of the same. In the court order, it was said that the water resources are pertinent not only for human lives but also for the country’s stability. It further said that the Council of Common Interest did not express any reservation against Basha and Mohmand dam. The long and short of it is that the citizens of Pakistan should cooperate with the government by donating as much money as they can for the construction of new dams in Pakistan.

Tanzeen Khan,
Karachi

Mistaken ambition

A common cause of failure of students is mistaken ambition. Mistaken ambition is a direction or path mapped out by parents that runs counter to their children’s interests and abilities. When students are forced to do something that they have no aptitude for, they turn into rebels and develop bad habits like gambling, robbery, smoking and even drug consumption. These factors altogether hinder their path towards success and it becomes very difficult for them to make something good out of their lives. I want to put the whole matter in a nutshell by saying that students should be given freedom to follow their dreams and pursue the ambition of their own choice so that they can excel and make their mark in their field of interest.

Maham Fatima,
Lahore